Internet-Assisted Suicide

http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201010/suicide-nurse-mark-drybrough-chatrooms-li-dao?printable=true
The article I chose to analyze is about how a middle-aged man from Minnesota urged several people to end their lives over the internet. The author of this article used creative and compelling anecdotes to appeal to the audience's sense of emotion while at the same time presenting a valid argument about internet crime in the 21st century. Although they can be just as appalling and physical crimes and ruin just as many lives, internet crimes tend to go unnoticed by authorities in many cases. What was most shocking to me about this article was general apathy shown by the authorities towards the beginning of the investigation of this man. I believe that if the authorities had been more diligent and had taken the initials claims more seriously, the man would have never had a chance to reach the second girl and perhaps she wouldn't have ended her own life. No one should ever underestimate the power of peer pressure in decision making, especially if the person being influenced is emotionally or mentally vulnerable, as was the case with both of this man's victims. I do not understand what would compel anyone to pressure others into killing themselves, especially a man with a house, a wife, and 2 children. Hopefully with the news of this story coupled with a more diligent police force investigating internet crimes, no one will ever have to suffer what these people suffered again.