If a friend said they were depressed and wanted to kill themselves, most people would probably try to get that friend some help, they wouldn’t try to help them do the deed. Joshua Stattman, then, is not most friends.According to a report by The Seattle Times, Stattman, 32, and 21-year-old Pennsylvania native Michael Kniezewski, both homeless, were hanging out drinking beers late on Sunday night in Denny Triangle when Kniezewski told Stattman he was depressed and wanted to end his life.Instead of trying to cheer his buddy up and convincing him to sleep it off, Stattman offered his assistance. The two men allegedly moved to a secluded spot between two garbage bins on a loading dock, where Kniezewski laid down on his stomach. Then Stattman pulled tight a nylon strap around his neck and leaned into his back, holding the makeshift noose tight for five minutes to make sure his friend was dead.Police found Kniezewski’s body later that night. While maintaining a perimeter around the scene, Stattman approached an officer and surprised him by admitting to the murder, or what he claimed was an assisted suicide.Stattman later told police he had “no moral qualms” about what he’d done. He also said he wished his friend “gospeed” after strangling him.Despite his insistence that he was just helping out a friend, King County prosecutors have charged Stattman with first-degree murder. He’s currently being held on $1 million bail.
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