Former Boston College Student Inyoung You Pleads Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter In Boyfriend's Suicide

BOSTON (CBS/AP) -- Inyoung You, the former Boston College student who was charged in connection with her boyfriend's suicide, has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

In May 2019 You's boyfriend Alexander Urtula jumped off a Roxbury parking garage. Prosecutors said You's abusive text messages encouraged him to take his own life.

You pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, and faces a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence.

"This agreement with defense counsel was made in close consultation with the Urtula family. It is consistent with their desire to seek accountability and closure and to protect the legacy of Alexander, a loving son, brother, and uncle," said Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins. "They believe this is something Alexander would have wanted."

Prosecutors said You sent Urtula, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, thousands of messages in the last two months of their relationship, including many urging him to "go kill yourself." Urtula died in Boston on May 20, the day of his Boston College graduation.

"Words matter. Demeaning language, ridicule, and verbal abuse can deeply impact people," said Rollins. "As members of law enforcement, we must educate our young people about the dangerous cocktail of isolation, bullying, and shame."

The case grimly echoes that of Michelle Carter, who garnered headlines and an HBO film. The young Massachusetts woman was sentenced to 15 months in jail after she was convicted in 2017 of involuntary manslaughter for using text messages and phone calls to encourage her boyfriend, Conrad Roy, to kill himself in 2014.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)