# Suicide by Text girl convicted. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2017, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166 "2017-06-17T05:14:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/1 "2017-06-17T05:14:25Z")
I followed this case and read a few of the texts. She was constantly berating the guy to kill himself. Even telling him to get back in the truck when he wanted to abort his suicide. Roy obviously had his own serious problems. Meeting Carter made it worse. Carter is just twisted and sadistic. Sending a unrelenting stream of texts aimed at this guy. I hope she gets psychiatric treatment while incarcerated. > **[Michelle Carter guilty over texts urging boyfriend's suicide](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40304433)** > > Michelle Carter, now 20, denied involuntary manslaughter for her messages to 18-year-old Conrad Roy. > **[Michelle Carter found guilty in Massachusetts texting suicide case](https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-text-suicide-20170616-story.html)** > > Putting a modern spin on the definition of manslaughter, a Massachusetts judge found Michelle Carter guilty in the death of an 18-year-old friend she had instructed to kill himself in a series of text messages and mobile-telephone conversations. > [@](#): > > Michelle Carter, now 20, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for her messages to 18-year-old Conrad Roy urging him to kill himself. > > He took his own life on 13 July 2014 by running a generator in his vehicle in a car park in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. > [@](#): > > The novel case rested on more than 1,000 Facebook and text messages exchanged between Carter and her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III, as well as messages Carter sent friends afterward explaining her role. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/2 "2017-06-17T05:23:56Z")
Incredible. Her texts were like a dripping faucet that drives you up the wall. > [@](#): > > In her texts leading up to Roy’s death, Carter belittled her boyfriend for failing to make good on previous threats to commit suicide and made him promise that he would follow through. She sent him research on different methods, including hanging and jumping off a high building, and finally settled on carbon monoxide poisoning. Carter advised Roy to do it away from home so that nobody would interrupt and stop his death. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/3 "2017-06-17T05:37:37Z")
[There is already a thread for this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=828827) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/4 "2017-06-17T06:21:39Z")
Great Debates is different. This thread is for initial reactions to the case. Many people may not be familiar with this case. They haven’t followed it for the past few years. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/5 "2017-06-17T13:56:20Z")
I said it in the other thread but that crazy bitch lives not very far away from me. I don’t know what I am going to do if I casually run into her at a store or something. Probably just look horrified and get away just like everyone else. Her real punishment has nothing to do with the legal system. She is one of the most hated people in Massachusetts now and her life is effectively over. Nobody is ever going to hire her for a reputable job, she can never have any (non-crazy) friends and her only hope is that her family can just keep her hidden and away from everyone. That is going to be difficult because they live in a fairly small town in the Boston ex-urbs where you can’t hide. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if she kills herself too and I would be lying if I claimed that was an irrational decision. She is tainted forever and there is no way to escape it. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/6 "2017-06-17T16:21:41Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > She is tainted forever and there is no way to escape it. Change her name, then move half-way across the country. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/7 "2017-06-17T16:37:46Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Carter is just twisted and sadistic. Sending a unrelenting stream of texts aimed at this guy. I hope she gets psychiatric treatment while incarcerated. This may have been on the jurors minds. I don’t know if she can be treated in any effective way, except she is young so there is some hope. Like **Shagnasty** , she lives close to me. I wouldn’t recognize her out and about but who knows what she may do next. I don’t even know if she’ll be serving any time, or if she does if it will be any time soon if there are appeals. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/8 "2017-06-17T18:01:16Z")
I just heard of this for the first time today. I completely agree with the ACLU that no matter how odious we may find her, it’s a gross violation of her free speech rights to prosecute and incarcerate her. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/9 "2017-06-17T18:11:49Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I said it in the other thread but that crazy bitch lives not very far away from me. I don’t know what I am going to do if I casually run into her at a store or something. Probably just look horrified and get away just like everyone else. > > Her real punishment has nothing to do with the legal system. She is one of the most hated people in Massachusetts now and her life is effectively over. Nobody is ever going to hire her for a reputable job, she can never have any (non-crazy) friends and her only hope is that her family can just keep her hidden and away from everyone. That is going to be difficult because they live in a fairly small town in the Boston ex-urbs where you can’t hide. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if she kills herself too and I would be lying if I claimed that was an irrational decision. She is tainted forever and there is no way to escape it. Don’t want to hijack this, but reading your post, which, I agree with, btw, but it made me think of Casey Anthony who seems to be making out just fine these days, but I don’t follow her, so I could be wrong. My point is, given time, it may not be too miserable for her especially if she moves where her name isn’t as well known. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/10 "2017-06-17T18:16:12Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I just heard of this for the first time today. I completely agree with the ACLU that no matter how odious we may find her, it’s a gross violation of her free speech rights to prosecute and incarcerate her. Free speech doesn’t mean someone should scream fire in a crowded theater. With rights come responsibilities. I think she manipulated him, although based on his state of mind, it probably didn’t take much manipulating. Encouraging someone to take their life is reprehensible. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/11 "2017-06-17T18:16:49Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I just heard of this for the first time today. I completely agree with the ACLU that no matter how odious we may find her, it’s a gross violation of her free speech rights to prosecute and incarcerate her. Incorrect. You have no free speech right to yell fire in a crowded theater. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/12 "2017-06-17T18:58:16Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > Encouraging someone to take their life is reprehensible. As I said in the other thread, reprehensible does not mean criminal. Should it be a crime to insult people? To use sexist or racist slurs? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/13 "2017-06-17T19:07:34Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > As I said in the other thread, reprehensible does not mean criminal. Should it be a crime to insult people? To use sexist or racist slurs? I am a huge proponent of free speech myself but there are limits. What if you told a little kid to walk to the edge of an icy cliff and they fell and died just like you expected? I don’t really see a big difference between that and this case. She wanted him dead for her own reasons and manipulated his weak psychological state to get it. Scamming elderly people out of their life savings over the phone is not ‘free speech’ either. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/14 "2017-06-17T20:04:02Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I just heard of this for the first time today. I completely agree with the ACLU that no matter how odious we may find her, it’s a gross violation of her free speech rights to prosecute and incarcerate her. Incitement to violence isn’t protected speech. Even though the way he ultimately killed himself wasn’t particularly violent, it’s no different than if he had shot himself. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/15 "2017-06-17T20:06:41Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am a huge proponent of free speech myself but there are limits. What if you told a little kid to walk to the edge of an icy cliff and they fell and died just like you expected? I don’t really see a big difference between that and this case. She wanted him dead for her own reasons and manipulated his weak psychological state to get it. Scamming elderly people out of their life savings over the phone is not ‘free speech’ either. Yes, this ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/16 "2017-06-17T20:28:01Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am a huge proponent of free speech myself but there are limits. What if you told a little kid to walk to the edge of an icy cliff and they fell and died just like you expected? I don’t really see a big difference between that and this case. She wanted him dead for her own reasons and manipulated his weak psychological state to get it. Scamming elderly people out of their life savings over the phone is not ‘free speech’ either. Do I really have to point out how different those are? The ACLU agrees with me on this and I’m sure they don’t support those other things. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/17 "2017-06-17T20:41:34Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Do I really have to point out how different those are? The ACLU agrees with me on this and I’m sure they don’t support those other things. You’ll have to explain it to me then. How is texting someone, that’s in whatever state of mind this teen was in, in such a way that she convinced him to kill himself all that different than convincing a trusting toddler or gullible elderly person to do something stupid that may cause them to die? Furthermore, she _knew_ he was suicidal, she _said_ she was doing it purely for her own gain and she spent years just trying to push him off the edge. Again, just to be clear, it’s not like she sent him a single ‘I hate you, go kill yourself’ text. This was years in the making, knowing he would do it eventually, and for the sole purpose of making herself popular. She’s not a Heather, she’s a Veronica, how very. I haven’t seen what the ACLU has to say about it, but I don’t understand how it could be reasonably spun into a Free Speech issue. Should cult leaders (ie Jim Jones) that convince their followers to commit suicide be free to go as well? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/18 "2017-06-17T20:50:06Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > You’ll have to explain it to me then. > How is texting someone, that’s in whatever state of mind this teen was in, in such a way that she convinced him to kill himself all that different than convincing a trusting toddler or gullible elderly person to do something stupid that may cause them to die? Furthermore, she _knew_ he was suicidal, she _said_ she was doing it purely for her own gain and she spent years just trying to push him off the edge. > Again, just to be clear, it’s not like she sent him a single ‘I hate you, go kill yourself’ text. This was years in the making, knowing he would do it eventually, and for the sole purpose of making herself popular. > She’s not a Heather, she’s a Veronica, how very. > > I haven’t seen what the ACLU has to say about it, but I don’t understand how it could be reasonably spun into a Free Speech issue. Should cult leaders (ie Jim Jones) that convince their followers to commit suicide be free to go as well? It can’t. Like I mentioned earlier, speech that leads to harm isnt protected. Further, she could have saved his life by calling the authorities. She got what she deserved, imo. And if she has any assets, they will soon belong to his heirs. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/19 "2017-06-17T20:57:06Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Should cult leaders (ie Jim Jones) that convince their followers to commit suicide be free to go as well? If that was all Jim Jones did, then yes (but it was not). I believe people have a right to end their own lives (if done in a way that does not endanger others or damage the property of others). And if they do have this right, then others have the right to urge them to exercise their rights. Are you or anyone here arguing that the case would be completely different if they were 18 rather than 17? We could explore that, but my assumption was that it was not the crux of the issue. The ACLU statement: [ACLU of Massachusetts statement on Michelle Carter guilty verdict | ACLU Massachusetts](https://aclum.org/uncategorized/aclu-massachusetts-statement-michelle-carter-guilty-verdict/) ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166/20 "2017-06-17T21:10:02Z")
Given that the case was decided by a judge, I’m guessing the aclu is wrong in this case. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide-by-text-girl-convicted/789166.md?page=2)