Leeds man admits utilizing Discord to ‘goad’ American into capturing himself on video name
Dylan Phelan of Morley, West Yorkshire admitted to encouraging the suicide of Travis Dyer in Louisiana in October 2024 – Phelan was told to expect a prison sentence
Discord is a popular messaging service among gamers.(Image: Getty Images)
A man has pleaded guilty to inciting a “vulnerable” person in the US to commit suicide during a video call. Dylan Phelan, 21, from Morley in West Yorkshire, admitted to encouraging the suicide of Travis Dyer in Louisiana on October 30, 2024.
Phelan was warned by a judge to brace himself for a prison sentence when he appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty to one count of aiding suicide, with the court hearing that it involved Phelan “together with others… encouraging Travis Dyer to kill himself by shooting”.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated that Phelan had been interacting with Mr Dyer, known to be vulnerable and battling mental health issues, for several months via the online platform Discord.
In March last year, Phelan visited Elland Road Police Station in Leeds accompanied by his parents and informed officers that he had participated in a video call, along with two other individuals based in the United States, during which Mr Dyer was urged to end his life with a shotgun, according to the CPS.
He also confessed to police that he had “become attracted to the darker groups on Discord” and “acknowledged that his words were a factor in the suicide”.
Inspection of his mobile phone also uncovered possession of an indecent image of a child and other extreme pornography images, a CPS spokesperson revealed.
Judge Robin Mairs postponed the case until May 22 for sentencing and granted Phelan bail until then, under the condition that he is not permitted to possess a device capable of internet access.
The court heard the sentencing hearing would take place in the afternoon so Mr Dyer’s family can attend by video-link.
The judge told Phelan: “Do not take the fact that I am granting you bail and allowing the preparation of these (pre-sentence and mental health) reports as any indication as to what sentence will be on May 22, and prepare yourself for custody.”
Phelan admitted guilt at a hearing last month to one count of creating an indecent image of a child in November 2024 and three counts of possessing extreme pornography in March 2025.
Mr Dyer, 21, resided in Theriot, Louisiana, and had lost his mother and younger sister in a collision 10 years prior to his own death.
In August 2014, local publication Houma Today reported Ashley Ann Worrell, 31, and her three year old daughter Delaney Rae Lirette perished after their pick-up truck overturned into a canal.
An obituary published on a funeral home website following Mr Dyer’s death described him as “sweet, gentle, quiet, kind and very caring to those he loved”.
It stated: “Travis will forever be loved and terribly missed by all of those who have known him.”
A tribute shared by his great-grandmother said: “Travie, We miss you. Needless to say, I’m so beside myself. I don’t know what to say or how to say it.
“Sweetheart, you were so unfortunate to have had so many tragedies in your young life. It was totally unfair for you.”
Alex Johnson, senior specialist prosecutor in the CPS Special Crime Division, stated: “This was a deeply disturbing case involving the exploitation of a vulnerable young man through an online platform.
“Dylan Phelan did not merely witness what happened – he actively participated in goading Travis Dyer to take his own life, intending that he would do so.
“Online spaces are not beyond the reach of the law. Encouraging self-harm or suicide, whether in person or through digital platforms, is a serious criminal offence.
“Our thoughts remain with Travis Dyer’s family and friends. We hope that today’s conviction brings them some measure of justice.”
