Twin cities nurse to be charged with encouraging suicide
posted at 10:14 am on March 3, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Last time we saw this kind of story, it involved a suburban mother who pushed a neighborhood teen into killing herself. Lori Drew avoided a felony conviction in that case, mainly because the laws in Missouri never predicted such strange behavior. Now it’s Minnesota’s turn, as a nurse may get charged with influencing an 18-year-old Canadian girl to hang herself:
Police in Minnesota expect to charge the man who allegedly encouraged 18-year-old Nadia Kajouji to kill herself over the Internet in about two weeks.
Peter Panos, the spokesman for the police department in Saint Paul, Minn., said Saturday that if they do charge William Melchert-Dinkel, it would be the first time anyone is prosecuted under a Minnesota law for encouraging someone to commit suicide over the Internet. …
Transcripts of their online conversations show Mr. Melchert-Dinkel, a troubled 46-year-old practical nurse, recommended that Ms. Kajouji, who was depressed, kill herself by hanging.
In the sordid messages, he said he would tell her exactly what to use and how to do it.
In one message, he told her to look around her “apartment for somewhere to hang from.”
Counselling a person to commit suicide is a crime, both under the Canadian Criminal Code and under a Minnesota statute.
Melchert-Dinkel didn’t just target Nadia Kajouji, either. According to the National Post, he had other pen pals on line, encouraging them to kill themselves as well. He may be the first serial suicide-inciter of the modern age. “Troubled” doesn’t begin to describe it, and one has to wonder whether a look into Melchert-Dinkel’s former patients might not be a good idea. Any unexplained deaths or suicides should get a new look.
Melchert-Dinkel could face 15 years in prison, either in Minnesota or in Canada, depending on which jurisdiction wants to try him. I’d bet on Minnesota. Kajouji may have committed suicide in Canada, but Melchert-Dinkel committed his crimes here.
Let’s hope the rest of M-D’s correspondents get some help.
Update: I mistakenly wrote that Kajouji was a student at Carleton College in Minnesota. She attended Carleton University in Canada. My apologies for the misunderstanding.
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When will President for Life Obama-Mugabe award her the Order of Lenin for preemptively implementing his health care “plan”?
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 10:18 AM
I forgot is North Dakota or Minnesota that uses the wood chipper for people like Melchert-Dinkel?
WashJeff on March 3, 2009 at 10:18 AM
I don’t get it. How can a state that backs the party that embraces the notion of Jack the Dripper Kevorkian being a saint have a law like this on the books?
You live in a strange strange place for a conservative Ed.
sven10077 on March 3, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Killing a baby, killing a teen…just a matter of years.
right2bright on March 3, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Welcome to the new age of socialized medicine.
Rovin on March 3, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Well, aren’t people saying the world’s too overpopulated these days?
Snowed In on March 3, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Blame Barry!
christene on March 3, 2009 at 10:23 AM
I agree with those people and also agree we could do with a lot fewer people who say we are overpopulated.
Draw you own conclusions.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 10:24 AM
I heard of a nurse who targeted pregnant moms to kill their unborn babies.
bloggless on March 3, 2009 at 10:25 AM
President Obama-Mugabe is going to be awful busy, giving out all of these awards.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Of course, it would be totally inappropriate for some one like “getalife” or “death-hacks” to post in this thread.
Rovin on March 3, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Hang the bastard.
pseudonominus on March 3, 2009 at 10:27 AM
We need less prosecutions of these types of things, and more cases of a dozen friends of the victim beating the perp to within an inch of their life.
That’s called deterrence.
MadisonConservative on March 3, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Probably that Minnesota law isn’t strong enough.
Probably going to need some massive federal regulation of the internet to deal with situations like that.
Probably a good thing that the Democrats control congreess right now.
Probably also going to need some constitutional “expert” in the Administration to oversee the new regulations.
myrenovations on March 3, 2009 at 10:29 AM
“He may be the first serial suicide-inciter of the modern age.”
Aren’t you forgetting the Islamist leaders, Ed, who incite suicide as a way of entering Paradise?
Luis Cardoso on March 3, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Public lynching is what is needed. MN will probably incarcerate him in isolation for his own protection.
OmahaConservative on March 3, 2009 at 10:33 AM
What’s wrong with having both?
zeebeach on March 3, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Hey, this is Minnesota! I live here! We need to feel this nurses pain! She is obviously not responsible for her actions! A few months at a mental health resort and all is good! She can then go to work for Planned Parenthood! Perfect Resume!
sabbott on March 3, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Why was “Troubled” allowed around patients?
qestout on March 3, 2009 at 10:39 AM
necklace
DarkCurrent on March 3, 2009 at 10:39 AM
The general idea is to take the power to twist the law to his own ends out of the sequence, and replace it with a bit of vigilantism.
MadisonConservative on March 3, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Definitely CEO material. She has the Public Relations thing down pat, and she understands the medical aspect as well.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Seriously?
DeathToMediaHacks on March 3, 2009 at 10:43 AM
She was actually at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Not Carleton College in Minnesota. Please correct that.
Canucker on March 3, 2009 at 10:44 AM
If you follow links in the story, you can read more of the nurse’s instability and derangement.
For some reason, the girl felt she had no one to help her, and did not turn to her own father or family, but to her peers and the Internet.
It is a tragedy, all around.
Now, push away from the keyboard, go hug your kids and make sure they understand as much of life and love as you can impart.
Joan of Argghh on March 3, 2009 at 10:45 AM
That’s assuming Obama-Mugabe can take time away from his busy schedule of his efforts to bring about the assisted suicide of our economy.
Maybe he can send Plugs to give the award, or did he miss the train today?
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 10:45 AM
She’s a he
DarkCurrent on March 3, 2009 at 10:45 AM
I wonder where the line is. If he was in the same room, he could have coerced the suicide. That dynamic is less forceful on-line. Clearly, if he encouraged the step-by-step process he’s a monster. However, is someone culpable if they share thoughts of despair via IM with another depressed person? Do they cross the line if they know the other person is contemplating suicide? If they discuss specific ways of doing it? If one person says I’m going to hang myself if you log off, and the other does so anyway? Virtual realm with physical consequences.
dedalus on March 3, 2009 at 10:45 AM
He could become the Mental Health Czar in the White House.
Fuquay Steve on March 3, 2009 at 10:53 AM
It’s a sad story.. but then again she was going to Carleton University and as a past graduate (and as humble as I can be)let’s just say that doesn’t speak mountains to her intelligence. The campus does offer psychological help to those who need it so I wish she would’ve used it…
Trapped In Canada on March 3, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Not everything can, or should, be made into political hay.
The guy’s a monster. Monsters happen in the best of worlds.
Joan of Argghh on March 3, 2009 at 11:06 AM
For me, the line is: Troubled Nurse did not go to this girl’s house, tie a rope around her neck and then kick the chair out from under her.
That girl could have turned off her computer. She could have not read his messages. She could have sought actual professional help.
Suicide is sad, but quite preventable.
myrenovations on March 3, 2009 at 11:07 AM
I don’t know about you guys, but I have no problem with the suicide bombers committing suicide. It’s the part where they kill or maim dozens of others that bothers me. Just do it in private.
factoid on March 3, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Good points. Also, if he had been serving in a professional capacity it would make him more clearly culpable, but if he’s just someone with no authority on a webcam it’s a little more difficult to see the line.
dedalus on March 3, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Could this statute be used in Minnesota to prosecute those who advocated voting for Obama?
jeff_from_mpls on March 3, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Guy is a sick and twisted b@stard… but…
This is going to open up a whole international can of worms.
Whose jurisdiction? Where the statement was made? or Receieved?
What if the statement is against the law where received, but not made? Enforceable?
Or even worse, what if one of the countrys that the IP packets pass THROUGH has Hate speech type laws….
Romeo13 on March 3, 2009 at 11:19 AM
I agree that this guys acts are disgusting but not criminal. The law is overstepping here. He is not a professional counselor. He’s just some clown on the net.
If I run into a real loser begging me for money and I lose my temper and tell them to drop dead, am I looking at being arrested?
Some of you are wayyyy down THAT slippery slope.
dogsoldier on March 3, 2009 at 11:19 AM
If it was up to me, I would give William Melchert-Dinkel the electric chair. I’m so sick of jerks like him.
SoulGlo on March 3, 2009 at 11:22 AM
And they want to take away or control my firearm that hasn’t killed anyone and give to incompetents a license to steer a 10000 lb wheeled killing machine!!!
Tom
marinetbryant on March 3, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Wait a minute here! I was raised and educated by MTV and the liberal-anchored public school system (in that order).
Things I’ve learned:
1) The victim is YOU.
2) Only Caucasoids can be racist.
3) It is not only cool to be a homosexual, but it is something to be heralded and applauded.
And the most important lesson of all, the one lesson above all others — yet only applicable to women…
4) MY BODY, MY CHOICE!
Sooo, if the above is true, why would the poor, just-tryin’-to-help nurse be liable for anything beyond encouraging this woman to do nothing more than simply what SHE wanted to do WITH HER OWN BODY?
Where are all the feminists who should be supporting this nurse who was simply encouraging a woman to follow HER own will regarding HER own BODY?
Pardon me now while I turn my sarcasm dial back to zero.
Dion on March 3, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Wow…. calling for someones death for being a jerk, or having a problem…
You do realize, under the standard you wish enforced, you just called for his death? Internet incitement for Death? Slightly lesser version of what he was doing?
Romeo13 on March 3, 2009 at 11:31 AM
People on the right who complain about Bush Derangement Syndrome should take a look at this thread. Obama has nothing to do with this topic at all, yet still people want to tie him to it. Absolutely ridiculous.
orange on March 3, 2009 at 11:36 AM
What does the guy get out of his behavior?
A feeling of power over another human being. When such other human beings are already under duress. And this guy is a nurse. Don’t nurses have the same kind of oath as doctors?
Truly sickening.
Sir Napsalot on March 3, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Ed, you really need to shut this thread down.
The Snow-Day grade-schoolers and Kos plants are having a field day at the expense of a tragedy.
Certainly, no self-respecting Conservative is participating in the shameful nonsense.
Joan of Argghh on March 3, 2009 at 12:09 PM
People on the right who complain about Bush Derangement Syndrome should take a look at this thread. Obama has nothing to do with this topic at all, yet still people want to tie him to it. Absolutely ridiculous.
orange on March 3, 2009 at 11:36 AM
You’d be right … if it wasn’t obvious to anyone with half a brain that they are joking.
BuzzCrutcher on March 3, 2009 at 12:09 PM
I’m not sure about charging people this way. Yes, they are awful people for encouraging suicide but is this something worthy of 15 years in prison? think of the people who commit suicide because of financial fraud… do we add that charge to the fraudsters? I watched an episode of the The View the other day and really felt like ending it all but I found the remote just in time. Should they be charged?
lexhamfox on March 3, 2009 at 12:10 PM
I think that’s Jim Morrison on her shirt. No wonder, the Doors and their music should be tried for encouraging suicide (amongst other crimes).
Sorry, that’s not quite fair, the people should be free to be godless idiots.
kirkill on March 3, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Absolutely and I hope he enjoys himself there.
Perhaps he can administer some more care and it will end up a net gain regarding taxpayer dollars.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 12:22 PM
And it’s a good joke because of the painful and aweful TRUTH of Obama’s love of abortion and what universal health care will do to the state of health in America. So no, we don’t blame Obama for THIS, but for the 90 MPH drive off the cliff into Socialism, which is like suicide to a real American, i.e. Conservative.
kirkill on March 3, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Gee sorry, “assisted suicide” and Barack Obama are kind of associated to each other right now.
This incompetent, corrupt idiot is Dr. Death when it comes to our economic system. Hard to get away from that.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Why not? Hey, if you nose-picking, booger-eating liberal bed-wetters can blame George W. Bush for everything bad that has occurred anywhere in the universe since the Big Bang, why can’t we blame this on Obama’s indifference?
After all, Obama, the so-called “Christian,” supports the genocide of his very own people:
http://www.blackgenocide.org/planned.html
Anyone who supports that certainly isn’t going to trouble themselves over a grown woman offing herself.
Besides, I thought you lefties supported euthanasia? You also unflinchingly support abortion on demand, too, both pre and post natal.
I mean, honestly, once you have crossed those two lines, does the age of the person who dies really matter?
No wonder so many see the left as supporting a culture of death.
-Dave
Dave R. on March 3, 2009 at 12:37 PM
This is so true. There are folks out there that are bounded and determined to go through with killing themselves no matter what. And then there are folks that get to a point where it seems like at the moment it’s their only course of action. So many are prevented by IDing them and geeting them talked past it.
We had a young trooper that was displaying an acute symptom where he just stopped taking care of himself. Very poor hygiene and his B Hut buddy complained that he couldn’t live with him anymore becasue of the awful condition of their common area. Rather than seeing this change in behavior as a sign of depression, his NCO just saw it as being a poor soldier. He counseled him and instructed him that his duties for that day were to clean himself, his half of his room and the common area and then go to the dentist. He went to his room and after about an hour just shot himself with his M16.
He was reportedly a good troop previously and his change in behavior should have raised a red flag. That NCO really took it hard.
Anyway, for this nurse to overtly try to affect this result, I’s have to go with a commenter above and let some family and friends after his ass.
hawkdriver on March 3, 2009 at 1:07 PM
I think it is only fair to state that not everything is Obama’s fault. For instance, I stubbed my toe in the night and that wasn’t…. wait a minute, yes it was. Ok, my car wouldn’t start this morning…. yep, his fault too!
I digress…. EVERYTHING that is bad in this world is Obama’s fault. If it isn’t, it is Nazi Pelosi’s fault! Deal with it Libtards!
fumpbump on March 3, 2009 at 1:08 PM
geez, “bound” and determined… getting…because…
No more beer at lunch for me.
hawkdriver on March 3, 2009 at 1:10 PM
No, don’t do that Hawk! WE love it when our pilots have a 2 beer lunch!!!
fumpbump on March 3, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Only, we are more used to it when it is the Air Force!
fumpbump on March 3, 2009 at 1:11 PM
No, no, son. I’m quite off the beer for lunch njow. Looking at the comment there’s even more mistakes than I corrected. The serious point is, (especially guys like you if you’re in a leadership position fumpbump) be smart about the counseling when you get them overseas. Don’t immediately mollycottle, but look for those signs.
hawkdriver on March 3, 2009 at 1:15 PM
I agree whole-heartedly hawk. My first tour we didn’t have a problem. Not until we got back. We lost one to suicide then. No one seemed to notice the signs. My role as an NCO is to fix things. That doesn’t always mean fix what is obvious. I have to be able to look deeper into the problem and find out where it comes from. A lot of times, dare I say the vast majority of times, the obvious problem is not the main problem. The soldier you referred to above had obvious problems that stemmed from something new in his life. It could have been depression (as it was in this case), or it could have been something different, such as relationship problems, drug/alcohol abuse, the list goes on. It is my job as a senior NCO to find out the core problem and then go from there.
I was trying to be funny about the beer for lunch, nothing more.
fumpbump on March 3, 2009 at 1:25 PM
Wait just a damn minute, this is the guy that went around, promising perfection, arrogantly kneeing President Bush in all of his dopey speeches, telling us that he had all of the answers, he had all of the brightest people on his team and that everything would be hunky-dorey the moment he got elected.
He sort of raised expectations.
And now that everything has gone to crap from pretty much the moment Obama-Mugabe took over, largely as a result of his boneheaded, idiot economic policies, it’s “poor widdle Barack, people are being mean to him”.
Obama lied, cheated and stole to get this job and he told everyone he was going to be by far, the best President we’d ever seen.
So far he’s completely crapped the bed. His idiotic policies have made trillions of dollars disappear, he’s a complete joke as far as our enemies are concerned (that Russia “deal” really went over well, didn’t, dontch think the Russians the Iranians are laughing at this clown?).
We told you people that Obama was unqualified, unaccomplished and his ideology was wrong for this country and you didn’t listen.
So now we’re all stuck with this idiot as President. Don’t expect us to be happy about it or to try and treat him like he isn’t what he is – a disaster.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 1:25 PM
Once again No, you have brought a tear to my eye! Thank you, and God Bless America! (What is still left of her!)
fumpbump on March 3, 2009 at 1:29 PM
We’ll survive the Obama-Mugabe regime, although I have no idea how.
The good thing is, should it come to Civil War, we know who will win.
One division of Gangster Disciples is not going to be able to fight the entire south and that’ll be pretty much all Obama has when it comes to that point.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 1:41 PM
assisted suicide my donkey. It’s premeditated murder.
darktood on March 3, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Tomato, tomaato, it’s all good.
Although I lean towards your definition, I don’t think our economy really wanted to die, but perhaps Obama-Mugabe’s speeches took from it the will to live.
NoDonkey on March 3, 2009 at 2:15 PM
lol, I knew. Soldier On!
hawkdriver on March 3, 2009 at 4:03 PM
The sick f*ck should be encouraged to suspend his rotten carcass from a healthy tree limb.
profitsbeard on March 3, 2009 at 10:03 PM