A former Boston College student accused of encouraging her boyfriend to kill himself appears to have pleaded with him to “stop,” according to text messages released by a public relations firm representing her.
Inyoung You, 21, was indicted on an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with death of Alexander Urtula, 22, who jumped from a parking garage only hours before his graduation on May 20.
Prosecutors had said investigators found a trove of text messages in which You told Urtula to “go kill himself” or to “go die,” and that she, his family and the world would be better off without him.
CNN had not previously been able to reach You or her counsel for comment.
This week, a public relations firm representing her shared a series of text messages from the day Urtula died. The messages are believed to be a portion of the tens of thousands of messages that authorities say the couple exchanged in the months prior to Urtula’s death.
In the text messages, first reported by The Boston Globe, You repeatedly asks Urtula where he is.
“who’d u run into or talk to? whose room did u go to? hello,” she wrote.
“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,” Urtula replied.
After a series of back and forth texts with You continuously asking Urtula for his location, it appears that Urtula referenced the parking garage.
“I’m far away on a tall place and I’m not gonna be here for long. I’m leaving everyone,” Urtula wrote.
“ALEX. WHAT SRE YOU F****** DOING. IF U F****** LOVE ME STOP. IF U EVER F****** LOVED ME STOP,” You replied. She typed “STOP” three times during their exchange, and many more times in more than 100 texts she sent after he stopped responding.
When asked about the messages, a spokesman with the Suffolk County District Attorney said his office will not be commenting on the case “beyond what is stated in court.”
Last month, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins talked about the evidence. “We have a barrage of a complete and utter attack on this man’s very will and conscience and psyche by an individual to the tune of 47,000 text messages in the two months leading up” to the death, she said then.
The text messages were released prior to You’s first court appearance. You, who is from South Korea, is set to be arraigned Friday morning, the Suffolk County District Attorney said.
Prosecutors have described a pattern of abuse and manipulation throughout the 18-month-long relationship, in which You allegedly “made demands and threats” and exercised “total control” of Urtula. She was aware of her boyfriend’s depression, they contend, and urged him “hundreds of times” to kill himself.
They also said You tracked Urtula’s location on May 20 and was present when he jumped from the parking garage.
David Guarino, a spokesman for the Urtula family, said Thursday that the pain was “still so fresh for those who loved” the late college student.
“Since losing Alexander in May, the Urtula family and everyone who loved Alex has been devastated by his loss. Not a minute of any day goes by without those who loved Alex grieving and continually feeling the sharp pain of his passing all over again. Alex’s family respects the process underway in Massachusetts and, because it is ongoing and because the pain of their loss is still so fresh for those who loved him, the family will not be making any further public comments at this time,” Guarino said.
You was studying economics in Boston but returned to South Korea months ago. She was scheduled to graduate in May 2020 but withdrew from classes in August, a school spokesperson had said. A grand jury returned an indictment October 18.
