We spoke to the family of an American pressured by a British man to take his own life

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We spoke to the family of an American pressured by a British man to take his own life

The story of how one man in the UK was jailed after goading a vulnerable American to take his own life on a video call – and the ongoing pain for both families.

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Dylan Phelan, 21, was jailed for six years after pressuring Travis Dyer into shooting himself in October 2024 as the pair spoke on the online platform Discord.

Mr Dyer, also 21, from Louisiana in America, was known to be vulnerable and struggling with his mental health at the time.

The pair had been talking online for months, but a police investigation found he was subjected to "sustained and serious encouragement to self-harm" by Phelan, and two other members of an online group.

The court heard Phelan told Travis during a call: "This is the last time seriously, the last time you will ever feel it."

Mr Dyer, who was 5000 miles away, took his own life while the video call was ongoing.

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Date: June 26, 2026