Father arraigned, held after Internet confession

Froistad allegedly confessed to an online support group that he had killed his 5-year-old daughter

In this story:

• Suspect held on $100,000 bail
• 'Wickedly drunk'
• Therapist believed the confession
• Lawyers say messages not admissible

May 1, 1998
Web posted at: 4:59 p.m. EDT (2059 GMT)

BISMARCK, North Dakota (CNN) -- Larry Froistad, a San Diego computer programmer who allegedly confessed on the Internet to murdering his 5-year-old daughter three years ago, was ordered held Friday on $100,000 bail.

Froistad's attorneys say he will plead innocent at another court appearance scheduled for July. If convicted, Froistad faces up to life in prison without the chance for parole.

Police say Froistad, 29, called and confessed to the murder that took place in Bowman, North Dakota, after learning that members of his online support group for problem drinkers had notified the authorities about the confession he made on the Internet.

"Amanda I murdered because her mother stood between us," said the message posted at 6:09 a.m. March 22 by "lfroistl."

CNN's Peg Tyre reviews the case

The message, 165 words in all, and a follow-up explaining how the girl was killed, "struck me as being real," said Jim Shirk, a chemical dependency therapist in Lakebay, Washington, and one of three people who notified the police.

Froistad's lawyers contend the messages could have been sent by someone else and are not admissible evidence.

'Wickedly drunk'

Pleas for help and confessions of wrongdoing aren't out of the ordinary in an online support group for problem drinkers.

But the messages allegedly sent by Froistad contained a detailed confession from a man who said he got "wickedly drunk" and killed his daughter by setting fire to his house, then acting like the sorrowful father who bravely tried to save her.

To some, the reaction of other support group members -- many of whom did not notify police and criticized those who eventually had the man arrested -- was even more disturbing than the confession.

The case has also set off a debate about the confidentiality of online support groups, where some members may assume that the intimate stories they send over the Internet are private.

The message that started it all was a rambling note from a user known as "lfroistl" about people he had lost in his life.

"Amanda I murdered because her mother stood between us," it said. Two other members sent replies -- one offering support, the other asking "What do you mean, you murdered your daughter?"

Froistad replied with details of a bitter custody fight over his daughter and the fire that killed her.

Therapist believed the confession

Cox testifying

Froistad allegedly wrote in a message that after allowing Amanda to stay up watching videos, he "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."

Neighbor Ralph Simonson recalled Froistad "throwing buckets of water on the house and yelling, 'Amanda, come to the window.'"

Police ruled that the fire was an accident.

"I've listened to and read a lot of people confessing to things and talk about things," says Shirk. "After a while, you get a feeling for what's real and what's fantasy. This struck me as being real."

The messages appeared in a support group run by Moderation Management Network Inc. Subscribers from around the world can send and browse e- mail messages. Shirk said he was called a "fink" and a "snitch" by other members.

"I definitely believe I did the right thing," he said.

San Diego police traced the messages to Froistad. The department sent a notice to agencies across the nation asking them to check their records of any fatal fires and Bowman authorities responded.

Lawyers say messages not admissible

Bowman Police Chief Donald Huso said Froistad called him March 27 and confessed to setting the fire. He was arrested that day.

"He prefaced it by saying, 'The memories I have of the fire is that I set the fire,'" Huso said.

"I know that Larry loved his daughter very much, and at this point we don't believe he's responsible -- that this was in fact an accident," said Philip Sokol, a San Diego attorney for Froistad.

Bowman County State's Attorney Steven Wild said he hesitated before reopening the case.

"The e-mail statement alone, there's questions about whether that by itself would give us enough probable cause to issue the complaint and the warrant," he said.

Sokol questioned whether the e-mail messages were admissible evidence and said the confessions could be considered hearsay, coerced and privileged.

In 1994, a jury in White Plains, New York, convicted Paul Cox of murder after he confessed to other members of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Sam Dash, a Georgetown University law professor, said an e-mail confession would be no different than someone confessing to a friend or police.

"I know that there's going to be a number of cases that the Net is being used for all kinds of things like this," he said, "but a confession is a confession."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Moderation Management: Alcohol Abuse Prevention - Harm Reduction
• Alcoholics Anonymous Web Site

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

---

 

---

Sound off on our message boards & chat

© 1998 Cable News Network, Inc.
A Time Warner Company
All Rights Reserved.

Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.