Update: On June 14, 2017, Judge Lawrence Moniz of the Bristol County (MA) juvenile court, found Michelle Carter guilty of involuntary manslaughter for “wanton and reckless conduct” in sending text messages ordering her obviously conflicted boyfriend to complete his suicide. The verdict is expected to be appealed.
Massachusetts teen Michelle Carter has been ordered to stand trial for actively encouraging her boyfriend, via text messages and a phone call, to carry out his wish to commit suicide. Since the young man’s 2014 death, Carter has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, but is she really only guilty of being—judging by the available evidence—a terrible person?
Assisted suicide by text messaging?
Roy was in his truck full of carbon monoxide fumes, texting with Carter and even once speaking with her on the phone. The messages Roy received from his 17-year-old girlfriend were not pleas for him to stop what he was doing, but rather encouragement to “get back in” the truck after he got out upon feeling a wave of doubt over his plans to take his life. Carter also wrote, “I thought you wanted to do this. The time is right and you’re ready, you just need to do it!” And in another message: “You can’t think about it. You just have to do it. You said you were gonna do it. Like I don’t get why you aren’t.”
The pair, who lived in towns about 50 miles apart in Massachusetts, met each other during family vacations in Florida a few years earlier. They had not seen each other in person in over a year when Roy committed suicide, and their relationship was mostly one of text messages and emails. While it could be argued that perhaps Carter’s comments were her attempt at reverse psychology to stop her boyfriend from harming himself, the 18-year-old Roy nevertheless succeeded in killing himself in 2014, on the day of the text message exchange. In July 2016, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a grand jury has probable cause to indict Carter for her role in the suicide.
When the law steps in
Text messaging is a useful tool, but the messages can easily be misinterpreted when you can’t gauge someone’s tone, level of sarcasm, or humor. Still, in the case of Carter and her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III, the communications they exchanged were dark no matter how you look at it. When life and death come into question, it’s hard not to assume that the messages from both parties were completely serious. And if that was the case, many say prosecuting Carter is entirely appropriate.
“When individuals and families lose the power to protect human lives, other systems like the judicial system must be called to task. We cannot allow human vulnerabilities to be exploited by other human beings. This is especially true in the realm of intimate partnerships and families,” says therapist Dr. Paul Hokemeyer. “I support our legal system in its decision to prosecute this young woman. In so doing, we protect those who suffer from emotional and physical vulnerabilities from iniquitous forces.”
“While traditionally courts have shied away from ascribing criminal culpability to defendants in situations where a person takes his or her own life unilaterally, as we get more advanced in the understanding of depression and mental illness and how a person coping with mental health challenges would react to encouragement, courts are expanding the reckless or negligent definitions to allow for criminal prosecutions in cases like this,” says Teresa DiNardi, partner at Ruane Attorneys in Connecticut.
The court’s argument
While Carter’s attorney is claiming that the texts she sent were free speech and she is protected by the First Amendment, the Massachusetts court’s decision stated that Carter engaged in a “systematic campaign of coercion.” Carter’s goading Roy on and instructing him to get back in his truck when he became frightened of what he was doing were a “direct, causal link” to his death, according to the court.
“We conclude that there was probable cause to show that the coercive quality of the defendant’s verbal conduct overwhelmed whatever willpower the 18-year-old victim had to cope with his depression, and that but for the defendant’s admonishments, pressure, and instructions, the victim would not have gotten back into the truck and poisoned himself to death,” wrote Justice Robert Cordy in the court’s unanimous ruling. The text messages that Carter and Roy exchanged were publicly released and offer evidence that Carter seemingly encouraged her boyfriend to take his own life and shamed him when he had second thoughts.
Carter’s lawyer, Joseph Cataldo, is placing the blame on Roy alone, claiming that Roy was depressed and had tried to commit suicide in the past. Carter’s lawyer also cites the absence of any Massachusetts law ruling against encouraging or assisting suicide, claiming the unfairness of a manslaughter charge. Cataldo noted that the court’s ruling did not include a comment on Carter’s level of guilt or innocence, but that the court only found enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
Cataldo seems to believe that Carter will come out unscathed: “At trial, it’s proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a much higher standard, and I’m confident that ultimately, after trial, Michelle Carter will be acquitted.” Time will tell.
Image of Michelle Carter at trial; courtesy of southcoasttoday.com
27 comments
Lisa patterson
I think this case is heartbreaking. It's hard to grasp how such a young girl could encourage someone she was meant to care about to take his own life. I don't care if there is no law in place I think she could get found guilty as if she had have cared and talked him out of it & got help he might still be here. Lessons need to be learned and letting her off would not be fair. People go to prison for doing a lot less.
Stevie
The commenters citing free speech don't get what the First Amendment and free speech really stands for. This girl easily crossed that line. I hope she gets some time.
Michelle
What about the Good Samaritan law? It's illegal to see someone in trouble and standby idle and do nothing.
Here in TEXAS
We have the right to free speech, however screaming fire in a theater causing others to be injured will lead us to being held accountable. Continual insisting someone who is not in the right frame of mind, that suicide is the way out for them is no different! It's time for accountability instead of excuses and ignorance!
John
It'll never hold up in court, and if it does, will certainly set precedence. Voicing your opinion about what someone should or shouldn't do harbours no criminal intent. Just a sick heartless woman, not a criminal by definition. What could they possibly charge her with that would stick?
sean
I believe a man or woman has the right to commit suicide if they choose, why do we have the right to make someone live against their will in in pain suffering paralyzed in a coma brain dead we will put an animal to sleep What gives us the right to make someone live when there is no hope so we can feel better about ourselves
MarkinTX
Her act was a form of bullying of a depressed, mentally deficient person. Prosecutors have a strong case, complete with a written evidence trail. If this were a parent doing this to a child, people would be clamor in for the death penalty. In this case, a conviction on manslaughter charges is an easy task. She will be found guilty, will lose her various appeals, and will serve some time in the pokey. Most unfortunate is the fact that she represents many of the disgusting little twerps that WE raised without values or respect for life. We should blame ourselves. In all honesty, if she is not convicted, there's no place on Earth far enough she could run to fast enough to escape the wrath of this young man's family. The safest place for her will be in prison.
Mike
She said what she said everyone is intitled too their opinion. She is innocent
Mike
Howie,your a real ignorant pos,just wanted to let you know it's tragic your mommy didn't hug your evil lil a** enough. Must hurt, being all alone, just your computer... smh
Howie
She did nothing wrong. Maybe she was sick of hearing from this pathetic loser. She just wanted him to go away. She said, yeah, go ahead & do it, so that he would get the picture that she wasn't into him. His choice to be a coward is 100% on him, not her.
David Lethe
She knows nothing about the First Amendment. "Free Speech" is all about the government not restricting what somebody says when they criticize the government, or government employees. It DOES NOT mean you can freely say anything to anyone any more than it says you can yell fire in a crowded movie theatre.
Violet
Whoever states that she didn't do anything wrong, is wrong. When a person has mental or emotional problems, you don't tell them to kill themselves. The sick person can't think straight at the moment of crisis. As a person with mdd I once cried out to my best friend, out of desperation, and he said to me, " I'm tired of hearing you say that. If you're going to do it, just do it." So, guess what I did? That's right, I took his advice.. So, don't tell me that this girl didn't coerce him or assist in his suicide.
Paxil Survivor
This is a slippery slope and an outright attack on free speech. I will not be told what I can and cannot say. Everyone has free agency. AND, I suffer from severe depression and anxiety. But that's irrelevant. It's my problem and no one can make me do anything just by talking to me.
You're trampling on the 1st Amendment people.
Latrice
There is actually a law against this. I cant remember the name of it. But its the one where if u see something happen it is your duty as a citizen to try to stop it and you can get charge for not. She is an accomplice also to suicide. She should go to jail. And she is not entitle to be called a terrible human or any other type of human. She is the devil.
D. Wright
This POS is guilty! Doesn't qualify as a human being.
Thomas`
While I agree that Carter is a terrible person, being a terrible person is not illegal.
Laws against assisting in a suicide have been limited to a person providing the means and/or opportunity to commit suicide. I am not aware of any successful prosecution of a person providing only the motive for suicide without the concurrent action of providing or helping provide the means or opportunity. While encouraging someone to commit suicide is repugnant, I don't see how this is illegal.
Roy provided himself the means, opportunity, and motive for his suicide. According to the news reporting, he had attempted suicide in the past independent of Carter's involvement. His texting with Carter was completely under his control. There was simply no way that Carter could force Roy to continue to text with Carter. It was Roy's choice. Unfortunately, he bears the responsibility for his own actions.
I despise what Carter did. She is truly, in my opinion, a terrible person for doing this. But I don't think she violated any laws.
D. Miller
Harassment of this type, no matter what the result, should be a criminal offense and punishable by law. My daughter 's life has been seriously jeopardized by exactly the same type of texting and the law does nothing about it.
Sheila
Martha Wallace is Dumb
Yes, she DID have a method of helping him. It's called a telephone. You know, the one she was using to text and call him? She should have called the authorities and his family to let them know what he was up to so someone could have intervened and saved his life. She is culpable and I hope she's found guilty. She is a horrible person.
Linda B
People can influence others by their words, especially if the person is emotionally unstable. Remember he was getting out of the vehicle and she convinced him to get back in. If she was using reverse psychology then why would she have done that? She probably liked having a sense of control over another person's life or death decision not realizing the pain it would cause her family. We need to stop focusing on our kids being popular and teach them manners, kindness and compassion. How different would this country be if we as a nation had remembered to do that?
Martha Wallace is Dumb
Ridiculous. People don't go and do whatever other people tell them to do. People have free will. Want proof? Martha Wallace you are an idiot, go kill yourself. If she doesn't then it proves people have free will and this girl is a terrible person but had no method of helping or stopping him. If someone kills themselves thats on them.
Jeff Haystack
I don't think this author knows what literally means.
Martha wallace
She should go to jail how dare she intice him to kill himself
Martha wallace
She should be sent to jail
Mary
Just like it's illegal to tell someone to Jump when they are on a ledge. She should be held accountable.
Diana Pilcher
She ,seems to be heartless
Why did she find it necessary to in courage
Depression hurts period
Simply put...
Sdmc
She should be prosecuted and in addition the family should sue her in civil court.
Lulu
Make an EXAMPLE out of her.