German Teen Arrested in US Girl's Death, Prosecutors Say
An 18-year-old German national is suspected of manipulating a 14-year-old Indiana girl into harming herself via social media.
A German teenager has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of a 14-year-old girl in Indiana, the FBI confirmed Friday.
Prosecutors in Hamburg, Germany, stated that the 18-year-old suspect is accused of manipulating the American teen, who was from Fort Wayne, Indiana, over a social platform between September and October. The suspect, who was 17 at the time of the alleged offenses, is suspected of manipulating "a psychologically vulnerable" girl through Discord.
Investigators identified the suspect as an adult male residing in Germany and collaborated with federal partners at the FBI and authorities in Germany. The suspect was arrested Thursday, according to Hamburg prosecutors.
Officials have not publicly identified the girl or the suspect. The Fort Wayne Police Department, which investigated the girl's death, stated Friday that its Homicide Unit identified a suspect who contributed to the juvenile’s death.
Prosecutors allege the suspect demanded the girl inflict severe self-harm and then take her own life on Oct. 2. Hamburg prosecutors stated that whether the death was recorded remains a subject of the ongoing investigation. The suspect allegedly attempted to obtain footage of the death and threatened to publish the girl's personal data and compromising images if the footage was not provided.
Authorities believe the man sought to use such footage to gain status within or entry to a group known as the "NMK" (Nefarious Maniac Kult), which they said is modeled on groups linked to the online "COM network," such as "764."
Last week, Fort Wayne authorities issued a warning about the online extremist network 764 and its splinter groups, which they said target vulnerable teens through social media and gaming websites. Fort Wayne Police Department Detective Brian Martin said these groups encourage targeted young people to commit self-harm, share explicit photos, and harm family pets, often requesting that these actions be video recorded or live-streamed.
Discord has previously stated that disrupting the 764 network and its affiliates has been among its highest priorities. The platform has reported taking steps to remove thousands of servers and investing in new detection methods for these groups.