Michelle Carter Trial Update: Lawyers Give Closing Arguments; Fate of Accused Is Now in Hands of Judge
Both opposing and defending counsels have given their closing arguments in Michelle Carter's involuntary manslaughter trial. Carter's fate will now depend on the court judge assigned to her case.
Carter went on trial for involuntary manslaughter for allegedly assisting her former boyfriend, Conrad Roy III, in killing himself in 2014. Roy died from carbon monoxide poisoning in his truck after utilizing a portable generator.
The trial closed last Tuesday, and both counsels gave their closing arguments to be examined by Bristol County Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz for further evaluation, CNN reported.
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Opposing counsel, Bristol Assistant District Attorney Katie Rayburn, said in the closing arguments that Carter aggressively encouraged Roy to kill himself.
"It got to the point that he was apologizing to her. ... Apologizing to her for not being dead yet," Rayburn said.
The counsel added that even when Roy tried to delay his attempts to kill himself, Carter "kicked his feet right out from under him" and pushed her former boyfriend to die from carbon monoxide poisoning, because she wanted the attention from being the grieving girlfriend.
Meanwhile, defense attorney Joseph Cataldo said that Roy only "dragged" Carter into his "sad journey."
Cataldo stuck to the facts that Roy caused his own death by his own physical actions and his own thoughts.
"It's sad, it's tragic. It's just not a homicide," Cataldo added.
Carter previously waived her right to a jury trial, which means the decision of her being guilty or not will rest solely upon Moniz.
Moniz said that he will review all the testimonies and exhibits from the case, and will alert the clerk's office once he's made a decision. There is no telling how long the judge will take to come to a final verdict on Carter.
If Moniz finds Carter guilty, the defendant will be sent to prison for a minimum of 20 years. The outcome of the trial could also become a foundation that will make telling someone to commit suicide a crime.
Larry Cunningham, former prosecutor and vice dean at St. John's University School of Law in New York, shared in this week's issue of PEOPLE that it will be "a close case."
"What's going to make this case difficult is the fact that the assistance was verbal rather than physical. The question is: What was her role in the suicide?" Cunningham explained.
