A Pennsylvania woman is facing a felony charge of aiding suicide after allegedly sending a barrage of harassing text messages to her ex-boyfriend, an Army veteran, ultimately leading him to take his own life just two days before Father's Day in 2021.
Mandie Reusch, 35, from Greensburg, is accused by Westmoreland County prosecutors of relentlessly bullying 37-year-old Kevin Metzger with cruel and graphic texts. The messages, obtained by investigators through a warrant, reportedly detailed Reusch's sexual relationships with other men, referred to them as the "new dads" of Metzger's daughter, and even disparaged his deceased dog. One message chillingly stated, "I hope that for [our daughter's] sake that you do kill yourself. She would be better off not even knowing you."
Prosecutors describe the messages as "continuous and unrelenting for months." Reusch allegedly threatened to prevent Metzger from seeing his daughter and taunted him with the idea of using his life insurance money, even though she doubted he had any. In December 2020, she allegedly texted him, "At least if you were out in a tent dying somewhere then your daughter would have a home to live in for Christmas."
Metzger, a veteran of nearly two decades of Army service and a reservist, was described in his obituary as a devoted father, bartender, music enthusiast, and avid outdoorsman. His social media and a suicide note reportedly revealed the extent of Reusch's torment. On the day of his suicide, Metzger texted a friend, expressing his distress and stating, "I'm haunted I'm f---ed up. I can't do this."
Prior to his death, Metzger had reported Reusch for harassment, but the charges were dropped after he died before the preliminary hearing. The couple frequently argued about finances and custody of their child. Reusch also allegedly boasted about destroying Metzger's belongings left at her residence.
District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli stated that Metzger might still be alive if not for the influence of Reusch's messages. This case echoes the 2017 Michelle Carter case in Massachusetts, where Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for encouraging her boyfriend's suicide through text messages, although the specifics of the two cases are different.
