Ohio Man Who Confessed 'I Killed a Man' in YouTube Video Indicted

Matthew Cordle was indicted on one count of aggravated vehicular homicide.

ByABC News
September 9, 2013, 11:46 AM

Sept. 9, 2013 — -- An Ohio grand jury has indicted Matthew Cordle, the 22-year-old man who confessed in a YouTube video to causing a Navy vet's death while drunk driving.

Matthew Cordle was indicted today for one count of aggravated vehicular homicide for causing the death of Vincent Canzani, 61, on June 22 and one count of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Cordle, who was found injured at the scene of the accident and brought to the hospital, had blood-alcohol content measured at 0.19 after the accident, a representative of Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien told ABCNews.com today.

Ohio Man Confesses 'I Killed a Man' in YouTube Video. read more here.

Cordle is expected to turn himself into police today and will go before Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Julie Lynch on Tuesday.

Aggravated vehicular homicide is a second-degree felony carrying two to eight years in prison in Ohio.

Cordle, 22, claims he was "completely blacked out" the morning of June 22 when, after a night of drinking with friends, he got into his truck and entered a highway headed in the wrong direction.

In a slickly produced but somber clip uploaded to YouTube on Sept. 3, Cordle says that he was "just trying to have a good time, but lost control."

In the clip, which begins with Cordle speaking to the camera with his face blurred and voice distorted, he says that in the aftermath of the accident he consulted "high powered attorneys" who said that they could help get his blood test thrown out. But Cordle said he wants to come clean about his culpability in Canzani's death.

"My name is Matthew Cordle, and on June 22, 2013, I hit and killed Vincent Canzani," he says. "This video will act as my confession."

At the end of the clip, Cordle begs viewers to not drink and drive.

The clip was produced as part of a social campaign called "Because I Said I Would," which encourages "bettering humanity through the power of a promise." Organizers of the campaign send out promise cards on which participants can outline charitable acts or other good deeds.

Attorney George Stark Breitmayer III, who is representing Cordle, refuted the notion that the video was made so his client would receive a more lenient sentence.

"We did not advise him to do video," Breitmayer told ABCNews.com. "It was not made to obtain a more lenient sentence. He did it for the sole purpose of raising awareness of drunk driving. I think that point has been made. He's been contacted by addicts since its release, who are showing support to him."

Breitmayer added that Cordle's goal was also to provide some closure for the Canzani family, but that his client has not spoken to any family members.