Michelle Carter Receives 15-Month Sentence in Prison for Convincing Her Boyfriend to Commit Suicide
It’s been three years since the death of Conrad Roy, three years since Michelle Carter was finally brought in for sentencing for the selfless crime she committed, and three words that could have changed the outcome of that entire day, “Get back in.” That is what Carter told Roy as he attempted to take his life in a carbon monoxide filed truck but decided to get out. “Get back in” is what encouraged him to go through with the plan he obviously was unsure of. “Get back in” are the words Carter spoke knowing the influence she had on Roy and that he would listen.
Three years ago, when Roy was still alive, he and Carter had been dating although their relationship was mostly virtual where they communicated via text and telephone. Somehow, it developed into something stronger as the two traded the words “I love you” which may be one of the reasons why Roy was coaxed into getting back into that deadly vehicle that was the ultimate cause of his death.
Love is a powerful thing and when it is used in a deplorable manner, it can often hurt the person you think you love. Whether that is the case here and Carter became entangled in the suicidal mess Roy had going on, that isn’t clear. However, what is clear is the fact that Carter had all the tools to stop Roy at this particular moment in time, and she didn’t use them. While Roy talked about committing suicide, Carter was in his ear telling him “You can’t think about it. You have to just do it. You said you were gonna do it. Like I don’t get why you aren’t” according to Fox News. But what could Carter possibly know about mental illness and the source of action to take to help alleviate the pain one might be going through?
Perhaps she has her own mental disorder.
Apparently, Michelle Carter also suffers from a mental illness according to her criminal defense lawyer and has a history of anxiety and eating disorders. And of course, this was used as leverage to help get her sentenced reduced and permitted to still walk out of the courtroom, handcuff free.
Michelle Carter was charged with involuntary manslaughter, only required to serve 15 months in jail.
Although Michelle Carter was given a 15-month sentence in prison, she still managed to walk free until her attorney’s appeals are either granted or denied.
In most criminal cases, once a defendant is formally read their charges, they are taken into police custody where they begin to carry out their sentence. Carter is still walking free. She caused the wrongful death of Roy as she could have used her cell phone to call anyone-police, his parents, anyone. She allowed him to go through with killing himself and antagonized him to do so. At the time of the incident, both Carter and Roy were taking medication to treat their mental illnesses’. Carter was only 17 at the time, Roy 18.
The criminal defense lawyer representing Carter argued that her actions didn’t lead to Roy’s death, rather he was going to eventually to it as this wasn’t his first suicidal encounter. However, wrongful death lawyers could argue that it was, in fact, her words which brought him to finally carry out the deed. It was argued that Carter was young, ill, and was simply expressing her freedom of speech.
Carter was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison but is only going to have to serve 15 months as mentioned and five years of probation [Source: CBS News]. And to make matters worse for the decedent’s family, Carter’s attorneys have filed an appeal so until that is processed, she was able to walk out of the courtroom as though she was a free woman.
Everyone, including the family of Conrad Roy, was left speechless.
