Michelle Carter Trial: Judge Hears Closing Arguments

TAUNTON, MA — And now it’s down to the decision of a judge in Bristol Juvenile Court.

With the family of Conrad Roy present and in tears and Michelle Carter sitting emotionless the whole time, closing statements were heard in the Carter trial Tuesday afternoon, following about a week of testimony. Carter, a Plainville native who was 17 at the time of incident, faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of her boyfriend Conrad Roy, who suffocated himself in his truck in 2014.

Prosecutors allege that it was Carter to pushed Roy to kill himself, pointing to texts where she tells him to get back in the truck when he starts to have second thoughts. In his closing statement, defense attorney Joseph Cataldo said the blame cannot be pinned on Carter because Roy knew exactly what he was doing.

"What we're dealing with is a suicide, not a homicide. This is the government's burden,” he said.

Cataldo pointed to a history of suicide attempts by Roy, a Facebook chat where he declares his intent to try to kill himself, and his web search history which included several searches for methods of suicide.

“There is a long, continued plan of intention by Mr. Roy to take his life. This is somebody who eventually wanted to take his own life. He knew and understood, we’re not dealing with someone who didn’t have the mental capacity to understand,” Cataldo said.

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Returning to past arguments, Cataldo said Carter and Roy met in person about three times and Roy’s desire to die existed well before she came into his life.

“He brought her, with all her baggage, she has significant issues herself, he’s bringing her along for this sad journey,” he said.

He also pointed to a text conversation where Roy said to Carter, “There is nothing anyone can do to make me want to live. You don't understand - I want to die."

Assistant District Attorney Katie Rayburn started her closing statement with a text from Carter to a friend, “I (expletive) told him to get back in because I knew he would do it all over again the next day and I couldn't have him living like this.”

“She told him to get back in the truck. She knew he was scared. She knew at this moment that he did not want to die and she knew what would happen when he got back in that truck. She wasn’t going to let him live, that was her decision,” Rayburn said.

Rayburn continued to point to texts from Carter which the prosecution say connects the Plainville resident to the crime.

“It’s all my fault because I could have stopped him but I (expletive) didn’t. All I had to do was say I love you, don’t do this. One more time and he would still be there,” another text read.

“She listened to him cry on the phone. She listened to his last words, she listened to his last breaths, and she listened to him die on the phone. All while she could have called for help and she didn’t,” Rayburn said.

“When he says I don’t want to leave my family she said ‘don’t worry I’ll take care of them.’ Every time he came up with a reason she kicked his legs from under him.”

Responding to testimony where Dr. Peter Breggin indicates that Carter’s actions were due to involuntary intoxication caused by an antidepressant, Rayburn alleges that Breggin is biased because he does not think people should take those medications and he’s formed an opinion before he’s talked to anyone. When he talks to people, it's those who barely knows her.

So why did Carter allegedly tell Roy to get back in the truck in end his life? It was for attention, according to Rayburn.

“She’s really desperate for attention. She keeps texting these people over and over again to the point where most of them tell her to back off. She says no one likes her, that people are friends with her in school but no one will hang out with her.” she said.

With the trial over, Judge Lawrence Moniz will now take all the evidence and testimony under advisement and made a decision. When he has a verdict, there will be a one-day notification and the verdict will be read in open session.

Image Credit: Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool