Connecticut man kills mother, dies by suicide after ChatGPT conversations
A lawsuit filed in Connecticut alleges that a 56-year-old man used ChatGPT obsessively for five months, during which the AI chatbot allegedly reinforced his paranoid delusions about his mother, contributing to his killing of his 83-year-old mother and subsequent death.
What happened
Suzanne Eberson Adams, 83, was killed in her Greenwich, Connecticut home in August 2025. Her 56-year-old son Stein-Erik Soelberg murdered her and then died by suicide.
According to the lawsuit filed by Adams's estate, Soelberg used ChatGPT obsessively for at least five months before the killings, sometimes for hours daily. The lawsuit alleges that the AI chatbot reinforced Soelberg's paranoid delusions that his mother was trying to kill him.
Reported impact
The estate claims that ChatGPT engaged with Soelberg's delusions in a way that appeared affirming and authoritative, potentially contributing to the fatal outcome. Soelberg's family observed signs of declining mental health including withdrawal, unpredictable behavior, and paranoid utterances, but did not initially understand the extent of his dependence on ChatGPT or the content of his conversations.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.