Alexander Urtula and Inyoung You. Photo / Urtula family via Suffolk's DA'S Office
Alexander Urtula and Inyoung You. Photo / Urtula family via Suffolk's DA'S Office
Warning: Distressing content.
The legal team of a Boston woman charged over her boyfriend's suicide has released a string of texts that show her begging him not to take his life.
Less than two hours before Alexander Urtula was due to graduate from Boston College, the promising 22-year-old student, struggling with declining mental health, took his own life.
His girlfriend Inyoung You, 21, a South Korean student also studying at the college, had tracked Mr Urtula on his iPhone to a parking garage in the US city, where she allegedly watched him end his life just after 8.30am on May 20 this year.
Suffolk District lawyer Rachael Rollins alleged the young college couple had exchanged more than 74,000 texts and that Ms You was responsible for more than 47,000 of them.
Thousands of those were of Ms You explicitly telling her boyfriend to "go die".
However, Ms You, who has been living in Asia after she withdrew from Boston College, challenged the narrative.
On Tuesday, her legal team released text messages to the Boston Globethat, according to the publication, reveal Ms You saying "please" more than 100 times as she allegedly tried to stop her partner of 18 months from ending his own life.
"Where the f**k are you," she wrote in one message, according to the Boston Globe. "Who'd you run into or talk to? Whose room did u go to? Hello."
"I'm not talking to anyone," he replied. "I won't ever again. I'm happy I got to spend my last night with you. I love you inyoung until my last breath."
"Then WHERE ARE YOU," she replied, before telling him: "I ASKED U WHY UR LOCATION WASN'T AVAILABLE. … ARE U KIDDING ME."
He then allegedly responded again, saying: "I'm not gonna be anywhere inyoung this is goodbye forever. I love you. This isn't your fault it's mine.
"I'm far away on a tall place and I'm not gonna be here for long. … I'm leaving everyone."
She later wrote "STOP" after he texted "good bye" to her.
"IF U EVER LOVED ME STOP," she continued. "IF YOU WANNA SHOW ME U LOVE ME STOP … please pick up … talk to me please."
Inyoung You and Alexander Urtula exchanged thousands of text messages, including "hundreds" in which she urged Urtula to kill himself. Photo / Suffolk County District Attorney's Office
It is understood Mr Urtula turned his GPS tracking back on and that's when Ms You, together with Mr Urtula's brother, headed to the parking garage.
While heading to the location in an Uber, Ms You texted her boyfriend again, pleading with him to stop.
"PLEASE IM ALMOST THERE PLEASE. where are u please please please," she allegedly said, writing the word "please" more than 100 times.
But when Mr Urtula saw Ms You at the parking garage, he killed himself, sources close to Ms You's family told the Globe.
The texts may be presented as evidence during Ms You's trial.
A spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office told the New York Postthat Ms You, who plans to return to the US soon, hasn't had her arraignment date set yet.
"This office will not comment further on the investigation at this point or on the evidence that supported our charging decision," spokesman Matthew Breslis said in a statement. "More facts and evidence will be made available at the arraignment and throughout the course of the litigation. Until that point, we have no further comment."
MS YOU WAS ALLEGEDLY ABUSIVE TOWARDS HER BOYFRIEND
Suffolk District lawyer Rachael Rollins alleged that Ms You was "physically, verbally and psychologically abusive towards Mr Urtula during their 18-month relationship".
"The abuse became more powerful and more demeaning in the days and hours leading up to Mr Urtula's untimely death," Ms Rollins added.
The Boston prosecutor said the abuse was "documented extensively" in the couple's texts and was regularly witnessed by family and classmates.
Mr Urtula also wrote about their tumultuous relationship in his journal.
Ms Rollins said the 47,000 texts sent by Ms You in the final two months of their relationship "clearly displayed the power dynamic in the relationship".
Mr Urtula was a biology major who had completed his course work and was working as a researcher at a hospital in New York at the time of his death, Boston College spokesman Jack Dunn said in a statement.
what are u doing. where the f*** are you... are you kidding, really? you really turned your location off you were being sus as f***when u left i knew u were gonna go f*****g see them
u thought u were being sly about it
u think I'm that DUMB? u turn ur location off at a time where it's not even POSSIBLE that u made it to the parking lot then
I'm not talking to anyone. I won't ever again. I'm happy I got to spend my last night with you. I love you inyoung until my last breath.
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
OR IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE:
• LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 or 09 5222 999 within Auckland (available 24/7) • SUICIDE CRISIS HELPLINE: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7) • YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 ,free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat. • NEED TO TALK? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7) • KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7) • WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm) • DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 • SAMARITANS – 0800 726 666.
