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doesn't get any better than that. the great city wonder serenading you for your birthday. happy birthday, madam vice president. and that's it for me. thanks for watching. i'll be back next saturday and sunday at 6:00 p.m. eastern. follow us on all major platforms using at weekend capehart. scan the qr code on your screen to follow us as a podcast. i've ever met in my life. he was definitely god's gift to me. andrea canning: a beloved teenage boy who disappeared. conrad roy jr: they saw his truck with caution tape around it. the police told my father that he was gone. i was like, are you sure? what are you talking about? andrea canning: grieving alongside his family,

his girlfriend. she sent messages of condolences. we all need to be strong together. she gave me a lot of support, just there for me when i needed her. andrea canning: but was there something about these two that no one knew? what are you seeing? a series of messages. i had to read them a couple of times to really sort of take it all in. utterly shocking. andrea canning: a trail of text messages leading to the darkest of discoveries. keeping all the lies straight is difficult. she did it masterfully. that's not normal. i closed my eyes, and i said, this is not real. andrea canning: a twist no one saw coming in a story every parent needs to see. we need to know what's going on in our kids' lives because it can be very scary when we don't. hello and welcome to "dateline." 18-year-old conrad roy battled depression and anxiety but seemed to be finding his way. he was headed to college and excited about his new job.

then one night, the massachusetts teenager vanished. turns out, conrad had a dark secret, one he shared with someone close to him. what that confidant did and did not do next would shatter two families. here is "reckless." andrea canning: it began as a chance encounter between two teens on vacation. she was a family friend that he met in florida. andrea canning: and ended two years later with one of them dead. he was smiling before he left the house, and then he was dead a few hours after. andrea canning: an apparent suicide. he didn't seem like he was in any imminent danger? no, not at all. andrea canning: but there was danger from something teens do all 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-- you're watching her?

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

and my dad brought him on the tugboat. i just wanted to have him to follow in my footsteps. i was hoping he'd be like-- just, you know, take over the business someday. andrea canning: not only was conrad the first born in the roy family, he was also the first grandchild. his aunt chrissy roy says his cousins adored him. my youngest henry would follow him around like a duck. he was the cousin that all of the kids looked up to. andrea canning: 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 16 at the time? yeah, and going through the hormones. and he obviously had anxiety and depression. it just manifested at that time. andrea canning: he talked about it in this video diary. i feel like i'm differently wired from everyone else, like there's something wrong with me. andrea canning: it was at 16 while struggling with anxiety

and depression that conrad encountered a 15-year-old girl named michelle carter. they met, conrad's grandmother says, when conrad and his sisters went to florida to visit family. and this was just supposed to be some r&r? yeah, a week during school vacation. her grandparents were friends with our great aunt. and his sister camdyn was like, oh, my brother met a girl. and the three of them all hung out with her for just a short while. andrea canning: when they returned from florida, conrad and michelle continued to stay in touch through text messages. michelle lived in plainville, massachusetts, about an hour away from conrad. the two had a lot in common. she was a softball player. he played baseball. friends described both of them as quiet and funny. and even though the two communicated regularly, conrad's and becky says he never mentioned michelle. he had other girlfriends where, you know, you knew their names, and you had met them. she was not someone that he talked about. andrea canning: 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 on the day he was discharged, he attempted suicide by swallowing a bottle of cough syrup. he felt bad. i said, conrad, you have no idea how much you are loved and appreciated. but he swore at that time after that, he would never attempt suicide again. andrea canning: and things did seem to be getting better. a year later, by june 2014, conrad had graduated from high school, gotten a scholarship to college, and earned his captain's license. that must have been a really big day, conrad getting his captain's license. - it was. you know, 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 felt very, very positive that he wasn't going to do

anything to harm himself. andrea canning: it was right around this time when conrad recorded that private video sharing his innermost thoughts. i feel like i still have a long way to go to recover from this social anxiety-- this feeling of in security. if i keep talking, keep talking, it's going to get better. andrea canning: on july 12, 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 day. we talked about school. and he was like, i'm not sure where i am right now in my head. i said, well, you just got your captain's license. you don't have to worry about anything right now. he's looking toward the future. yeah. andrea canning: when they returned from the beach, conrad drove his sisters to get ice cream. he was laughing. i said something, and he was smiling. andrea canning: 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 they're boyfriend and girlfriend now. andrea canning: this was news to lynn. she knew conrad and michelle had only seen each other in person a few times. the next morning, lynn woke up at 5:00 am and noticed conrad wasn't home. she called around and drove by his friend's house, but couldn't find him. conrad was missing. a son disappears. a mom worries. and a dad receives a troubling clue. coming up-- conrad roy jr: a family friend said they saw his truck with caution tape around it. andrea canning: the news is about to go from bad to worse. i was like, are you sure? what are you talking about? andrea canning: when "dateline" continues.

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♪ upbeat music ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ andrea canning: word spread quickly. conrad roy iii was missing. his family and friends, growing more frantic by the hour, searched everywhere for him. by mid-morning, his mom decided to call 911. that evening, about 24 hours after conrad left his house,

his father got a call. a family friend said they saw his truck at k-mart with caution tape around it. so you go down there to kmart. mm-hmm. and i think the police told my father that he was gone. andrea canning: an officer found conrad dead behind the wheel of his pickup truck. his dad called lynn to tell her the awful news. i couldn't even see. i was like-- felt like i was drugged. i couldn't eat, slept in the same clothes for days. it was most horrible time in my life. andrea canning: 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 just drained right out of your body to hear that kind of news. andrea canning: detective scott gordon of the fairhaven police department was assigned to the case. his first impression was suicide by carbon monoxide.

scott gordon: 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. andrea canning: to those who knew conrad best, it didn't make sense. had they missed 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 can still see that smile on his face, the little smirky smile that he always had. andrea canning: and his father recalled the two of them working on a job together a week earlier, setting up fireworks on a barge. conrad roy jr: we were laughing. we were 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. andrea canning: 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 were getting support or just a connection to conrad somehow? oh, absolutely. and i told her i loved her. she told me so many great things about myself that he had said. i don't know. she was just there for me when i needed her. andrea canning: conrad's aunts also remember getting messages from michelle. she had sent messages of condolences and that she never tried so hard in her life to save someone and that she wishes that she could have saved him. and at the wake, she came through and introduced herself. i was a little shocked, though, when she said i'm conrad's girlfriend. i was like, i had no idea. never heard of her name. andrea canning: among conrad's things were goodbye letters he'd written to different people, like this one to michelle. it was very positive. keep doing what you're doing, michelle. keep moving on and doing great things. after reading this letter, you must have thought, oh, conrad and michelle really had a special friendship that he wrote her this letter. yeah, i was very happy that she was in his life.

i thanked her for being there for him. andrea canning: just weeks after conrad died, michelle contacted his family, saying she wanted to raise awareness for suicide prevention by organizing a baseball tournament, homers for conrad. i was thinking, wow, this is really impressive. here's a teenager, a high school senior, and she's only a month later starting to plan to this large fundraiser. andrea canning: conrad's whole family showed up. his aunt chrissy was impressed with michelle, then just 17. i went up to her parents at that fundraiser, and i said, you must be so proud of your daughter. she's quite an amazing girl. andrea canning: unbeknownst to the family, back in fairhaven, detective gordon was digging around for answers, hoping to discover why conrad might have taken his own life. i just found it odd that an 18-year-old would do it in that manner. andrea canning: 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 a thread with michelle carter. he had deleted all other text conversations with other people? correct. andrea canning: and when the detectives started reading the texts, 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's kind of put everything in motion. andrea canning: coming up, the text messages no one could fathom. i had to read them a couple of times to really sort of take it all in. andrea canning: words that raised a disturbing question, was this a suicide or something else? and i closed my eyes, and i said, this is not real. andrea canning: when "dateline" continues. to my son, i've never been the cool dad. i always wanted to know what he's up to online. but with tiktok's privacy settings being on by default for teens under 16, accounts are set to private. he cannot send or receive dm's, and only his friends can comment.

so he can post away, and i've got one less thing, to worry about. so, dad, how old do you have to be to get a tattoo? uh, um. teen safety settings on by default. ♪♪

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let's power on! let's power on! -let's power on! it's from the company with 99.9% network reliability. plus advanced security. let's power on! power on with the leader in connectivity. powering possibilities. comcast business. power's out. welcome back. conrad roy's family was reeling from his apparent suicide. the teenager left goodbye letters, including

one to michelle carter. now investigators were focused on other messages the teens shared. what they uncovered would turn the case on its head. back now to "reckless." andrea canning: 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 michelle carter on conrad's phone. what are you seeing? scott gordon: it was a series of messages that seemed to be encouraging him to take his own life. andrea canning: 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 gave him suggestions on how to do it.

gordon's partner detective glenn cudmore also worked the case. glenn cudmore: i remember when he was looking at it, it was something to the effect of, i can't believe what i'm reading. what kinds of things was she saying? things like, you promised me. when are you going to do it? why haven't you done it? yet you disappointed me. yeah. i'll take care of your family. andrea canning: the detectives pored over thousands of text messages. and the more they read, the more disturbed they became, like this exchange in the early morning hours before conrad died. "you can't think about it. you just have to do it. you said you were going to do it. like, i get why you aren't." conrad responded, "i don't get it either. i don't know." carter typed back, "so i guess you aren't going to do it then. all that for nothing. i'm just confused. like, you were so ready and determined." conrad wrote back, "i am going to eventually. i really don't know what i'm waiting for, but i have everything lined up."

and this one on the morning of his death, "ok, i'm going to do it today." "do you promise?" "i promise, babe. i have to now." "like, right now?" "where do i go?" "and you can't break a promise. and just go in a quiet parking lot or something." have you ever seen anything like that in your career as a detective? - no. no. andrea canning: it was clear to the detectives that conrad had died by his own hand. but was what michelle did actually a crime? detective gordon contacted assistant da maryclare flynn. maryclare flynn: he said, i want to send you these text messages, if you could please just take a look at them. and i said, sure, i will. and it was just utterly shocking. andrea canning: 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 sort of take it all in. clearly, it's black and white for you that you know this is wrong. but is it black and white, we're 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, it's our duty and our responsibility to follow the evidence where it takes us. and so the evidence was taking us to michelle carter. andrea canning: so the commonwealth's office told detectives to keep digging and find out more about michelle carter. first reaction when you see her picture? she's young. she's just a kid. and the words that she was saying in their text messages, it just didn't seem feasible. andrea canning: during the investigation, detective cudmore went undercover. at that fundraiser, homers for conrad, he secretly took photos of michelle's every move. to confirm she was the one who sent those texts, he went one step further. he videotaped michelle as he dialed the number he got from conrad's phone. and you're watching her-- glenn cudmore: yes. andrea canning: --answering the phone? glenn cudmore: yes. andrea canning: that's a good sign. glenn cudmore: yes, that we had the right person. did you just hang up? let it stay on for a few seconds, muted.

and then she finally just hung up the phone. and i remember calling scott and saying, are we sure we have the right girl? she just seems so normal. andrea canning: a few months later as the investigation continued, detective gordon decided to pay michelle carter a visit. he found her after school and approached her. and she has no idea she's been watched? she has no idea. does she look surprised? a little bit. but, you know, at that point, i don't think she understood really what we had and where we were going with it. andrea canning: at first, michelle told the detective she tried to talk conrad out of suicide.

then the detective asked her about having contact with conrad on the day he died. the detective knew that was a lie. when we took her phone, i think she started to understand a little bit that we were looking a little more further into it than she expected. andrea canning: he followed her home and says michelle's parents were very cooperative. scott gordon: and they provided us with everything we needed. and that day we left with her cell phone and her laptop. michelle has to know what's going on. but her parents, are they totally in the dark?

yeah, i believe so, absolutely. andrea canning: after going through all the evidence, including michelle'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 are criminal because they're protected by free speech. and 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 it guide you? well, the charge of involuntary manslaughter, it involves wanton and reckless conduct, that she could have caused someone's death and did cause someone's death. andrea canning: in other words, the prosecution believed michelle should have known that encouraging conrad to kill himself could result in him dying. prosecutors 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 under water. you could tell that he did not want to die. her message is overpowered him.

lynn roy: i closed my eyes, and i said, this is not real. how can someone have an involvement in someone's death and only encouraged it? did you just feel like you'd been duped? she's been consoling you this whole time. i'm a very forgiving person. and the only thing i can say about the ways that she was with me is that she's just really, really not well. andrea canning: 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, a jaw-dropping theory about motive. why would she do this? she wanted the attention. andrea canning: and at trial, michelle makes a stunning decision.

judge moniz: are you doing that only and voluntarily? yes. andrea canning: is it a choice she'll regret? when "dateline" continues. ♪♪ stay ahead of your moderate-to-severe eczema. and show off clearer skin and less itch with dupixent, the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your eczema specialist about dupixent.

hi, i'm richard liu with a news update. massive grid failures. the island is also dealing with the affects of hurricane oscar. the category one storm made landfall saturday evening. the new york liberty are wnba champions. the founding franchise won their first title in their nearly 30-year history defeating the minnesota lynx in an overtime thriller. jones was named finals mvp. for now, back to dateline. the evidence?

chilling text messages michelle sent conrad, who struggled with depression, urging him to kill himself. now the case was headed to trial. but could prosecutors prove what she'd done was a crime? we now return to "reckless." andrea canning: michelle 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 once you send it, you can't take it back. turn the gears. andrea canning: prosecutors believed michelle's words and actions caused a vulnerable conrad to kill himself. he described his fragile state in that video diary. racing thoughts, suicidal thoughts

and flashbacks of hard times. andrea canning: and prosecutors learned michelle did more than send text messages to conrad. as deadly carbon monoxide filled the cab 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, and then one from her to him for over 42 minutes. andrea canning: but how would they ever know what was said on those calls? detectives pored over thousands of text messages, and they got their answer. glenn cudmore: but lo and behold, on her phone, there was text messages to her friends describing what that phone conversation was like. andrea canning: the detective says a message michelle 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 [bleep] told him to get back in."

and as much as we were in shock about her language prior to that, once we read that, that was really disturbing. andrea canning: prosecutor flynn says another text message to that friend made it clear michelle knew what she'd done was wrong. she said, sam, from his mother that the detectives have some of his things and are going through them to see if anybody texted him or encouraged him. they read my text messages with him, and i'm done. his family will hate me, and i could go to jail. andrea canning: and that's what was at stake on june 5, 2017, almost three years after conrad roy's death. at the bristol county courthouse in taunton, massachusetts, michelle carter went on trial. judge moniz: i would like miss carter to take the witness stand please. andrea canning: the drama began almost immediately. instead of having the case go before a jury, michelle, at the last minute, chose to let a judge decide her fate. judge moniz: are you doing that of your own free will, knowingly and voluntarily? yes.

judge moniz: all right. andrea canning: in her opening statement, flynn drew a straight line from michelle carter's badgering and bullying to conrad's death in the truck that night. maryclare flynn: she assisted, and devised, and advised, and planned his 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 that to her, i don't want to do this. it would hurt my family. and 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's responsible for themselves. he made that decision to do that. i think personal responsibility is something that's very important. that being said, it was clear from the text messages, especially her text message to sam boardman where she said she told me get back in the car, he didn't want to do it. andrea canning: the commonwealth put sam boardman on the stand to read that incriminating message and another one in which michelle described

listening to conrad die. sam boardman: "sam, he just called me, and there was a loud noise like a motor. and i heard moaning like someone was in pain. and he wouldn't answer when i said his name. i stayed on the phone for, like, 20 minutes, and that's all i heard. i think he just killed himself." andrea canning: but as the trial continued, there was a nagging question. why would she do this? because she wanted the attention. when her friends were not hanging out with her or 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. andrea canning: it was a shocking theory. prosecutors were basically saying michelle convinced conrad to kill himself so she could be popular. they believed her plan was to get attention by being the grieving girlfriend. they pointed out a text exchange she had with conrad shortly before he died. she says, am i your girlfriend? and he talks about something else. she goes, no, am i your girlfriend? i need to know to tell people. so i think she wanted confirmation of the label

before he died. andrea canning: 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. i think he really did it," even though she knew conrad was alive. three minutes later, she texted conrad, "the generator will work 100% and quick. i don't get why you just don't use that." she's telling her friends that he's missing, he might have committed suicide, when she knows exactly where she is. she's talking to him. and then she made sure to instruct him before he did die that he should write her a suicide letter and that his last tweet should be to her because she wanted to get a shout out from him. yes. andrea canning: the commonwealth also claimed michelle tried to cover her tracks by sending conrad text messages after she knew he was dead, like this one the day after his suicide. "did you do something? conrad, i love you so much. please tell me this is a joke." and she continued sending texts

to his phone for months, nearly 80 of them. the prosecution argued she deliberately sent the texts as a way to change her story. "at the time, i went along with it because i knew you weren't going to do anything, but you [bleep] did it, and i'm so sorry i didn't save you." it was agonizing for conrad's family to sit in the courtroom and hear these new details. it was pretty shocking. a lot of times, it doesn't seem real. do you believe in your heart that it was criminal which she did? i do. for someone that's in that fragile state, and then you persuade them in the worst way possible, yeah, it definitely is criminal. social anxiety to me-- andrea canning: lynn says her son's own words a month before he died show he wanted to live. i want to recover from this, and i feel like i haven't recovered from it yet. i do have a lot going for me. i just got a job from the boston duck tours to captain their boat. like, that's a huge accomplishment."

andrea canning: but there was another side to the 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 conrad's suicide? coming up, go to mclean hospital. they will help you. michelle carter was trying to talk him out of it. andrea canning: a very different take on michelle. michelle, for a year and a half, tried to persuade him not to commit suicide. andrea canning: when "dateline" continues. alright, we got your home and auto bundled and you saved hundreds. oh, that's nice, with the economy and all. what's the economy? [chuckling] where do we start? what isn't the economy? yes. [ laughter ]

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without talking to your doctor. welcome back. michelle carter was on trial for involuntary manslaughter. prosecutors portrayed her as a calculating bully who pressured a vulnerable conrad roy into killing himself because she craved attention. but the defense team was about to counter, contending that michelle was no callous killer. she was a victim. continuing now with "reckless." andrea canning: it wasn't easy for ed mcfarland to sit in the courtroom and hear michelle carter described as a monster. to him, michelle was anything but. who's the michelle you knew? she was a quiet kid, helpful, very friendly, got along with everybody, and everybody seemed to get along with her. in her senior class, or superlative was the kid most likely to brighten your day. andrea canning: ed was her softball coach.

he'd known the carter family for years. were these the kind of parents that came to every game? yeah. there would always be somebody at the game. if you needed somebody to do something, you didn't have to ask them twice if you needed help with anything. andrea canning: he's been supportive of michelle and her family and was outraged she was ever charged. ed mcfarland: it's a travesty. she wasn't there. and we've gone down a slippery slope here if somebody being on the phone talking about committing suicide can be held to involuntary manslaughter. andrea canning: joe cataldo, michelle's attorney, agrees it's a slippery slope. he thinks the commonwealth made a mistake. joe cataldo: this is an overreach of the prosecution. and from day one until this day i sit here, i don't think a crime was committed. massachusetts has no law against encouraging suicide. right. and so it's troubling that they would bring a manslaughter. andrea canning: that was the basis of his whole argument, prosecutors misinterpreting massachusetts law. to him, this was clearly a suicide. that's why he wanted a judge, not a jury, to hear the case.

joe cataldo: i thought the judge would apply the correct law on the facts, that conrad roy was just so suicidal that michelle carter did not cause his death. andrea canning: and that's how he began his opening statement. joe cataldo: michelle carter was not present. michelle carter had been texting with him. she did not physically see this individual for over one year. andrea canning: and to bolster his case, michelle's lawyer introduced a set of text messages that the prosecution had not mentioned, ones where she tried repeatedly to help conrad. "have you thought about getting professional help? like, i think i'm going to go away to a place for my eating disorder to help me overcome it and stuff." "where are you going?" "it's called mclean hospital in belmont, mass. i honestly think it would be so good for you, and we would get through our issues together." joe cataldo: michelle carter was trying to talk him out of it. go to mclean hospital. they will help you.

she had nothing but resistance from conrad roy. andrea canning: one of the main points of your argument was that conrad roy had tried this before. he had researched various ways to take his own life, that this was not something that was just created by michelle carter. joe cataldo: 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 when 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 friend. well, she came to the realization that he didn't want to live anymore, that he would only hate her. his words, i will only hate you if you tell somebody about my plan. andrea canning: while the prosecution presented michelle carter as an attention seeker, the defense portrayed her as a victim who was taking

antidepressants for her own mental health issues and was in no shape to help a suicidal friend. the facts will show that michelle carter 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. andrea canning: the defense called an expert witness, psychiatrist dr. peter breggin to the stand. he testified the antidepressants that michelle was taking impaired her judgment. she was enmeshed in a delusional system of-- judge moniz: i'm sorry she was what? enmeshed in really a delusion where she's thinking that it's a good thing to help him die. andrea canning: breggin also testified that he believed conrad was in control of the relationship and that he used the vulnerable and depressed michelle to help him commit suicide. he was constantly telling michelle--

and not telling his other friends-- will you help me? andrea canning: the biggest hurdle for the defense, it seemed, was michelle's admission of guilt to her friend sam. joe cataldo: if you actually read the entire statement that she texted, she said, it's my fault. i told them to get back in. but then it continues to say, but i didn't think he was going to ultimately do it. i wanted him to get help. i feel so badly about this. but on one hand, you're saying, she didn't think he was going to get back in. she wanted him to get help. and then on the other hand, though, you're saying that she had succumbed to, ok, i'm going to help him. he should do it if he wants to do it that badly. joe cataldo: right. so which-- she was all over the place. she was both. andrea canning: as for michelle's alleged motive, that she was an attention seeker, cataldo says the prosecution got it all wrong. joe cataldo: it was a fabricated motive. they wanted to create a motive because they couldn't take the true motive that she was suffering herself

and was convinced by conrad roy to endorse his plan because that's what happened. does michelle know how bad she looks to people who don't know this side of the story or who are not seeing it this way? at the age of 17, she didn't understand all the ramifications of what was going on. now, looking back at the circumstances, she's a totally different person. andrea canning: the trial was winding to a close. each side would get a final word, and then the judge's dramatic ruling. coming up, the judge prepares to deliver his verdict. judge moniz: i expect decorum today. i thought that was a very good sign. andrea canning: when "dateline" continues. i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. thanks to skyrizi, i'm on my way with clearer skin. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. and skyrizi is just 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses.

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dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. tell your doctor right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines including steroids, without talking to your doctor. ask your specialist about dupixent.

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better than getting low speeds for high prices. right, bruce? -jealous? yeah, look at that. -honestly. someone get a helmet on this guy. xfinity internet customers, ask how to get an unlimited line free for a year. plus, a free samsung galaxy s24 fe. welcome back. michelle carter's trial had sparked heated debates in legal circles and living rooms across the globe. she was charged with causing the death of conrad roy. the controversial case hinged on a thorny question, would conrad have carried out his suicide plan without michelle's encouragement? a judge was about to render his verdict. here is the conclusion of "reckless." andrea canning: after six days of testimony, both sides had their final say. what we're dealing with is a suicide and not a homicide. she could have easily called for help, and she didn't.

andrea canning: it took juvenile court judge lawrence moniz three days to reach his verdict. the packed courtroom was quiet as he began reading his decision. judge moniz: the commonwealth has not proven as to that time period that said reckless or wanton behavior caused the death of mr. roy. andrea canning: michelle looked relieved. the judge declared the prosecution did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that her texts caused conrad's death. and so i thought that was a very good sign. andrea canning: but the judge wasn't finished. while he acknowledged conrad had taken steps to end his life by placing the water pump in his truck, he said there was that one moment when conrad changed his mind. judge moniz: however, he breaks that chain of self-causation by exiting the vehicle. he takes himself out of the toxic environment that it has become. andrea canning: it was then, he believed, michelle

became a party to his death. what's more, the judge said, she had a duty to save him. judge moniz: she called no one. and finally, she did not issue a simple additional instruction, get out of the truck. miss carter, please stand. andrea canning: a tearful michelle stood before the judge to hear her fate. judge moniz: having reviewed the evidence and applied the law thereto, now find you guilty on the indictment charging you with the involuntary manslaughter of conrad roy iii. andrea canning: how did it feel hearing that word "guilty" after everything you've been through? lynn roy: 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, it was like, ok. it didn't bring the peace i really was hoping for. andrea canning: there were no winners, just heartbreak for two families. ed mcfarland: i felt it was a tragedy now

that it's been compounded. nothing's going to help anything out of this. there's no healing going to happen. andrea canning: 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 your recommendation? yes. seven to 12 years. andrea canning: the defense asked for probation. ed mcfarland: miss carter does regret what happened. she also sent a letter where she accepts responsibility for her actions. andrea canning: then, the judge sentenced her. judge moniz: court now sentences you to two and a half years in the bristol county house of correction. 15 months of said sentence shall be deemed a committed sentence. andrea canning: 15 months behind bars. but before michelle could be led away in handcuffs, her lawyer requested she be allowed to remain free pending an appeal. the judge agreed. joe cataldo: i continue to be encouraged that this

will be a successful appeal. your eyes are watering. is that because you're emotional 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. andrea canning: so this one hurt? oh, it hurt. andrea canning: 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 that, by her wanton or reckless conduct, she caused the victim's death by suicide." michelle began serving her sentence in february 2019. and after just under a year behind bars, in january 2020, she was granted early release with credit earned for good behavior. i feel worse for her mother than i do for myself.

that's a powerful statement. well, i-- your son died. i know, but i had the son that i did, and i couldn't be more proud of the young man that he was-- kind, selfless, and compassionate, everything. andrea canning: conrad's mom says this is a hard story to tell, but she hopes sharing it will help others. lynn roy: there are children in this world just like conrad. and i can't even imagine anything like this happening again. that's all for this edition of "dateline." i'm andrea canning. thank you for watching. hello, i'm craig melvin, and this is "dateline." hello, i'm craig melvin, and this is "dateline."ured. these people almost murdered me. i was terrified.