A former Faribault, Minn., nurse accused of coaxing two people into committing suicide through Internet chats is expected to give up his right to a jury trial while maintaining his innocence.
William Melchert-Dinkel is scheduled to waive his right to a jury trial on Thursday and enter a "Lothenbach Plea," placing his fate in the hands of a judge who is expected to review evidence presented by Rice County prosecutor Paul Beaumaster. There would be no testimony.
If District Judge Thomas Neuville finds Melchert-Dinkel guilty, he would not be allowed to appeal the conviction but could appeal pretrial issues. Melchert-Dinkel lost several pretrial motions, including one that said the case should be dismissed because his actions were protected free speech.
Neuville would have seven days from Thursday to make his finding.
Melchert-Dinkel is charged with two counts of aiding suicide. Mark Drybrough, 32, of Coventry, England, hanged himself in 2005, and 18-year-old Nadia Kajouji of Brampton, Ontario, jumped into a river in 2008 and drowned.
Prosecutors say Melchert-Dinkel posed as a young female nurse and in some cases gave instructions to victims. He testified during a pretrial hearing last August that he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.
ASSOCIATED PRESS AND ABBY SIMONS
