On Tuesday, July 17th, 2012, a Minnesota man was found guilty of assisted suicide in the deaths of 18 year old Carleton University student, Nadia Kajouji and 32 year old Mark Drybrough from England when a Minnesota appeals court upheld his prior convictions from 2011.
One victim, Nadia Kajouji studying at Carleton University in Ottawa ended her life by jumping in the Rideau River. The other victim Mark Drybrough hung himself in 2005.
Melchert-Dinkel admitted to visiting online chat rooms with the intention of encouraging vulnerable individuals to commit suicide. In his online chats with Ms. Kajouji, he pretended to be a depressed woman. He tried to convince Nadia who was suffering from depression to hang herself while he watched. He even suggested what type and size of rope she should buy to hang herself.
Laws against assisted suicide exist to protect the lives of vulnerable individuals from those who would counsel or help them to commit suicide.
Melchert-Dinkel was sentenced to more than 6 years in prison, however under the terms of his parole he will only serve one year in prison.
