| Death of Conrad Roy | |
|---|---|
 Conrad Roy | |
 | |
| Location | Kmart parking lot in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Date | July 12, 2014 |
Attack type | Coerced suicide, homicide,[1][2] manslaughter |
| Weapon | Carbon monoxide poisoning |
| Victim | Conrad Henri Roy III, aged 18 |
| Perpetrator | Michelle Diana Carter |
| Motive | Attention seeking (Carter)[3] |
| Verdict | Guilty |
| Convictions | Involuntary manslaughter
|
| Sentence | 15 months in prison (paroled after 11 months) plus 15 months probation[4] |
Conrad Henri Roy III (September 12, 1995 – July 12, 2014) was an American marine salvage captain who died by suicide at the age of 18. His girlfriend, 17-year-old Michelle Carter, had encouraged him in text messages to kill himself.
The case was the subject of an investigation and involuntary manslaughter trial in Massachusetts, colloquially known as the "texting suicide case." It involved scores of text messages, emails, and phone calls recorded between Carter and Roy in the lead up to his death, in which Carter repeatedly texted Roy to kill himself. Roy had seen numerous mental health professionals and had been prescribed psychiatric medication.
After a bench trial, presiding judge Lawrence Moniz found Carter guilty of involuntary manslaughter, concluding that she wanted Roy dead and that her words coerced him to kill himself. Moniz's decision rested chiefly on Carter's final phone call in which she ordered a terrified Roy to go back inside his truck as it filled with carbon monoxide.[5][6] Initially sentenced to 2½ years in prison, Carter had her penalty later reduced to 15 months, of which she served 11 months and 12 days. The case raised questions pertaining to the nature and limits of criminal responsibility.[7]
- ^ "Michelle Carter, who urged her boyfriend to commit suicide, found guilty in his death". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Where Is Michelle Carter Now?". April 2022.
- ^ "Inside Michelle Carter's suicide texting trial". CBS News. August 3, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Michelle Carter's probation for involuntary manslaughter in death of Conrad Roy has ended".
- ^ Durkin Richer, Alanna (February 6, 2019). "High court upholds texting suicide manslaughter conviction". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ Tunick, Mark (April 16, 2019). Texting, Suicide, and The Law. doi:10.4324/9780429242977. ISBN 9780429242977. S2CID 197742682.
- ^ Truesdell, Jff (June 6, 2017). "5 Things to Know: The Teen Girl Who Allegedly Urged Her Boyfriend to Kill Himself Via Texts". People. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2022.