Conrad Roy III’s mother has instigated a lawsuit against his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, for wrongful death. Lynn Roy will be seeking $4.2 million in lost wages from her son, calculating the money that he would have earned over his lifetime.
Michelle Carter was recently sentenced to 15 months in prison for her role in Conrad Roy III’s suicide. Although she knew the young man was troubled and contemplating suicide, she encouraged him to kill himself through a series of horrific text messages that the judge for her case said ultimately led to him killing himself.
The young woman has received a stay and won’t be going to prison until she finishes appealing her case, which has outraged the Roy family. It is unclear if Michelle Carter has hired a civil attorney or not, and it is also unclear if the lawsuit was instigated as a result of the sentencing.
Conrad Roy III’s family is not only devastated by the loss of their son, but they are also outraged that Michelle Carter is not in prison yet. Conrad’s cousin was quoted on Good Morning America stating that she was outraged that Michelle was free and her cousin was not with the family any longer.
Michelle Carter’s lawyers tried to state that she was on medication that made it difficult for her to empathize with other people, but this was not accepted by the judge or jury.
Many worry that this case is trampling on free speech by stating that people are not able to say whatever they wish. They also worry that teenagers may be held accountable for bad behavior for the rest of their lives, which they argue is unfair since teenagers grow and change as time goes on. Amanda Knox, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, in 2007, stated that she felt it was not fair to convict Michelle Carter due to the fact that she was a troubled young teen herself.
It is not clear how Michelle’s team will seek to appeal the charge of involuntary manslaughter, or how the civil suit will impact the further criminal trial.
[Featured Image by Matt West/ The Boston Herald /AP Images]
