One notable incident that took place in Massachusetts was an American man, Conrad Henrii Roy committing suicide at the age of 18. But that is not the crux of the story. It is his girlfriend Michelle Carter being accused of encouraging him to commit suicide that sparked public interest in the incident. Carter, 17 years old at the time, was accused of involuntary manslaughter in a Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter case. This case blew up in 2014 as several criticisms ensued. Where is Michelle Carter now? What happened to her after conviction? All of this is what we would be revealing in this article.
Two teenagers who were supposed to be in love; but, one led the other to his death. It is a classic horror movie plot only that this happened in real life. Mental health is a big issue and it is very important that anyone who has symptoms of it sees a mental health professional.
Who is Michelle Carter?
Michelle Carter was born on August 11, 1996, in Massachusetts. She was born to David and Gail Carter. She had her high school education at King Philip Regional High School, Wrentham. Carter started having depression as early as when she was 8. Her response to the illness was an eating disorder. Also, her parents confirmed that she cut herself in battling depression. At the age of 14, Carter became intolerable and was placed on psychiatric treatment while also attending counselling at McLean Hospital in Belmont.
Who is Conrad Henri Roy?
Conrad was born on September 12, 1995, in Massachusetts. He grew up with his family. However, growing up, he had anxiety. This didn’t stop him from being a brilliant student. For instance, Roy was a straight As guy in high school (Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett. He also excelled in sports, playing baseball, track and rowing. With a GPA of 3.88, Roy was more than qualified to be admitted to any university of his choice. He was later accepted to Fitchburg State University to course. Unfortunately, he didn’t go. In 2014, he earned his captain’s license from the Northeast Maritime Institute.
He, his father, uncle and grandfather were all involved in the family Marine Salvage business.
How Did Carter and Roy Meet?
The duo met in 2012 when they were visiting relatives in Florida. They only met physically a couple of times in the course of two years leading to Roy’s death. Contrary to what the media purported, Carter wasn’t the girlfriend of Roy, according to investigative reports. However, he considered her as a friend. Carter on the other hand was quick to throw the “boyfriend” tag around. During the time of their friendship, they only exchanged messages, emails and that was it.
During investigations, it was alleged that the constant verbal abuse by his grandfather, physical assault by his father and the divorce of his parents sent him into depression. Roy then decided that the best option to end everything is to end his life. From 2012, he started plotting his plan to kill himself. Michelle Carter who was the friend at the time, constantly talked him out of it, helping him seek professional help. Truly, Roy did seek the help of several therapists and counselors. In fact, a year before, he was admitted for paracetamol overdose.
After seeing all her pleas to stop Roy from taking his life, Michelle Carter changed her stance. In July 2014, she started thinking that “it would be a good thing for him to die.” One month earlier, in June, Roy sent a message to Carter that they act like Romeo and Juliet.
How did Roy Die?
That fateful day, Sunday, July 13, 2014, Roy poisoned himself with carbon monoxide fumes in his truck in a Kmart parking lot in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Before his final decision to kill himself, he had exchanged messages with Michelle Carter. This was the beginning of the end for Carter. She was implicated in the suicide after investigations showed that she encouraged him to go with it. Where is Michelle Carter now? What happens to her?
Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter
Michelle Carter was arraigned before the New Bedford Juvenile Court in Taunton, Massachusetts on February 4, 2015. She was accused of recklessly assisting the suicide, an offence punishable under the law. She was indicted as a “youthful offender” as opposed to juvenile, as she was just a year before the legal age. What this also means is, she could be sentenced as an adult.
On June 16, 2017, Judge Lawrence Moniz of the Bristol County Juvenile Court found Michelle Carter guilty of involuntary manslaughter. In his judgement, the judge stated that it wasn’t the text messages that made Roy go on to kill himself but it was the phone calls with Carter that made him do it. According to the judge, Roy had initially left the truck, the chain of self-causation broken but Carter’s insistence in him carrying through is what killed him.
Carter was on bail the whole time till her sentence. Three months later, Judge Lawrence Moniz sentenced Michelle Carter to a two-and-a-half-year term, with five years in probation.
In 2019, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court charged Carter and ordered that the sentence be enforced.
The Boomerang on Media
Lifetime, a TV production company released a telefilm Conrad & Michelle: If Words Could Kill starring Bella Thorne as Michelle Carter and Austin McKenzie as Conrad Roy on September 23, 2108.
Later in the following year, HBO also released a documentary on the case I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth V. Michelle Carter. The film was directed by Erin Lee Carr. Early in the year, May 2021, a band notorious for their true life inspired music, SKND released a single titled Michelle Carter.
Where is Michelle Carter Now?
Carter has been released earlier than expected. However, she is still on a five-year probation. According to reports, Carter was a model inmate and was invested in all the programs offered in prison. She also received glowing remarks for her conduct in prison. Perhaps, this played a role in getting her sentence reduced. We do not know what the next stage of Michelle Carter’s life will be.
Conclusion
Michelle Carter now is a free woman but is still on probation. If she has been good like reports from the prison officers say, then she can start a new life. However, we doubt she can beat the trauma.
