Teen charged with manslaughter after urging her boyfriend to kill himself
In what is described by legal affairs writer for the Associated Press Denise Lavoie as "a disturbing case of cyberbullying," an 18-year-old has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after police acquired a series of messages she sent to her boyfriend, encouraging him to take his own life.
Michelle Carter, who was then 17, allegedly sent text messages to her boyfriend Conrad Roy III, telling him to "do it."
Carter wrote, "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." Another message read, "You can't keep living this way. You just need to do it like you did the last time and not think about it and just do it, babe."
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According to authorities, Roy parked his truck outside a Fairhaven Kmart and committed suicide through carbon monoxide poisoning. Prosecutors say Carter has contributed a lot in the suicide as she has been urging Roy a week before the incident to overcome all his doubts about killing himself.
Carter's lawyer, Joseph Cataldo, said her client's texts are protected by the First Amendment since the message exchanges prove that Roy has already made up his mind in committing suicide, thus Carter had nothing to do with causing his death.
Cataldo argued during the proceedings that Roy himself devised the plan on how he will die since he got himself a generator, turned it on, and arranged for a spot where he could sit for a long time until he died.
According to Fox News, Roy has spent some time in a psychiatric facility after he attempted suicide earlier. He was also preparing for high school graduation and reception of his sea captain's license, his aunt, Becki Maki, said, adding that it was impossible for him to have suicide thoughts.
Roy's grandfather, also named Conrad, said his grandson didn't seem sad at all days before his death, clarifying that he was "coming out of depression" and just as the family was starting to see the "light at the end of the tunnel," Carter "blew [that] tunnel up."
