The man who allegedly confessed on an Internet chat group to murdering his daughter two years ago has pleaded not guilty at a court hearing in Bowman, North Dakota yesterday.
Mr Larry Froistad (29), a San Diego computer programmer, was arraigned on the murder charge in a courtroom not far from the burned-out remains of the house where his daughter, Amanda (5), died in a fire three years ago. At the time the fire was called accidental.
But last March 22nd, Mr Frostad posted a message to an online support group for people with alcohol problems confessing that he had set the house on fire following a custody dispute with his divorced wife. He said that "Amanda I murdered because her mother stood between us".
He described how "I got wickedly drunk, set our house on fire, went to bed, listened to her scream twice, climbed out the window and set about putting on a show of shock, surprise and grief to remove culpability from myself".
He added: "Those last two screams that I tell everyone saved my life - they are wounds on my soul that I can't heal and that I'm sure I'm meant to carry with me."
Ms Elisa DeCarlo, another member of the group called Moderation Management, was shocked when she read this email in her New York apartment. She faxed the message to the police. Several others also alerted the police.
But other members of the group including the leader, Dr Frederick Rotgers, sent Mr Froistad supportive messages. Some believed he was under the influence of anti-depressants and denounced those who had given the police what they considered confidential information.
Dr Rotgers, a psychologist who helped found MM, emailed the group that they had two responsibilities: to themselves and to the "larger community beyond".
He added: "I believe it is an essential feature of the Internet, and one that we must protect if it is to continue to be a source of great support for people in need."
When Mr Froistad learned the police had been informed, he contacted local police in Bowman and was arrested on March 27th. The police chief in Bowman, Mr Donald Huso, said Mr Froistad had confessed to starting the fire.
His lawyers now say evidence on the Internet may not be admissible in a court. They also say Mr Froistad might have been taking anti-depressant drugs when he posted the incriminating message on the Internet site.
It is pointed out, however, that a jury in White Plains, New York, convicted Paul Cox of murder in 1994 after he confessed to other members of Alcoholics Anonymous.