>> [inaudible] >> who did it appear? >> grieving alongside his family. >> she sent messages of

couldn't lawrence is. be strong. she was there for me when i needed her. >> was there something about these two. >> what we're seeing? >> a series of messages. >> a trail of text messages leading to -- [inaudible] >> i closed my eyes and i said -- >> what every parent needs to see. >> we need to know what's going on in our kids lives. because it can be very scary. >> hello, and welcome to dateline. 18 year old conrad roy battle depression and anxiety, but seem to be finding his way. he was headed to college and was excited about his new job.

then one night, the teenager vanished. turns out comrade had a dark secret. one he shared with someone close to. him what that confidant did and did not do next would shatter to families. here's andrea canning with "reckless". >> it began as a chance encounter between two teens on vacation. >> she was a family friend that he met in florida. >> and ended two years later with one of them dead. >> he was smiling before he left the house. and then he was said. a few hours. after >> an apparent suicide. >> he didn't seem like using any imminent danger? >> no, not at all. >> but there was danger. from something teams do all of the time. texting. their cyber romance hit a nerve, gripping the nation. and the people involved in the case gave us the inside story. the detectives who investigated the case we're watching her. yes, and it just keeps getting worse. >> a grieving father.

>> i feel like i can fix a lot of things. but i couldn't fix my son. >> and distraught family members who feel betrayed. >> i just said no. >> hi, this is conrad roy iii. >> our story starts with conrad. his mother lynn roy, says he was an easy. tell what kind of kid was? he >> definitely sensitive. never gave me a hard time with anything. did well in school, had friends. loved baseball. >> comrade was her first born. two daughters would come later. looking back, she remembers his early years as good ones. >> every picture i have of him, he looks like a little goofball. the happiest child. he was always happy. >> conrad grew up in and around the old fishing town of new bedford, massachusetts, or his father and grandfather runny tugboat and barge business. his dad said it seemed conrad was destined to take to the sea from day one. >> i think he was two or three days old and i thought, i just

wanted him to follow in my footsteps. i was hoping he'd be able to take over the business someday. >> not only was conrad the first born in the roy family, he was also the first grandchild. his and krissy roy, says his cousins adored him. >> my youngest henry would follow him around like a dog. he was the cousins olive of the kids looked up to. >> but during his sophomore year in high school, his mom says her happy-go-lucky son started to change. >> his father and i, we got divorced. and i don't know one child that doesn't get affected by divorce. >> he was 60? >> yeah. >> he obviously had anxiety and depression. it just manifested that that. time >> he talked about it in this video diary. >> a feel like i'm definitely wired different from everyone else. like there's something wrong with me. >> it was at 16, while struggling with anxiety and depression, that conrad

encountered a 15 year old girl named michelle carter. they met,'s grandmother says, when -- >> yes, a week during school vacation. >> her grandparents were friends with our great aunt. >> his sister came in it was like oh, my brother met igor. and the three of them all hung out with her for just a short while. >> when they returned from florida, conrad and michelle continue to stay in touch through text messages. michel lived in plainville, massachusetts, about an hour away from conrad. the two had a lot in common. she was a softball. he played baseball. -- [inaudible] >> he had other girlfriends. we knew their names and you had met. them she was not someone that he talked about. >> apparently he kept a lot to himself. by the time he was 17, he had

checked into psychiatric facilities a few times, suffering from deep depression. his mom says one time -- by swallowing a bottle of crosser. >> he felt bad. i said, comrade, you have no idea how much you are loved. and appreciated. but he swore that time after that he would never attempt suicide again. >> and things did seem to be getting better. a year later, by june, 2014, conrad had graduated from high school. and urged his captains license. [inaudible] >> i was very proud of him. >> are you feeling good about the place that he's in? >> i felt that he was still struggling. but i feel very, very positive that he wasn't going to do

anything to harm himself. >> it was right around this time when conrad recorded that private video sharing his innermost thoughts. >> i feel like i have a long way to go from recover from the social anxiety. this feeling of insecurity. if i keep talking it's going to get better. >> on july 12th, conrad headed to the beach with his mom and two sisters. lynn vividly remembers walking the shoreline with her son. he seemed in good spirits that. >> we talked about school and he's like, i'm not sure where i am right now in my head. i said, well you just got your captains license. you don't have to wear anything right. now >> he's looking towards the future. >> yeah. >> when they return from the beach, conrad drove his sisters to get ice cream. >> he was laughing. he said something and he was smiling. >> conrad told his mom he was going to his friend's house and wouldn't be back for dinner. but later that night, lynn says

out of the blue her daughter got a text message from someone quite unexpected. >> it was around 10:30 that night, michelle carter is asking where conrad is. and their boyfriend and girlfriend. now >> this was news to lynn. she knew conrad and michelle had only seen each other in person a few times. the next morning, lynn will cup at 5 am and notice conrad was at home. she called around and drove by his friends house but couldn't find him. conrad was missing. >> a sun disappears, a mom worries, and a dad receives a troubling clue. coming up -- >> a family friend said they saw his truck -- >> the news is about to go from bad to worse. >> i said, are you sure? what are you talking about? >> when dateline continues. simparica trio is the first and only monthly chewable

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>> word spread quickly. conrad roy iii was missing. friends were going worried by the hour. [inaudible] >> that evening 24 hours after -- [inaudible] >> my friend said they saw his

truck at k-mart we. >> so you go down there too k-mart. >> and officer found conrad dead behind the wheel of his pick up truck. his dad called lynn to tell her the awful news. >> i couldn't even see. i was like, i felt like i was drugged. i couldn't eat, slept in the slim clothes for days. >> it was the most horrible time of my life. >> the rest of conrad's family was in disbelief. >> i was like, are you sure? what are you talking about? i just saw him. >> just felt like all the blood drain right out of your body body to hear that kind of news. >> detective scott gordon of the fairhaven police department, was assigned to the. case his first impression with suicide by carbon monoxide. >> it was apparent that he placed a water pump in the rear

of his truck and eventually he passed away as a result of the carbon monoxide from that. >> to those who knew conrad best, it didn't make sense. had they miss something? conrad had been getting help, taking medication. and seemed hopeful about his future. his grandmother remembered him using that very pump to help out his dad just days before. >> i could still see that smile on his face. the little smirk that he always had. and >> his father recall the two of them working on a job together a week earlier, setting up fireworks on a barge. >> we were laughing, watching fireworks. he seemed fine. when i left, the last thing i said to him was i love you. and he said i love you. back >> so, his family wondered, what pushed him over the edge. as they struggled with their grief, they got comfort from a surprising source. michelle carter. she reached out to lynn through text messages, consoling her saying conrad loved her very much. did you feel like you are

getting support? or just a connection to conrad somehow? >> absolutely. i told i loved her. she told me so many great things about myself that she had said. i don't know, she was just there for me when i needed her. >> conrad's and also remember getting messages from michelle. >> she sent messages of condolences. she never tried so hard in her life to save someone and that she wishes that she could have saved him. and at the week she came through and introduce yourself. >> i was a little shocked though when she said i'm conrad's girlfriend. it was like, i had no idea. i had never heard her name. >> among conrad's things were goodbye letters he had written to different people. like this one too michelle. >> it was very positive. keep doing what you're doing michelle. keep moving on and doing great things. >> after reading that -- [inaudible] >> weeks after comrade michel

contacted his family to worries awareness. [inaudible] [inaudible] >> scott gordon was sticking around for answers, hoping to discover why conrad my kids taken his life. [inaudible] >> the detective figured there were clues on conrad's cell phone which was found in his truck. and sure enough, when he -powered it up, he discovered a string of text messages left on the phone from just one person.

>> and that was michelle carter. >> he added leaves it all other text conversations with other people? >> correct. >> and when the detective started reading the tax, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. >> it was one of those things where you keep reading and it just keeps getting worse and that's what kind of put everything in motion. >> coming up -- the text messages no one could fathom. >> i had to read them a couple of times to really take it all in. >> words that raised a disturbing question. was this a suicide or something else? >> i close my eyes and i said, this is not real. >> when dateline continues.

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conrad roy's family was reeling from his apparent suicide. -- now investigators were focused on other messages the teen shared. what they uncovered could turn the case on its head. once again here's andrea canning with "reckless". >> two days after conrad roy's death, detective scott gordon of the fairhaven police department had found a clue. and it was a bombshell. a string of text messages from michel carter on conrad's phone. what did you? see >> a series of messages that seem to be encouraging him

to take his own life. >> encouraging him to take his own life? to the detective it was unimaginable. he learned michelle and conrad had been texting, like teenagers do, for almost two years. but a few weeks before his death, something changed. it seemed michelle started a campaign to get conrad to commit suicide. she even had suggestions on how to do it. [inaudible] gordon's partner detective cudmore also worked the case. [inaudible] [inaudible]

[inaudible] [inaudible] >> have you ever seen anything like that in your career as a detective? >> no. >> it was clear to the detectives that conrad had died by his own hand. but was what michel did actually a crime? detective gordon contacted

assistant da maryclare flynn. he said, i want to send you these text messages. if you could please take a look at them. i said sure i will. it was just utterly shocking. >> she checked with katie rayburn, her colleague at the time, and they agreed those text messages warranted further investigation. >> i couldn't believe what was in. them i had to read them a couple of times to really take it all in. >> clearly, it's black and white for you that you know this is wrong. but is it black and white were, going to go forward with this. this is a crime. i mean, i would imagine for you it's complicated. >> yes, and with all investigations is our duty and our responsibility to follow the evidence where it takes us. and so, the evidence was taking us to michelle carter. >> so, for the commonwealth's office told detectives to keep digging. and find out more about michel carter. first reaction when you heard see her picture. >> she's young. she's just a kid. and the words that she was saying in their text messages just did it seem feasible. >> during the investigation,

detective cudmore went undercover. at that fund-raiser, "homers for conrad", he secretly took photos of michels every move. to confirm she was the one who sent those tax he went one step further. he videotaped michelle as he dialed the number he got from conrad's phone. you're watching her? >> yes. >> answering the phone? >> yes. >> that's a good sign. >> we had the right person. >> did you just hang up? >> i let is stay on for a few seconds muted, and then she finally just hung up the phone. i remember calling scott and saying, are we sure we have the right girl? she just seems so normal. >> a few months later, as the investigation continued, detective gordon decided to pay michel carter a visit. he found her after school and approached her. >> michelle, the reason why we came out here is because we were looking into conrad's unfortunate passing. all right? >> and she has no idea? she's been watched. >> she has annoyed. >> did you look surprise? >> a little bit.

but at that point i don't think she understood really, what we had. and where we were going. with it >> at first, michelle told the detectives she tried to top conrad out of suicide. >> how did you help him try and see that suicide was the right thing to do? >> well, i told him a lot of things. i told him that i loved him. >> yeah. >> i told him that a lot of people love to. >> yeah. >> and how, like, without him, nothing would be the same... like, i had personal issues that i got help for... and i told him he should come with me and get that help that he needed. but he refused. he said that no one would be able to help him, and it would make him worse if he got help. >> then that detective asked her about having contact with conrad on the day he died. >> do you think you had contact with him that day? >> i don't think so. >> yeah. >> the detective knew that was a lie. >> we have a search warrant for

your home. okay? [inaudible] >> way, so you're taking my phone? >>,. >> he followed her home and said michelle's parents were very cooperative. they provided ethics with everything we needed. that day we left with her cellphones and her laptop. >> michelle has to know what is going on. but her parents, are they totally in the dark? >> i believe so, absolutely. >> after going through all the evidence, including michel's phone and computer, prosecutors were convinced michelle was criminally responsible for conrad's death. >> words can harm. and you don't have the ability to just say your words aren't criminal, because they're protected by free speech. there's precedent for people that have encouraged others to commit suicide to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. >> what is the law here in this state? and how did a guy? do >> the charge of involuntary

manslaughter involves wanton and reckless conduct. that she could've caused someone's death and did cause someone's death. >> in other words, the prosecution believed michel should have known that encouraging conrad to kill himself could result in dying. prosecutors who now had the difficult task of telling conrad's family what they had uncovered. >> it was just unbelievable. i just kept thinking, she's holding his head underwater. you could tell that he did not want to die. her message is overpowered him. >> i close my eyes and i said, this is not real. [inaudible] >> 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. conrad responded, i don't get it either. -- [inaudible] >> the grand jury indicted

michelle for involuntary manslaughter. she pleaded not guilty. that's when the world heard the story for the first time and the debate began. was conrad's death a suicide or a homicide? >> coming up -- [inaudible] >> why would she do this? >> attention. [inaudible] >> and a trial, michelle makes a stunning decision. [inaudible] >> when dateline continues. more about the moms. they want healthy, affordable options. moms want to save that dough. hold onto that green. enough with the puns! land o'frost premium. fresh look. same great taste. pain? yeah. here. aspercreme with max-strength* lidocaine. works fast and lasts. keep it. you're gonna need it.

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[inaudible] >> now back to dateline. i'm natalie morales. michelle carter -- the evidence [inaudible] chilling text messages michelle sent conrad urging him to kill himself. now the case was headed to trial. but could prosecutors prove what she had done was a crime? once again here's andrea canning with "reckless". >> michel carter was facing involuntary manslaughter charges for doing something teenagers do all the time, texting and calling each other. and the world was watching. prosecutors maryclare flynn and katie rayburn understood why.

>> this affects everybody. adults, teenagers, even parents with kids who don't even have phones yet. >> absolutely. i think it's good to be thinking about what you're putting out there in the world. because what wants to send it, you can't take it. back >> turn the gears. >> prosecutors believed [inaudible] caused a vulnerable conrad to kill himself. he described his fragile state in that video diary. >> racing thoughts. suicidal thoughts. flashbacks of hard times. >> and prosecutors learned michelle did more than send text messages to conrad. as deadly carbon monoxide filled the cabin of his truck, michelle was talking to him on the phone. >> there were two phone calls after the last text message. one from him to her, 41 minutes. the one from her to him, for over 42 minutes. >> but how would they ever know what was said on those calls?

detectives -- [inaudible] and they got their answer. >> lo and behold on her phone, there were text messages to her friends describing what that phone conversation was like. >> the detectives says a message sent her friend samantha boardman explained it all. >> sam, his death is my fault. like honestly, i could have stopped him. i was on the phone with him and he got out of the car because it was working and he got scared. and i told him to get back in. >> [inaudible] went to read that it was really disturbing. >> prosecutor flynn sends another text message to that friend made a clear michel knew what she had done was wrong. >> she said, sam, i just found out from his mother that detectives have some of his things and are going through them to see if anybody texting or encouraged him. they read my text messages with him and i'm done. his family will heat me. >> and that's what was at stake

on june 5th, 2017. almost three years after conrad roy's death. at the bristol county courthouse in taunton, massachusetts, michelle carter went on trial. >> miss carter, take the witness stand. please >> the drama began almost immediately. instead of having the case could be for the jury, michelle at the last minute choose who let a judge to decide her fate. >> are you doing that of your own free will? >> yes. >> in her opening statement, flynn drew a straight line from michel carter's badgering and bullying, to conrad's death in the truck that. night >> she assisted and devised and advice and planned a suicide. she reasoned him out of his reservations. she told him that once he was dead he would be free and happy. >> he kept saying to her, i don't want to do this. it would hurt my family. she kept saying, don't worry about them. all the fears that he brought up, she had a reason to go around them and convince him that those things weren't real.

>> there are people who are going to say, everyone is responsible for themselves. you know, he made that decision to do that. >> but the personal responsibility is something is important. that being said, it was clear from the text messages, especially her text message where she said for him to get back in the car. he didn't want to do. it >> the commonwealth sam boardman on the stand to read that incriminating message. and another one in which michel described listening to conrad die. >> sam, he just called me and there was a loud noise like a motor. and i heard morning like someone was in pain. and he wouldn't answer when i said his name. i stayed on the phone for 20 minutes and that's all i heard. i think he just killed himself. >> but as the trial continued, there was a nagging question. why would she do this? >> she wanted the attention. when her friends were not hanging out with her, are not spending time with her, she would say things and do things to try to get their attention.

she wanted them to be friends with her. >> it was a shocking theory. prosecutors were basically saying michelle convinced conrad to kill himself so she could be popular. [inaudible] they pointed out a text exchange he had with conrad shortly before he died. >> she says, am i or girlfriend? he talks about something else. she goes no, am i or girlfriend. i need to know. sort of like to tell people. so, i think she wanted confirmation of the label before he died. >> a day before his death, prosecutors say michelle tested out her plan of being the grieving girlfriend. she texted sam boardman, i'm losing hope -- [inaudible] >> the generator will work 100 percent and quick. i don't get what you don't just use. that >> she's telling her friends that he's missing, he might if committed suicide. when she knows exactly where he is. she's talking to him. >> and she made sure to

instruct him before he denied that he she he should write her suicide letter. and his last tweet should be to her. because she wanted to get a shout-out from him. >> yes. >> the commonwealth [inaudible] -- like this one. -- did you do? something conrad, i love you so much. please tell me this is a joke. and she continued sending text to his phone for months. nearly 80 of them. the prosecution argued she deliberately sent the tax as a way to change your story. at the time, i went along with it because i knew you were going to do anything. but you -- did it. and i'm so sorry i didn't save you. it was agonizing for conrad's families to sit in the courtroom and here these new details. >> it was pretty shocking. a lot of it doesn't seem. real >> view believe in your heart that it was criminal, what she did? >> i do.

for someone that's in that fragile state, and then you persuade them in the worse way possible, yeah, it definitely is criminal. >> lynn says her son's own words before a month before she died he died, shows he wanted to live. >> i want to recover from this. i feel like i haven't recovered from it yet. i do have a lot going for me. i just got a job to captain about. like, that's a huge accomplishment. >> but there was another side to this story. michelle's. and her lawyer was certain the law was on her side. >> it's a tragedy. it's horrible. but it's just not criminal. >> the defense digs into text messages the prosecution did not share in court. was michelle really trying to prevent con rights suicide? coming up -- >> go to mclean hospital hospital. they will help. you >> michele carter was

trying to talk him out of. it >> as very different take on michelle. >> michelle for a year and a half try to persuade him not to commit suicide. >> when dateline continues. you'll find better bedtime stories. you'll find a better life is in store at miracle-ear, when you experience the exclusive miracle-ear advantage. it starts with our free hearing assessment. plus innovative products that fit your needs and budget. with free service and adjustments for life. we're so confident we can improve your life, we're offering a 30-day risk-free trial. call 1-800-miracle today and experience the miracle-ear advantage for yourself. ever notice how stiff clothes call 1-800-miracle today and experience can feel rough on your skin? for softer clothes that are gentle on your skin, try downy free & gentle

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pressured vulnerable call rad, -- she craved attention. the defense team was about a counter contending that michelle was no callous killer. she was a victim. continuing here is andrea. >> it wasn't easy for an macfarlane to sit in the courtroom and hear michel described as a monster. to him michel was anything but. >> there was the michelle you know? >> she was quick, it helpful, very friendly, got along with everybody, and everyone seem to get along with her. in her senior class for superlative was -- the other would always be somebody at the game. having to recover with anything. >> he's been supportive of her family.

>> joked, although michelle tierney agrees it is a slippery slope. they think it might be a mistake. >> this is a prosecution. from day one until this day i said i don't think that a crime was committed. >> massachusetts has no law against encouraging suicide. >> right. so it's troubling that they would bring up manslaughter. >> that was the basis of his whole argument. prosecutors misinterpreting massachusetts law. to him this was clearly a suicide, this is why he wanted a judge, not a jury to hear the case. i thought that the judge would apply the correct law on the facts that can read was so suicidal that michelle didn't cause his death. >> that's how he began his opening statement. michelle was not present.

michelle had been texting with him. she did not physically see this individual for over one year. to bolster his case, michelle's lawyer introduced a set of text messages that the prosecution had not mentioned. once were she tried repeatedly to help comrade, we thought about getting professional help. like i think i'm gonna go away to a place for my eating disorder dominic overcome it and stuff. >> were you going? >> it's called a mclain hospital in belle not mask. i honestly think it would be so bad for you and we will get through our issues together. >> michelle was trying to get him out of it. go to mclean off hospital. they will help you. she had nothing but resistance from comrade roy. >> one of the main points of your argument was that comrade roy had tried this before,. he had researched very supposed to take his own life. that this was not something that was just created by michel carter. >> right, michelle for a year

and a half always tried to persuade him not to commit suicide. he always rejected her thoughts of staying alive. it wasn't until literally the last two weeks of his life were michelle finally endorsed his plan. >> i think that's where people have the biggest problem with this case is why. why would she encourage him? and she's supposed to be his brand. >> well she came to the realization that he did not want to live anymore. that he would only heater. his words. i will only hate you if you tell somebody about my plan. >> while the prosecution prosecuted michelle carter as an attention seeker, the defense portrayed her as a victim who was taking at the depressants for her own mental health issues and was in no shape to help suicidal friend. >> the facts will show that michelle is going through her own struggles. >> she was bombarded by his suicidal thinking. so you take that, and then you mix in her own issues that she

was struggling with, eating disorder and then eventually being diagnosed with a major depressive disorder herself. >> the defense called it at the expert witness, peter to the stand, he testified the antidepressants that she was taking impaired her judgment. >> she was enmeshed in a delusional system where she is thinking that it is a good thing to help him die. >> he also testified that he believed that comrade was in charge of the relationship, and that he is the vulnerable and depressed michelle to help him to commit suicide. >> i was constantly telling michelle and not telling his other friends will you help me. >> the biggest hurdle for the defense it seemed was michelle's admission of guilt to her friend, sam. >> if you hire a statement that she texted she said it is my fault. i told them to get back in.

but then it continues to say but i did not think that he was ultimately going to do it. i wanted him to get help. i feel so badly about this. >> on one hand you are saying that she didn't think that he was going to get back in. she wanted him to get help but on the other hand you are saying that she was kind of had sort of succumb to when you get him, help he should do it if he wants to do it so badly. >> she was all over the place. she was both. >> as for michelle's motive that she was an attention seeker he says that they got it all wrong. it was a fabricated motive. they want to create a motive because they could not take the true motive that she was suffering herself and was convinced by comrade to endorse his plan because that's what's happened. >> does michelle know how bad she looks to people who don't know the side of the story or who are not seen this way? >> at the age of 17 she did not understand. >> to him, a shell was anything

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michelle carter's trial expert heated debates in legal circles and living rooms across the globe. she was charged with causing the death of comrade roy. the controversial case hinged on a question. would carter have carried out his suicide plan without michelle some courage meant? a judge was about to render his verdict. here's andrew with a conclusion. >> after six days of testimony, both sides had their final say. >> she could've called for help. [inaudible] the current was quiet as he began.

and so -- [inaudible] >> undertaken stepped on his life by putting the water trump in his car. so there was one moment where he changed his mind. >> however he breaks the chain of self causation by exiting the vehicle. he takes himself out of the toxic environment that it has become. >> it was then he believed michel became a party to his death. what's more the judge said, she had a duty to save him. >> she called no one and finally she did not issue a single additional instruction. get out of the truck. miss carter please stand. a terrible michelle before the

judge to hear her fate. >> having reviewed the evidence and applied the law to not find you guilty on the indictment charging you with the involuntary manslaughter of comrade right the third. >> how did it here to feel that word? guilty. after everything he had been there. >> i was surprised actually. there needs to be an example set. you just can't allow that behavior to continue. >> we were happy. but then going home that night driving home we were like ok. that did not bring the piece that i really was hoping for. >> there were no winners. just heartbreak for two families. >> i felt it was a tragedy now that's been cam bounded. >> nothing is going to help us. no healing is going to happen. >> almost seven weeks later michelle arrived back at the courthouse to a media circus to hear her sentence. she faced a maximum of 20 years in prison. >> you made a recommendation.

>> yes. 7 to 12 years. >> the defense ask for a probation. >> she regrets what happened. she also sent a letter where she accepts responsibility for her actions. >> then the judge sentenced her. >> the court now sentences you to two and a half years in the grip and house of corrections. 15 months of such symptoms will be deemed a committed sentence. >> 15 months behind bars. but before michel could be left away in handcuffs her lawyer requested that she remain free pending an appeal. the judge agreed. >> i continue to be encouraged that this will be a successful appeal. >> your eyes are watering. is this because your motion about this? >> i'm passionate about it. i'm passionate about it. i don't like when courts make new law and apply it to a 17 year old girl who has

psychiatric issues herself. >> so this one hurt. >> i would hurt. >> in october 2018 michelle carter's appeal went before the massachusetts supreme judicial court. four months later the court upheld her conviction saying the evidence against the defendant proved by her wanton or reckless conduct, she calls the victims death by suicide. nichelle began serving her sentence in 2019 and after just a year behind bars in january of 2020 she was granted early release for credit arm for good behavior. >> i feel worse for her mother than i do for myself. >> that's a powerful statement. >> your son died. >> yes but i had this on that i did. and i couldn't be more proud of the young man that he was. kind. selfless. compassionate.

everything. >> comrades mom says this is a hard story to tell but she hopes shearing it will help others. >> there are children in this world just like conroe did i can't even imagine anything like this happening again. that's all for this edition of dateline. i'm natalie morales. thank you for watching. k you for watching there was a party. there was a uk football player that have been shot. >> he's killed on his birthday. it's like a two? that can't happen. why him? >> that once a thing. >> they said it's dark. nobody noticeable comes from. >> nothing is making it easier. >> if you don't have amount of it's hard to know with the russians. ago >> we were just never going to know.