18-year-old indicted for encouraging friend's suicide

Does 'evil' exist?

Probably not, but there seems to be enough cruel and manipulative people in the world anyway.

The Sun Chronicle brings us the story of Michelle Carter, 18, of tiny Plainville, Massachusetts. Carter was indicted last month in the 2014 death of Conrad Roy III, also 18.

Roy died of carbon monoxide poisoning last July in a K-Mart parking lot, the victim of apparent suicide.

Police searched Roy's phone and determined Carter,  who had described herself as his girlfriend , called and texted him while he was killing himself.

Instead of alerting authorities, she encouraged Roy to take his own life, according to court documents.

A police report says: “Not only did Conrad tell Carter in several of his texts prior to his death that he was scared and didn’t want to leave his family, she continued to encourage him to take his own life, and when he actually started to carry out the act, he got scared again and exited his truck, but instead of telling him to stay out of the truck ... Carter told him to ‘get back in.’”

Carter was indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges in juvenile court, so she won't get a lengthy sentence if found guilty.

She posted a $2,500 bond and was ordered to not use the Internet or send text messages.

After Roy's death, Carter raised $2,300 at a charity softball event she set up called "Homers for Conrad."

On National Suicide Awareness Day in September she tweeted "I wish more people understood. I love you and miss you everyday Conrad. Help others #WeCanEndSuicide.”

She retweeted the link to a suicide prevention hotline a couple of weeks later.

Roy's grandfather doesn't understand Carter's motivation.

"How anybody could be that low?" said Conrad Roy Sr. He owns seven tug boats and said he was proud of Conrad, who got his captain's license at 18.

Why didn't she help?

According to court documents, Carter sent a text message to another friend saying she told Roy to go through with his plan because if he didn't, she was worried "he would do it all over again."

More news you may find interesting: