They looked like a modern Romeo And Julia. Two teenagers that met by chance far away from home and didn't want to let anything get in their way! They overcame the physical distance between them, found shared friends and hoped for their dream to have a happy ending. It became a horror movie instead.
Blooming Love
Michelle Carter and Conrad Roy III were two high school teens from Massachusetts. Both were good looking, athletic and young. They met on the Gulf of Mexico while vacating there in their teens. After coming home they started sustained and strengthened their new found relationship through social media and text messages.
First contact
Michelle and Conrad met three years earlier while vacating on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. He was almost a year older than she was. They studied in different schools and lived in different places. But the holiday they shared together would mark a turning point in their lives forever.
Close by
The two lived an hour's drive from each other. Michelle was the granddaughter of one of Conrad's family friends. Being teenagers from the same area shared some of the same challenges. Challenges that are probably shared by most American teenagers to some extent. They tried to face them together and find solace in each other.
Boy of the sea
Conrad was born in 1995. He grew up in Mattapoisett in Bristol county Massachusetts, a fishing and seamen's community. His father and grandfather co-own a marine salvage business and was one of the first on the scene when Captain “Sully” Sullenberger landed in the Hudson in 2009. He was an active boy.
A Good student
Conrad was was a good highschool student graduating with a 3.88 grade point average gaining him a scholarship grant. He was a Red Sox fan and a good athlete, favoring rowing and baseball. In addition, he continued the family tradition and studied for his skipper license from the Northeast Maritime Institute.
First twist
This all American story gets its first twist early on. Conrad's parents divorced when he was relatively young. Naturally, this had affected the young boy and as he grew older he developed social anxiety and depression. When Conrad was 17, he overdosed on acetaminophen and was hospitalized.
Funny girl
Michelle Carter comes from Plainville Massachusetts, about 50 miles from Mattapoisett. Her friends describe her as "the class clown" and "the person most likely to brighten your day". Like every clown, she too was hiding a secret. She had once been hospitalized in a psychiatric facility and was being treated with the antidepressant Celexa.
Started out good
In middle school, Carter was good at softball. In highschool she was known as a smart and outgoing person but noticed that something was up. She was dense when it came to common sense and she had dramatic weight fluctuations over short periods of time. Some feared she was suicidal.
A couple
They referred to each other as "boyfriend" and "girlfriend". Despite living an hour's drive from each other, they scarcely met. Their relationship existed through text messages and social media. The two exchanged endless text messages to each other. Conrad was clearly in-love with Michelle but evidently, the feeling wasn't mutual.
Something happened
The tipping point of this tragic tale takes place on the July 12th 2014. But it started a week or so before, perhaps longer. We will never truly know. We do know that during that week, the two exchanged over 1000 text messages, emails and phone calls regarding Conrad's suicide-to-be.
He did it
Unfortunately, Conrad spent the day with his mother and sisters, who never saw anything unusual about him. He then went off, and poisoned himself with carbon monoxide.
The Shock
The Fairhaven community was devastated. In the online obituary page there are tens of condolence entries. Amongst the mourners was no other than Michelle Carter. Little did anyone know the truth behind their relationship, the past week or her true (alleged) part in his death.
Suspicious communications
During the week before his suicide, the duo exchanged over 1000 text messages, emails and phone calls. When the police gained access to his phone, they found only one un-erased thread – the one with Michelle Carter. Carter was encouraging Conrad to commit suicide instead of discouraging him to do so.
He was in trouble
Michelle and Conrad's family knew he was struggling. Lynn Roy, his mother, stated that he felt therapists and other professionals weren't "hearing him". So he turned to Carter. He unveiled to her his suicidal tendencies and instead of deterring him or turning to the authorities, she (allegedly) egged him on.
Text commands
On one occasion during the fateful week Conrad is uncertain if his generator will work. Carter texted "Do you have any at work that you can go and get?”. “Yeah, probably, ha ha,” he texted back. Her response was “GO GET ONE.” He did and used it for his suicide.
Two faced?
During the first few months she become the "widow". Three months after Roy's death, Carter organized a softball tournament "Homers for Conrad". In a post on Facebook she claimed she wanted to become a spokesperson for mental illness and suicide awareness and appeared on local papers with her story.
She's regretful?
Additionally, she kept texting Lynn Roy, telling her “You tried your hardest, I tried my hardest, everyone tried their hardest to save him.” She told at least one friend 'All I had to say was I love you and don't do this one more time and he'd still be here'
Lies
In reality, Conrad had talked to Carter on the phone for almost 90 minutes until 18:28, before he got in his truck to suffocate. At 19:12 he got out of the truck and texted her. She later confessed texting him "Get back in". He did and was later found dead.
Funny messages
The worrying thing is, that Carter seemed to want to encourage Roy to take his own life to seek sympathy from those around her. In fact she had already begun telling family and friends that she hadn't heard from Roy for days while coaxing him all the while to kill himself.
Under arrest
Carter was charged with involuntary manslaughter in February of 2015, almost 9 months after Conrad's suicide. Despite her appearances as the mourning widow, the text messages the police found in Conrad's phone were too damning. Police revealed that she had checked with Conrad if he had deleted their thread.
On bail
Carter was freed on bail and was told to avoid social media altogether. She continued with her life and finished high school. This included the prom and visiting Disney and posting pictures on her Twitter account. This naturally caused a public uproar, especially since the court forbade her to do so.
Worried
Carter's attorneys naturally disputed the claims stating that it was Carter's mother who posted the images in Carter's name. Meanwhile, reports started to come in claiming that Carter knew there was discriminating evidence against her. She told her friend she was worried because she commanded Conrad back in the car.
Cold hearted?
The prosecution has tried to illustrate a picture of a cold hearted, calculated and deeply disturbed young woman who desired attention. For her, the opportunity Conrad offered her was too good to forego. If Conrad would kill himself she would get all the attention she wanted as her widowed girlfriend!
Overturned
Carter's legal team has created a number of challenges for the prosecution. The first of them being that her initial interview and consent for a search that included her devices, was obtained illegally without reading her the Miranda rights. The court agreed but the decision was later overturned.
"Go somewhere"
During the above mentioned interview she stated "I told him I loved him" and that other people loved him and that "he should come with me and get the help he needed." Prosecutors claim that these contradict text messages urging him "Just go somewhere in your truck" before his suicide.
Weird timeline
The defense argues that the timeline of events doesn't add up. Under Carter's command, Conrad drove his truck to the Kmart, talked to her for 90 minutes but a police car didn't notice the truck during routine check-ups until 5:00. The 3:00 patrol didn't mention it nor call it in.
Who's to blame?
The defense claims Conrad had enough time between his last known contact with Carter and the world to deliberate further. If he had indeed committed suicide after the last text message telling him to get back inside at 19:12, why was the truck with his dead body not found earlier? In the picture - Conrad's parents in court.
Could testify
Both teens mental state also plays a factor in the defense's case. The defense has sourced Dr. Breggin, a controversial psychiatrist previously banned from testifying in other cases and known for his stance against anti-depressants. A judge ruled that Breggin could testify along Roger Williams University forensic psychologist Frank DiCataldo.
Not her fault?
Dr. Breggin argues that Carter was prescribed both Celexa and Prozac altering the developing of her brain. He also stated that Celexa is not recommended for patients under 18 because of the possible effects on the brain. He stated in a hearing "you're talking about being inundated with neurotoxic effects".
On the drug
During the March hearing Dr. Breggin told the court "She had no notion of wrongfulness on what she was doing". Essentially the defense case aiming to prove that the anti-depressants subscribed to Carter could have rendered her irrational while on the drug. Prosecutors have criticized Breggin for being an extremist.
Legal situation
Carter's legal team has created a number of challenges for the prosecution. The defense team states that unlike 40 other states, Massachusetts doesn't have laws against encouraging someone else to commit suicide. The current legal situation makes it difficult for the prosecution to find a clause to fit the case.
Speech
The legal entanglement now involves the first amendment. The defense claims that whatever Carter told or texted Conrad falls under the category of "speech". Without laws forbidding suicide encouragement, the involuntary manslaughter charge may not hold, let alone jail Carter for up to 20 years making the case even harder.
No jury
Due to the delicate legal situation, Carter's defense attorney has been granted permission to make a statement about the first amendment when the proceedings begin. Meanwhile, the defense has leveraged the situation and have opted for bench judge trial and not a jury trial hoping for a more legal focus.
His fault only
The defense keep stating that the cause of death was suicide and that Conrad's depression was a burden too heavy for Carter to carry at the age of 17 with her mental condition. The prosecution claims that Carter wanted to leverage his condition for her own sick needs and desires.
