The notorious Michelle Carter, now 22, whose texts encouraging her boyfriend Conrad Roy III to take his own life shocked the nation, watched Wednesday as the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decided that the evidence of “her wanton or reckless conduct” proved that she caused Roy’s suicide.
The court affirmed Carter’s conviction on involuntary manslaughter and the 15 months in prison sentence she received. Carter had appealed to the the highest court in Massachusetts and that appeal was heard back in October 2018.
“Her conviction of involuntary manslaughter as a youthful offender is not legally or constitutionally infirm. The judgment is therefore affirmed,” the court said.
Carter was convicted in June 2017 for encouraging Roy over text messages to kill himself. Texts like these made national news:
“Well, I guess [that I am frustrated] just because you always say you are gonna do it but you don’t, but last night I know you really wanted to do it and I’m not mad.””Well, I mean, kind of, I guess, just because you always say you’re gonna do it… but you don’t but last night I knew you really wanted to and I’m not mad.””You’re not joking about this or bullshitting me, right? I just want to make sure you’re being serious. Like I know you are, but I don’t know. You always say you’re gonna do it, but you never do. I just want to make sure tonight is the real thing.”“Conrad. I told you I’ll take care of [your family. Everyone will take care of them to make sure they won’t be alone and people will help them get thru it. We talked about this, they will be okay and accept it. People who commit suicide don’t think this much and they just do it.”
Carter was 17 years old at the time, while Roy was 18. Roy took his own life on July 12, 2014 by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Prison is not the only thing Carter needs to be worried about. Roy’s family has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her.
[Image via ABC screengrab]