Judge rules Michelle Carter can face manslaughter charges for encouraging boyfriend to commit suicide
The judge dismissed the appeal at Juvenile Court in New Bedford, Massachusetts
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Massachusetts teen who allegedly encouraged her boyfriend to take his own life will face manslaughter charges, a juvenile court judge ruled on Wednesday.
Carter, 18, is being charged in the death of her boyfriend Conrad Roy III, 18, for sending him dozens of texts encouraging him to commit suicide.
Judge Bettina Borders made the decision after reviewing evidence that cited Carter on the phone with Roy for nearly 45 minutes while he was inhaling carbon monoxide and she did not call 911, WCVB reported.
The judge also pointed to text messages Carter allegedly sent to her friend admitting that she told the teen to get back into his truck when he had second thoughts on taking his life.
"The Grand Jury could find probable cause that her failure to act within the 45 minutes, as well as her instruction to the victim to get back into the truck after he got out of the truck, caused the victim's death," the judge said.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for 30 Novemeber.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments