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Woman Convicted Of Manslaughter For Sending Text Messages Encouraging Boyfriend To Kill Himself

Rebecca Fishbein

Published Jun 16, 2017

Modified Jun 16, 2017

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Rebecca Fishbein

Published Jun 16, 2017

Modified Jun 16, 2017

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A 20-year-old Massachusetts woman has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, following an incident three years ago in which she encouraged her teenaged boyfriend via text message to kill himself.

Though It's incredibly rare for a court to hold another person's words responsible for someone's suicide, the court determined today that Michelle Carter, 20, was legally responsible for the July 2014 incident, which resulted in the death by suicide of Conrad Roy III, 18. Roy died of carbon monoxide poisoning inside his truck on July 12th of that year; earlier that day, prosecutors said, he drove to the parking lot of a Kmart in Taunton, Massachusetts, hooked up his truck to a pump emitting carbon monoxide, and sat in his truck. But as the court presented, Roy freaked out and got out of the car; that was when then-17-year-old Carter, who had been speaking with him about his suicide bid via text and over the phone, told him to "get back in."

"You can’t think about it," she allegedly texted him that day. "You just have to do it. You said you were gonna do it. Like I don’t get why you aren’t." Roy eventually got back in the car, and the next day his dead body was found inside.

"She instructed Mr. Roy to get back into the truck, well knowing his ambiguities, his fears, his concerns," Judge Lawrence Moniz, who presided over Carter's case, said. "This court finds that instructing Mr. Roy to get back in the truck constituted wanton and reckless conduct, by Ms. Carter creating a situation where there is a high degree of likelihood that substantial harm will result to Mr. Roy."

Indeed, prosecutors and Judge Moniz pointed out that Carter was "mindful" of the fact that it would take 15 minutes for Roy to die from the carbon monoxide, and that Carter later texted a friend admitting she'd encouraged Roy to kill himself, amplifying her guilt. "It’s my fault," she texted classmate Samantha Boardman. "I could have stopped him but I told him to get back in the car."

Prosecutors also pointed to texts and messages Carter sent leading up to Roy's suicide, including one that read, "I think your parents know you’re in a really bad place. I’m not saying they want you to do it but I honestly feel like they can accept it. Everyone will be sad for a while but they will get over it and move on."

Carter's attorneys had argued their client had attempted to get Roy, who had previously tried and failed to kill himself four times, into treatment prior to his death, but that when she started taking antidepressants, she believed the only way to help him was to encourage him to end his suffering. Her attorneys said she suffered from a severe eating disorder, in addition to other mental health issues, and that she and Roy had initially bonded over their shared emotional problems. Still, prosecutors argued that Carter craved attention, and wanted to earn sympathy by becoming the "grieving girlfriend" after his suicide.

She faces up to 20 years in prison, and will be sentenced on August 3rd.

If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.

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michelle carter

suicide

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Rebecca Fishbein

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