Prosecutors rested their case in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Michelle Carter on Thursday.
They released another string of text messages between Carter and her boyfriend Conrad Roy discussing suicide before his death and Carter’s apparent growing frustration.
Trooper Michael Bates extracted the texts from their phones. “You’re going to have to prove me wrong,” Carter texted Roy. “I think you don’t want this. You keep pushing it off to another night and say you’ll do this but you never do.”
Roy died on the night of July 12, 2014 filling up his truck with carbon monoxide. When police found his cell phone it led them to Carter.
In a police interview just released she says she could have done more to help him. “I was trying to get help for him sooner,” she said. “I wanted him to go with me. I should have done something sooner.”
Also released by prosecutors a selfie video of Roy appearing to be in a downward spiral. “I’ve created a monster the last few years because of depression and racing suicidal thoughts,” Roy said.
The defense says he was already on a path to suicide and prosecutors are picking and choosing their texts. “I’m trying to do the best to dig you out, you’re not aware of that are you,” defense attorney Joe Catalado asked Trooper Bates. “You’re not aware he said ‘I don’t want to be dug out.’”
But prosecutors say Carter was on the phone with Roy as he lost consciousness and there was time to help with testimony from state medical examiner Dr. Faryl Sandler. “By approximately 20 minutes there would be no more breaths.”
The defense will submit a motion Friday to have the case dismissed. If the judge rejects it they will begin calling witnesses. Cataldo won’t say if Michelle Carter will be one of them.
What is "involuntary" manslaughter in America? When you Google "manslaughter", the definition is "homicide en anglais, particulièrement des types autre que l'homicide volontaire." In the Asian country I currently live in, English translators tend to translate "manslaughter" to "unplanned murder" (unpremeditated).
ReplyDeleteAnd which part of this is the "involuntary manslaughter", the text messages with the trigger words or the not seeking help when there was a chance/time?
From the web: The main difference between the two is that manslaughter is voluntary and requires an intent to kill or cause serious bodily harm while involuntary manslaughter does not. Premeditation or deliberation, however, are elements of murder and not of manslaughter.
ReplyDeleteYou're right to question why they are pursuing involuntary manslaughter in view of her non-accidental encouragement of his suicide. But prosecutors will choose the charge they believe they can win, and apparently they feel more confident in a win in this case for "involuntary."
ReplyDeleteExcellent point. Pursuing a charge they believe they can win is key. In this instance, I think they decided on an involuntary charge because he has a documented previous suicide attempt.
ReplyDeleteI hope the jury finds that she's guilty as sin and gives her the 20 years....actually she deserves more than that...
ReplyDeleteShe should be removed from society. No good will come of her + human interaction.
ReplyDeleteAnd to think - she could have been Cara Delevigne.
Poor man's Cara Delivigne.
ReplyDeleteCharles Manson never killed anyone, he brainwashed other people to do it. He was convicted. She brainwashed her friend to kill himself, she did the same thing.
ReplyDeleteRoy had contemplated suicide for some time and had researched online for methods. His depression is attributed to physical and verbal abuse from family members and ultimately lead to suicide with Michele encouraging it. When is his family going on trial?
ReplyDeleteI've read a lot of 'go kill yourself' online as in fvck off, but now one has to be mindful of what is said to people less they might be depressed and suicidal and actually follow thru. Encouraging to suicide is morally reprehensible and disgusting. Criminalizing is a huge legal precedence. We are possibly looking at case law under the legal definition of deprave indifference. FB has posts of people filming others killing themselves. Is that next. What if she had said 'go to Belgium already' and he did it. Over there doctors evaluate you for depression and honor your wish with euthanasia. Just sayin, from left field.
I think the fact that she told him to get back in the car really fucks up her case though. She could have called for help at that time but instead told him to get back in and follow through with it. Just like the person below me said, Charles Manson never actually killed anyone, he just brainwashed them to do it, and this is very similar, she brainwashed him into thinking suicide was his only way out.
ReplyDeleteI admit I don't know every minute detail of this case other than her encouraging him. What she did is reprehensible and of course the right thing to do is call for help. My question is with people telling others 'kill yourself already' and they do it, (wives or girlfriends that threaten to suicide if the partner leaves, etc. ) or telling someone the most effective way to get the deed done. Helping along is assisted suicide and def illegal. What will that mean for future legal cases. I get the feeling her conviction will be overturned.
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