Defendant chatted online about killing Apex teen

Jurors hearing the murder trial of Ryan Hare heard and read parts of online conversations Tuesday in which Hare and one of his alleged accomplices appeared to be discussing killing Matthew Silliman.

Posted 6:49 p.m. Sep 21, 2010 — Updated 9:02 p.m. Sep 22, 2010

RALEIGH, N.C. — Jurors hearing the murder trial of a man accused of killing an Apex teenager heard and read parts of online conversations Tuesday in which the defendant and at least one of his alleged accomplices appeared to be discussing plans for the crime.

Beth Whitney, a forensic computer examiner with the Wake County City-County Bureau of Identification, testified that she recovered fragments of several Internet chat transcripts. In some, Ryan Hare seemed to be talking about how his jealousy over his girlfriend's relationship with Matthew Silliman was the driving force behind the killing.

The chat excerpt, Whitney said, was between "f8lessshadow," whom she identified as Hare, and "akhanx47," identified as Aadil Khan, who is also charged in the case.

"Even if it doesn't look like I did it, do you think anyone would take a girl from me again?" f8lessshadow writes.

"Uh, probably not," writes akhanx47.

Hare is the first of four people charged in Silliman's Nov. 30, 2008, death to go to trial.

Prosecutors have characterized Hare as the mastermind behind an elaborate scheme to lure Silliman to an abandoned trailer in New Hill, where Silliman thought he was hiding from a man named Roger who was out to kill him.

It was there that authorities found Silliman's body on Dec. 2, 2008.

Whitney also read fragments of another chat transcript between Hare and Silliman about Hare's girlfriend, Allegra Dahlquist:

- f8lessshadow: Well, just so you're aware, if my entire life was to protect a girl as amazing as her for one moment, it would be worth it.

- f8lessshadow: Every breath would have been spent well.

- M3475H31LD: I really do understand.

- M3475H31LD: I hate what I did to you.

- f8lessshadow: I doubt anywhere near as much as I hate you for what happened.

- M3475H31LD: And I said I wanted to kill myself bu [sic] I can't put that financle [sic] burden on my parents.

- f8lessshadow: So if I can get Roger to do it

- f8lessshadow: Then it's perfect.

Hare's defense attorney, Robert Padovano, has said Silliman had wanted to die and that his client's involvement in the death was in the form of assisted suicide, not murder.

Padovano could soon begin presenting evidence to support the claim. The state could rest its case as early as Wednesday.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Hare, 19, would be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Khan and another man, Drew Shaw, 18, are still awaiting trial on the same charge.

Dahlquist, also charged in the case, accepted a plea deal from the state in exchange for her testimony in Hare's trial. She is expected to be sentenced once the trial is over.

Khan had also pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the case, but prosecutors filed a motion last week to withdraw the deal, saying he has been uncooperative.

Padovano has said that Khan was the real mastermind in the case and that he was also jealous and felt betrayed because of Silliman's relationship with Khan's ex-girlfriend.

A transcript of Hare's conversation with Khan also appears to support that jealousy claim:

- akhanx47: It will probably hurt.

- akhanx47: The parts that cared for him as a friend.

- akhanx47: But oh well.

- akhanx47: He has it coming.

- f8lessshadow: That and the hurt from the fact that if he does it, you can't?

- akhanx47: You take my eye.

- akhanx47: I take your face.

- akhanx47: You take my tooth

- akhanx47: I take your jaw

- akhanx47: You take my girl

- akhanx47: I take your life