Michelle Carter..the girl convicted of pushing boyfriend to suicide

[Marie5656]

There is a new HULU miniseries about the girl (Michelle Carter) who pushed her boyfriend (Conrad Roy) to suicide via text. She was arrested and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. There is now a miniseries on HULU titled The Girl from Plainville (TV Mini Series 2022) regarding the case.
She was sentenced to 15 months in prison, was released after 12-13 months for good behavior. Last week 20/20 did an episode on the case as well
They mentioned that social media, and the rise in non face to face interactions makes it easier for younger people to separate themselves from the reality of what they are doing. I was interested in the case just to see how "kids these days" are so influenced. What do you thinK?

 

[Jeni]

i was glad they found her guilty ... i think there is a big disconnect for many from reality........ and it results in this sort of thing...
I doubt she still thinks she did anything wrong ...

 

[helenbacque]

I watched a single program on this a few weeks ago either on Netflix or Prime or maybe it was an episode of 20-20. I thought at the time it happened and also after hearing the program that she wanted to play the role of grieving girlfriend but apparently she felt it was her duty as a friend to be supportive of his wishes. I have a feeling that a lot of today's parents would be horrified if they knew what was going on in the kid's lives.

I don't think I could take 3 hours of that story. Let me know if there is more to it, please.

 

[Marie5656]

I watched a single program on this a few weeks ago either on Netflix or Prime or maybe it was an episode of 20-20. I thought at the time it happened and also after hearing the program that she wanted to play the role of grieving girlfriend but apparently she felt it was her duty as a friend to be supportive of his wishes. I have a feeling that a lot of today's parents would be horrified if they knew what was going on in the kid's lives.

I don't think I could take 3 hours of that story. Let me know if there is more to it, please.

I watched the 20/20 episode. I watched one episode of the HULU Mini series. Not i mpressed with the acting talent..and it "starts" after they find Conrad. Michelle is even more unlikeable in this series I am not sure if I will watch more.

 

[JonSR77]

I saw a documentary about her and the case. Before I saw the documentary I thought she was a purely evil human being. Then, I learned some facts. She worked with all her might, to stop him from committing suicide for a full 18 months. He finally wore her down and broke her, psychologically. And that was when she gave up and encouraged him.

She also had a long and difficult history of mental illness.

Based on that documentary, I don't think she deserved prison time. But I do believe she needed to be incarcerated in a psychiatric facility for a few years, getting treatment. I think she was literally brainwashed by the trauma of the whole interaction.

Again, before I saw the documentary, I absolutely hated her guts.

 

[Tish]

She is a cold-blooded murderer as far as I am concerned.

 

[win231]

I also watched the 20/20 piece & followed the case previously.
I noted something about Ms. Carter from the start.
Some people are given a face that serves as a warning to everyone about the type of person they are.
Her face has "Stay away; I'm pure evil & I enjoy hurting people" written all over it.

 

[dseag2]

I have watched several shows that covered this case. It is very tragic, but I believe both of them had severe mental issues that led to the suicide. Almost all of their relationship was through texts rather than physical contact. How emotionally healthy is that?

Like @JonSR77 I thought she looked evil and hated her for encouraging her boyfriend (?) to commit suicide, but in the end I think they were both mentally ill and needed counseling.

 

[dobielvr]

I saw a documentary about her and the case. Before I saw the documentary I thought she was a purely evil human being. Then, I learned some facts. She worked with all her might, to stop him from committing suicide for a full 18 months. He finally wore her down and broke her, psychologically. And that was when she gave up and encouraged him.

She also had a long and difficult history of mental illness.

Based on that documentary, I don't think she deserved prison time. But I do believe she needed to be incarcerated in a psychiatric facility for a few years, getting treatment. I think she was literally brainwashed by the trauma of the whole interaction.

Again, before I saw the documentary, I absolutely hated her guts.

Yes. I read also where he'd be threatening suicide for about 2 yrs prior, and apparently his parents did nothing. Or weren't successful in getting him treatment.

It seemed to be an ongoing situation that she got caught up in w/him.

 

[JonSR77]

Yes. I read also where he'd be threatening suicide for about 2 yrs prior, and apparently his parents did nothing. Or weren't successful in getting him treatment.

It seemed to be an ongoing situation that she got caught up in w/him.

My uncle took his life in 1987. So, you know, very sensitive subject. He was a junior high math teacher. Retired. Depression got worse and worse...and he took his life.

The family never told me that he had depression issues.

The week before he died, I was on the phone with him. I had been doing volunteer work for a food pantry. And I said to Uncle Manny...why don't you come out to Jersey, join up with me at the food pantry and you can come by, do some bookkeeping with them, stay busy.

And I remembered later, that, you know he seemed interested, but just could not quite make the jump to doing it.

I always wondered if I had known about the depression, that somehow I could have been more convincing, got him on a better track, kept him from taking his life.

 

[Pinky]

My uncle took his life in 1987. So, you know, very sensitive subject. He was a junior high math teacher. Retired. Depression got worse and worse...and he took his life.

The family never told me that he had depression issues.

The week before he died, I was on the phone with him. I had been doing volunteer work for a food pantry. And I said to Uncle Manny...why don't you come out to Jersey, join up with me at the food pantry and you can come by, do some bookkeeping with them, stay busy.

And I remembered later, that, you know he seemed interested, but just could not quite make the jump to doing it.

I always wondered if I had known about the depression, that somehow I could have been more convincing, got him on a better track, kept him from taking his life.

I think it's normal to have survivor's guilt, Jon. If only depression wasn't such a taboo subject back then. My aunt on my father's side committed suicide when I was very young. The details were kept very hush-hush.

 

[Jeni]

unfortunately nothing is set in stone ..... IF someone talks of suicide can be a cry for help .... or just attention ....

i have known many a drama addict that said things over and over ... never acted on it .... while prevention sites etc tell people to take any talk seriously etc... sometimes being exposed to this numbs a person to it.

a friends mother played this game for years and years ... even made a half attempt ( jumped in a river then swam ashore too cold she said ) when people no longer dropped everything to appease her and keep her from "doing it" .......
one day i hear friends brother Did it.....
no drama .. no talking about it .....no made for TV warning signs ...... perhaps he felt too many like his mother used the threat for something else ... devastated my friend ...and his mother well she still plays at telling people the same story.
depression is often an overused SELF diagnosis and sometimes ...often times those really truly suffering are dismissed

 

[JonSR77]

I think it's normal to have survivor's guilt, Jon. If only depression wasn't such a taboo subject back then. My aunt on my father's side committed suicide when I was very young. The details were kept very hush-hush.

I guess I have a bit. But not all that much. I mean, no one told me. There was no way to know.

I don't really have survivor's guilt...what I have is anger towards my relatives. They have been idiots to me in 100 ways.

His wife, my Aunt Bernice, died just a few years ago. She was 88. Her idiot kids treated her very poorly. Very angry with them.

I suspect I would be less angry if I a suicide was not in the mix. I guess it just agitates everything.

 

[JonSR77]

from NAMI

How to Talk (and Listen) to Someone Experiencing Suicidal Thoughts

https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blo...en)-to-Someone-Experiencing-Suicidal-Thoughts

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

dealing with this issue recently. Friend got divorced about 7 years ago. Wife cheated on him in very very very bad incident. Messed him up, but good. Two years later, met a woman. Fell in love. This fall, she died suddenly of unexpected medical problems.

He went suicidal.

Is now in therapy.

But, with friends, was doing research on how to approach things and found the article above.

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, been around for over 40 years...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Alliance_on_Mental_Illness​

 

[jimintoronto]

unfortunately nothing is set in stone ..... IF someone talks of suicide can be a cry for help .... or just attention ....

i have known many a drama addict that said things over and over ... never acted on it .... while prevention sites etc tell people to take any talk seriously etc... sometimes being exposed to this numbs a person to it.

a friends mother played this game for years and years ... even made a half attempt ( jumped in a river then swam ashore too cold she said ) when people no longer dropped everything to appease her and keep her from "doing it" .......
one day i hear friends brother Did it.....
no drama .. no talking about it .....no made for TV warning signs ...... perhaps he felt too many like his mother used the threat for something else ... devastated my friend ...and his mother well she still plays at telling people the same story.
depression is often an overused SELF diagnosis and sometimes ...often times those really truly suffering are dismissed

My experience as an Ambulance Attendant here in Toronto for ten years.......Women threaten suicide, men actually do it. Women tend to want a "nice clean go to sleep " exit, while men are much more likely to use a violent method. My partner and I saw a number of women who used the "big bottle of Vodka combined with a hand full of tranquilizers " method, while dressed in a nice newly bought night gown, with their hair freshly done at the beauty shop, with a back ground of soft music in the bedroom. They wanted to go out looking like a fairy princess. For every woman who threatens to kill themselves, 4 men will actually end up dead. JimB.

 

[Jeni]

My experience as an Ambulance Attendant here in Toronto for ten years.......Women threaten suicide, men actually do it. Women tend to want a "nice clean go to sleep " exit, while men are much more likely to use a violent method. My partner and I saw a number of women who used the "big bottle of Vodka combined with a hand full of tranquilizers " method, while dressed in a nice newly bought night gown, with their hair freshly done at the beauty shop, with a back ground of soft music in the bedroom. They wanted to go out looking like a fairy princess. For every woman who threatens to kill themselves, 4 men will actually end up dead. JimB.

very sad / good to acknowledge the difference between the sexes