Michelle Carter, the Massachusetts woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2017 for the death of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III, is getting an early release from prison. Her 15-month sentence began in February 2019, with her original release date set for May 5, 2020. However, due to good behavior, she’s being released on March 13, 2020.
- Carter originally requested parole. On Thursday, the 22-year-old met with The Massachusetts State Parole Board requesting parole after serving seven months of her sentence. The request was denied, but the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office did tell CNN after the hearing that Carter had earned “good time” that allowed for an early release.
- No one has forgotten what Carter has done. Carter repeatedly badgered Roy into killing himself, researching methods he could use as well as helping him to develop a specific plan and then bullying him into going through with it when he was having second thoughts. The horrible details of the case are still fresh in everyone’s minds, including the parole board.
- The statement from the Parole Board speaks volumes. “The [Board] is troubled that Ms. Carter not only encouraged Mr. Conrad to take his own life, she actively prevented others from intervening in his suicide. Ms. Carter’s self-serving statements and behavior, leading up to and after his suicide, appear to be irrational and lacked sincerity,” they wrote in their decision.
- No one believes that Carter should be back in society. “Ms. Carter’s self-serving statements and behavior, leading up to and after his suicide, appear to be irrational and lacked sincerity. Ms. Carter needs to further address her causative factors that led to the governing offense. Release does not meet the legal standard,” the one-page decision continued. One board member added that releasing Carter was “not compatible [with] best interest of society.”
- Many believe that Carter deserved a harsher sentence. Gregg Miliote, the spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, released a statement following the Parole Board’s decision in which he admitted that the authorities wanted a much harsher sentence given the nature of Carter’s crime. “At the time of sentencing, we recommended a much more severe sentence due to the egregious nature of the crime and the defendant’s refusal to acknowledge the gravity of the crime she committed,” they said. “It’s unfortunate that in the five years since Conrad’s death, the Parole Board found she still does not have sufficient insight into her crime and lacks empathy. As always, our concern is for the Roy family and the public’s safety.”
- It remains to be seen what will become of Carter after she leaves prison. It’s doubtful that Carter has learned her lesson as she’s always insisted she did nothing wrong. However, her sociopathic tendencies may have become worse and many are worried she could commit even worse offenses upon her release. That remains to be seen, but hopefully Roy’s family can find a bit of peace.
