Michelle Carter and Conrad Roy met during a chance encounter while on vacation, but immediately connected through their struggles with mental health. Over time Conrad’s wellbeing declined and, instead of pushing him to get help, Michelle ultimately began helping him prepare for his own suicide. When the designated day arrived and Conrad began having second thoughts Michelle put the pressure on for him to go through with it – and he did. The motivation behind Michelle’s actions come into question both ethically and legally – was she a fellow mentally ill individual who was trying to help, or was she leveraging Conrad’s illness to get attention and sympathy for herself? Though the courts sentenced her, it was a lenient punishment that lacked the full weight many think she should’ve felt. The real question is – were Michelle’s true intentions to help Conrad, or help herself at whatever cost?
