The Death Room Suicide of Nadia Kajouji
Warning, this case involves talk about suicide. I watched an episode of Deadline Crime with Tamron Hall for this episode. It’s season 3 episode 2, titled ‘The Death Chat Room.’ I can’t tell you how angry this case made me, and you will see why. Nadia Kajouji was an 18 year old freshman in college, who suffered from depression and mental health. She befriended someone in a chat room, who said they were there to be a support system, but in fact was there for an opposite reason.
Background
Nadia was an 18 year old from Ontario, Canada. She was attending college at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.
Nadia
Her father, Mohamed, was interviewed in this episode and he said Nadia wanted freedom, which was why she chose to go to school so far away. Nadia’s family was very proud of her, but noticed changes in her personality, ever since she left to go to school.
Changes in Nadia’s Behavior
When Nadia first went to school, she had many friends and did what typical first year college students do: mingle and party.
Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada
However, Nadia got pregnant during her first year of college, and eventually miscarried. They played clips of Nadia’s video diary in this episode, and Nadia described taking the Morning After pill, and still getting pregnant. She also split with her boyfriend soon after, and this is when her father started seeing changes in Nadia.
Nadia Disappears
On March 10, 2008, Nadia’s roommate heard Nadia’s music blasting. Nadia often played music while studying, but never that loud. Nadia’s door was locked, so her roommate when to get help. When they entered her room, they found her iPod blaring the song ‘Sweet Symphony,’ and they found her ID, and laptop. Nadia was not there.
The campus police notified Nadia’s parents, and said Nadia had been missing for two days. Nadia’s parents were outraged that it took two days to tell them, but they went up to Ottawa to search for her.
A search for Nadia began. Nadia’s family went to different areas to hand out flyers, and the police said despite the whether being miserable, Nadia’s father searched for her at all hours of the day. Nadia’s case also became a huge news story.
Investigation
Nadia’s laptop was taken in for forensic testing, and what they found was shocking. Nadia had a very diary, where she made videos talking about being depressed, and finding it hard to talk to people. In her videos, her hair covers her eyes, and her brother believed she wanted to remain anonymous. They also found out that Nadia was talking to someone online, someone by the name of Cami D.
Nadia and Cami D were talking in a chat room. Cami said she was a nurse in her 20s, and she also told Nadia that she was depressed. There conversations were becoming sinister and they were constantly talking about ways to kill themselves. Cami said she was going to hang herself, and suggested they make a pact to do it together. Cami asked Nadia if she had a webcam, and that she could watch her do it to make sure it gets done. Nadia also asked Cami what kind of rope she suggested, and Cami said she suggested a yellow nylon rope.
They also planned that Nadia would kill herself one day before Cami. However, at the last minute, Nadia said she wanted to make it look like an accident. She said she was going to wear her ice skates, and jump into the river.
On April 20, 2008, Nadia’s body was found. She did exactly what she said she was going to do, and jumped off the Rideau River in her ice skates. Her death was ruled a suicide.
A Chat Room Predator
The police were able to run the IP address through “Cami D’s” email, and it led them to a house in Fairbault, Minnesota. The home belonged to a man named William Melchert-Dinkle, a nurse in his 50s. He said he lived there with his wife and daughter. When he was questioned, he told the police that his daughter must be the one who was responsible, and that he would get to the bottom of it.
William Melchert-Dinkle
Nadia was not the first victim. In 2005, a man in England named Mark also committed suicide. Mark was talking to a woman named Li Dao, who said she was a 25 year old nurse, who lived in Minnesota. Mark died by hanging himself.
Also in England, a woman named Celia Blay, caught on to Li Dao, and even posted on the chat room for people not to talk to Li and that Li was a predator. Celia also did her own research on Li, and eventually tried calling the police and FBI. She eventually sent her research in to the Minnesota Crimes Against Children Task Force. They listened, and once again it led them to William Melchert-Dinkle.
Melchert-Dinkle’s “Confession”
In January 2009, Sgt. Bill Haider of the St. Paul police, went to the home of William Melchert-Dinkle. He and his partner asked William if he was the man behind the Cami D and Li Dao alias, and William said yes.
However, Sgt. Haider said William was very arrogant, and said he was only helping people who would have eventually done it themselves. He said he was their advisor. Sgt. Haider asked William to tell him how he would advise him to kill himself, and William gave almost a word for word answer for what he told Mark and Nadia, buying a rope and using a slipknot. He also said he did it for “the thrill of a chase.”
William was not arrested that night, but his computer was taken by the police.
The Supreme Court
In May 2011, William Melchert-Dinkle was sentenced to 360 days in prison for intentionally pushing someone to commit suicide. However, the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed his conviction on the grounds of the First Amendment.
Melchert-Dinkle and his wife.
Other
Nadia’s family was disappointed, but now they are advocates for suicide prevention. They work with yourlifecounts.org. Nadia’s brother, Marc, said:
“I appreciate the awareness,” “Nothing is going to bring my sister back, but if I can help another family, I think that I’ve done all I can.””
If you or anyone you know is thinking about suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK.
FINAL THOUGHTS
William Melchert-Dinkle is obviously a major piece of shit, and he deserves all the bad karma that hopefully comes his way. I feel like he’s one of those people that never thinks he’s done anything wrong, and from hearing his interviews in this episode, he’s probably smug about the whole thing.
Nadia, Mark and all of his other victims, deserve better than this. He is out in the world, walking free, while they don’t have their lives anymore. If they would have gotten help instead of listening to a predator online, maybe they would still be alive today.
One final note, other than Nadia’s family, the true hero of this story is Celia Blay. She caught on to these lies on this chatroom, and even though Melchert-Dinkle isn’t behind bars, hopefully no one else will die at the hands of this asshole!
Sources
https://people.com/crime/suicide-chat-room-tragedy-inside-nadia-kajoujis-death/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/nadia-kajouji-suicide-conviction-reversed-1.3382159
