Michelle Carter listens to testimony at Taunton District Court. Photo / AP
Michelle Carter listens to testimony at Taunton District Court. Photo / AP
The family of Conrad Roy who committed suicide after being encouraged to by his girlfriend opened up about their heartache on the Dr. Oz Show.
Conrad, who had worked as a marine salvage skipper in Massachusetts in the United States, killed himself at the age of 18 in 2014 afterbeing spurred on by his girlfriend Michelle Carter, now 20, through a series of texts, the Daily Mail reports.
Conrad's mom Lynn Roy said on the show: "I believe some people have no soul, no conscience," according to Boston News.
Lynn Roy sat down with Dr. Oz to talk about her son's devastating suicide in 2014, that was caused by his then girlfriend Michelle Carter, who encouraged him to take his own life. Photo / WFXT25
When asked what she would say to Carter if she had the opportunity Lynn said: "I would just ask her why, I don't understand.
"Maybe give me some reasons why she would have encouraged him and bullied him, because I think the way she acted with him was bullying him."
Show host Dr Mehmet Oz asked the mother what the most painful part of this tragedy is nowadays, to which she responded: "I think when I wake up in the morning and I realise he's not here with me, that's the most difficult for me."
In spite of Roy's troubling past, depression and social anxiety, Lynn still vouched he had the world at his fingertips and if she had the opportunity to sit with him now she would say: "My god, you have so much - you have no idea how much you have going for yourself.
Dr. Oz (pictured left) sat down with Lynn Roy (second from the left) and her two daughters (Camdyn and Morgan in the middle) to talk about Conrad's tragic suicide. Photo / WFXT25
"You have a family that loves you. It's indescribable how much I love him."
Oz still asked Lynn questions regarding Carter - "I feel worse for her mother than for myself. I know the son I raised, I know the son that I have."
Lynn, who was also joined by her daughters Morgan and Camdyn, also opened up about the emotional last exchange between her and her beloved late son.
"We walked to the beach that day, the last thing he told me was I'm going to a friend's house. I asked him if he was going to be back for dinner and he said, 'I don't think so,'" she revealed.
She spoke about how selfless and caring her son was and what he would want for his mother now he's not here.
"He was always helping others, he cared more about others than about himself. I would love to do something to help others in some way, that's how he would want me to go on without him."
Roy and his girlfriend at the time Carter met on vacation in Florida in 2012 when they were both there with their families.
Conrad Roy (pictured here) was 18-years-old when he committed suicide. Photo / Facebook
After that, they only met in person a handful of times. Their relationship consisted mainly of texting.
Both teens struggled with depression. Carter had been treated for anorexia, and Roy had made earlier suicide attempts.
In dozens of text messages, Carter, who was 17 at the time, urged Roy to follow through on his talk of taking his own life. "The time is right and you are ready ... just do it babe," Carter wrote in a text the day he killed himself.
"You can't think about it. You just have to do it. You said you were gonna do it. Like I don't get why you aren't," Carter wrote in one text.
Carter's lawyer, Joseph Cataldo, argued that Roy was determined to kill himself and nothing Carter did could change that.
Michelle Carter cries while flanked by defense attorneys Joseph Cataldo, left, and Cory Madera, after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the suicide of Conrad Roy. Photo / AP
He said Carter initially tried to talk Roy out of it and urged him to get professional help, but eventually went along with his plan.
Cataldo also argued that Carter's words amounted to free speech protected by the First Amendment.
In convicting Carter, the judge focused his ruling on Carter telling Roy to "get back in" after he climbed out of his truck while he was trying to kill himself.
The judge said those words constituted wanton and reckless conduct under the manslaughter statute.
Carter was convicted in June 2017 on a charge of involuntary manslaughter by Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz who said her final instruction to Roy caused his death.
Conrad Roy, Jr., father of the deceased, comforts his daughter Camdyn Roy, sister of the deceased, as ADA Katie Rayburn makes her closing argument to Judge Lawrence Moniz. Photo / Getty Images
Assistant District Attorney Maryclare Flynn said: "Michelle Carter - her actions - killed Conrad Roy. She ended his life to better her own. She has been convicted of a very serious crime that merits serious punishment."
Moniz said Carter will only have to serve 15 months behind bars and the rest of the two-and-a-half years sentence will be suspended.
Once she is released, she will be on probation for five years.
However, the judge granted a defence motion that would keep Carter out of jail until her appeals in Massachusetts courts are exhausted.
WHERE TO GET HELP:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
