One sad side effect of the rise of digital communication is that we’ve had many chances to see exactly how much power words can have. When somebody is in a dark and vulnerable state of mind, we’ve seen all too many cases where a venomous message can lead to tragic consequences.
But as disheartening as it is to hear such comments from strangers, it becomes all the more chilling when they’re coming from someone who is supposed to be one of your closest supporters.
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And yet, this very situation seemed to unfold in one case from Massachusetts.
Before 18-year-old Conrad Roy and 22-year-old Michelle Carter began dating in 2011, Roy had a history of mental health issues.
As Buzzfeed News reported , this had previously culminated in attempts on his own life, but he would eventually die by suicide on July 12, 2014.
What authorities discovered, however, was that this had not taken place in a vacuum.
In the two weeks prior to Roy’s suicide, Buzzfeed News reported that Carter had sent him a series of messages encouraging him to commit suicide and chiding him when he seemed reluctant.
To put these messages into perspective, Carter reportedly asked him when he was going to end his life 40 times throughout their conversations.
In one such message, she suggested he “just go in a quiet parking lot or something” when asked how he would even go about it.
Both due to these messages and Carter’s failure to call for help when Roy’s suicide appeared imminent, Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 15 months in jail.
Her lawyers appealed this decision, citing that convicting her “based on her words alone” violated her First Amendment rights.
They also argued that the specific involuntary manslaughter conviction violated her Fifth Amendment right to due process.
Carter was allowed to remain free until her state appeals were exhausted, and she began serving her sentence in February.
Carter appeared before a parole board on Thursday in search of an early release from prison, but that appeal has since been denied.
Part of the reason for this decision not only rested on her texts encouraging Roy’s suicide, but also their conclusion that she had prevented others from intervening.
The parole board also based their decision on how Carter behaved before and after Roy’s suicide.
As they put it, her “self-serving statements and behavior” during these times “appear to be irrational and lacked sincerity.”
They also said her appeal didn’t provide sufficient insight into why she showed a “lack of empathy” both during and after his death.
Nonetheless, her lawyers maintain that Carter’s conviction mischaracterizes the situation.
As Joseph Cataldo, one of her attorneys, said , “This was a suicide. A sad and tragic suicide. But it was not a homicide.”
The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to decide whether or not to review Carter’s case.
Should they decide against that or decide to uphold her conviction, she will likely be released on March 13, 2020.
While she awaits their decision, however, it seems that Carter is staying low to the ground while in jail.
A representative from the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office said Carter has been a “model inmate” and has attended prison programs, showed no discipline issues, and has reportedly been polite to staff, volunteers, and her fellow inmates.
h/t: Buzzfeed News
