A Pennsylvania woman is facing charges two years after her estranged boyfriend committed suicide as prosecutors allege her “heinous and graphic” text messages drove him to take his own life.
Kevin J. Metzger, 37, died June 18, 2021, after “continuous and unrelenting” text messages from his estranged girlfriend, 35-year-old Mandie Reusch drove him to take his life, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli alleged in a press release. “The level of bullying, harassment and threats rose to a criminal level in this particular case, and we will prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law,’ Ziccarelli continued. (RELATED: 11-Year-Old Kills Herself After Being Bullied, Mother Says)
“I hope for (our daughter’s) sake that you do kill yourself. She would be better off not even knowing you.”
Mandie Reusch is behind bars tonight after police say she sent that and other “heinous” messages to her boyfriend before he took his life@WPXI —> https://t.co/22qWITOUwd pic.twitter.com/XFzyFgJ5XZ— Andrew Havranek 📺 (@Andrew_Havranek) June 13, 2023
Police searching Metzger’s apartment after his death discovered a handwritten letter written by the victim and Facebook posts showing text messages purportedly from Reusch in which she allegedly encouraged Metzger to kill himself, the release stated. Metzger, a veteran who had served in the U.S. Army for nearly 20 years, shared a daughter with Reusch, whom she allegedly threatened to keep away from him, the WPXI stated.
The messages reportedly began in June 2020, a year before Metzger took his own life. Reusch reportedly wrote, “Go kill yourself. You aren’t a real (expletive) human,” according to Penn Live.
While Metzger was away at military training in May 2021, Reusch reportedly told Metzger she was moving in with another man, adding, “I hope for (the child’s) sake that you do kill yourself. She would be better off not even knowing you,” according to Penn Live.
In another set of text messages, Reusch reportedly told Metzger he would “burn in hell” and bragged that she would dance on his grave. Reusch also reportedly sent video of her having sex with another man, telling him she had destroyed the property he had left behind at home, according to the outlet.
Reusch’s attorney, Phil DiLucente, stated that while Metzger’s death was tragic, the case amounted to nothing more than a lover’s spat. “We just have very emotional words conveyed to one another,” DiLucente stated, according to the outlet.
“My God, if we’re going to start prosecuting people for sending harsh texts to one another versus it being verbally communicated, then we are on a different path on our legal system,” DiLucente continued.
Ziccarelli disagreed with DiLucente’s analysis of the situation, stating in the press release, “Mr. Metzger may still be here today if those messages did not influence and encourage him to take his own life.”
“This is the next level or most extreme amount of bullying I’ve seen, read about, heard about, where somebody is constantly telling someone to end their life,” Trooper Steve Limani told CBS News Pittsburgh.
For two years, State Trooper Philip Dern and the District Attorney’s Office investigated Metzger’s death, culminating in Reusch’s arrest. She is now facing a felony charge of aiding suicide and a misdemeanor charge of harassment, the release from the district attorney’s office stated. Her next court appearance is set for June 27.
“We extend our condolences to the Metzger family for their loss and the grief they have experienced since his death. We will not allow or tolerate this kind of egregious behavior,” the release continued.