Boston Student Charged With Manslaughter For Abusing And Encouraging Ex To Commit Suicide

A Boston College student has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of her boyfriend. The boyfriend committed suicide after he received numerous texts from her but her lawyers claim that she was being blamed unfairly.

Twenty-one-year-old student Inyoung You is facing manslaughter charge over the death of her 22-year-old boyfriend Alexander Urtula, according to Daily Mail. You appeared at Suffolk Superior Court with her lawyers for the pre-trial hearing.

You, a South Korean native, was charged with manslaughter in October 2019 for the death of his boyfriend. Urtula committed suicide by leaping to his death from the roof a garage just 90 minutes away before the May 20 commencement graduation ceremony took place.

Prosecutors claim that Urtula was under You’s control and was scared to end their relationship based on witnesses. In addition, You reportedly sent her boyfriend a barrage of abusive texts.

However, You denied the charges and claimed that prosecutors only painted one side of her relationship with Urtula. During the pre-trial on Tuesday, You’s lawyers questioned prosecutor Rachel Rollins’ use of harsh rhetoric and her lengthy descriptions of the alleged abuse when the charges were announced.

Suffolk County District Attorney Rachel Rollins announced on October 28, 2019, that You will be charged with involuntary manslaughter charges, according to Boston.com. Rollins said that there’s evidence that You was “physically, verbally, and psychologically abusive” and that the “abuse became more frequent and more powerful, and more demeaning, in the days and hours leading up to” his death.

Rollins likewise said that You sent numerous text messages telling Urtula to kill himself. Her abusive behavior was reportedly witnessed by their family and classmates.

In a press conference last year, Rollins said that You was using threats of self-harm to control Urtula. “It also found that she was aware of his spiraling depression and suicidal thoughts brought on by her abuse. Yet, she persisted,” Rollins added. She also revealed that as Your and Urtula sent more than 75,000 texts to each other in the two months before his death.

Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Grasso said that You tracked Urtula’s location using her iPhone. Grasso claimed that You was even on the roof when Urtula committed suicide. Urtula was a gifted and active student and was a member of the Philippine Society of Boston College.

But You’s lawyers challenged the prosecutors claims by saying that they “cherry-picked” the message and only read the damaging ones in court. “Never in my career have I seen more unjust and callous behavior from a DA in what I can only conclude is the cheap pursuit of headlines,” You’s attorney, Steven Kim, said.

Kim also hinted that Turtula’s suicide can’t be proven to have been caused by the text messages he received as there could be other factors at work. “No one can ever know to a moral certainty why someone decides to take their own life,” the lawyer argued. “Suicide is always sad, always a tragedy and always mysterious.”