Suicide Predator Convicted

William Dinkel had an unhealthy fascination with suicide by hanging—not his own, but others’. The former Minnesota nurse admitted to visiting online chats to prey on vulnerable people. Posing as a teenage girl, he persuaded two people to kill themselves. He encouraged a young woman girl to kill herself in front of a webcam so he could watch. An investigation linked Dinkel to the suicides, and he later admitted to police he did it for what he called the “thrill of the chase.” Dinkel’s attorney tried to get him off on the issue of free speech, which didn’t get very far. A court found him guilty of aiding two vulnerable people to commit suicide. He could get up to 15 years in prison. I hope this will deter other twisted individuals from doing the same.