Honor Student, 18, Charged With Manslaughter For Urging Teen Boy’s Suicide

Honor student Michelle Carter has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly urging Conrad Roy III to commit suicide. She allegedly sent him a text encouraging him to ‘get in’ an idling truck while he was having suicidal thoughts.

Massachusetts high school student, Michelle Carter, 18, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after allegedly sending rumored boyfriend Conrad Roy III, 18, a series of texts encouraging him to end his own life. Conrad, who got into an idling truck, died of carbon monoxide poisoning in July 2014. Michelle is due in court in April, and if found guilty, can face up to 20 years in prison.

Michelle Carter: Conrad Roy III’s Suicide — Charged With Manslaughter

Michelle allegedly received a text from Conrad when he was having suicidal thoughts, the Daily Mail reports. In the text, Conrad said he wasn’t sure if he should take his life after he climbed out of his idling truck. Michelle allegedly responded to his text, “Get back in.”

Michelle’s parents are adamantly defending their daughter saying she’s “not the villain the media is portraying her to be”, as she was trying to help Conrad who suffered from depression.

Michelle’s family released the following statement to The Boston Herald. 

Our hearts have and remain broken for the Roy family. For everyone that does not know our daughter, she is not the villain the media is portraying her to be. She is a quiet, kind, and sympathetic young girl. She tried immensely to help Mr Roy in his battle with depression. We know that once all of the facts are released, our daughter will be found innocent.

Michelle’s family’s claims contradicts what fellow students have said of the honor student. Her peers claim that she is a huge attention seeker and is known to be a girl who “cries wolf.”

Michelle claims to have dated Conrad on-again and off-again for two years, though his friends said they had never heard of her.

After Conrad’s death, Michelle took to her Twitter to share a sweet remembrance message of Conrad, and also began raising money and awareness for suicide prevention. She reportedly raised $2,300.

Michelle is on bail and is due in court in April. If found guilty, she could serve up to 20 years in prison, MyFoxBoston reported.

Our thoughts go out all involved in this heartbreaking tragedy.

— Julianne Ishler