Woman jailed for encouraging her boyfriend to kill himself loses appeal bid

Yesterday, The Supreme Court announced that it wouldn’t take up the case of Michelle Carter – the woman currently serving a sentence for playing a role in her boyfriend’s suicide.

Carter had appealed her case, arguing that the conviction of involuntary manslaughter violated her First Amendment rights.

She was found guilty in 2017 after her boyfriend, 18-year-old Conrad Roy, died by suicide in his car following texts from Carter that appeared to encourage him. One read: “I thought you wanted to do this. The time is right and you're ready, you just need to do it! You can't keep living this way."

Another said: "Hang yourself, jump off a building, stab yourself. I don’t know".

The case was entirely unprecedented, which has made it difficult for people to navigate or agree on.

When the disturbing case first emerged, the internet was divided on whether Carter could be held in any way responsible for Roy's death because of text messages.

Carter’s lawyers argued that convicting her for her words alone and no physical action is, “novel and deeply confusing”.

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has previously argued that Carter’s texts formed a, “systematic campaign of coercion”.

Carter is reportedly due to be released on January 23.

More: How to talk to someone who may be dealing with suicidal thoughts