The Wickedest Woman in the World

Ever see the movie Gaslight? Based on the play by Patrick Hamilton, the British version came out in 1940 followed by the North American version in 1944. Gaslight, as you know, entered the vocabulary meaning psychological torture against another made vulnerable by love. Dante should have created a subcircle for those who destroy people who love them. We’ll come back to playwright Patrick Hamilton shortly.
Distaff Defense

When a client is a woman, defense teams try to jury-select as many men as possible. Men tend to be far more sympathetic toward a woman killer than do other women. It’s been said women aren’t as easily fooled by their own sex.

Sometimes I’m susceptible, I admit it, but I like to think logic and rationality provide the best hope to resolve cases. For example, a careful look at the evidence– at times presented in twisted ways to the jury– suggest Casey Anthony did not kill her daughter. More likely, chlorine findings intimate the little girl drowned in the family pool and Casey panicked.

On the other hand, who can doubt Jodi Arias didn’t murder her boyfriend? Yet, even after her admissions, some guys continued to contend it was all a mistake. Fanboys insisted she ought to be pardoned or at least paroled. Neither Arias, Anthony, nor anyone else should face execution, but come on guys, grow brain cells.

Death by Unseen Hand

Now we have Michelle Carter. Over time she encouraged and manipulated a vulnerable boy into suicide. This boy trusted her; he deeply believed she held his best interest at heart. In actuality, she held his life in her hands and she, intoxicated with the power and drama, crushed it like an empty cigarette pack.

This past week, she was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and released by the judge on bail pending sentencing… if any.

Impassioned articles calling for her unconditional release have appeared across the spectrum. Editorials argue she’s “a young, impressionable girl,” she’s a child, she’s an innocent, she didn’t mean it and besides she’s just too cute to kill.

The judge was astonishingly sympathetic toward her, but that didn’t stop critics insisting he should have dismissed the charges or thrown out his own verdict. Some have followed lawyer Joseph Cataldo’s lead by suggesting she is the victim, brainwashed by a suicidal boy.

Cataldo, along with conservative outlets such as National Review and Hot Air, further argues her whispers of death should be protected by the First Amendment. By that reasoning, a spouse who hires a hitman to kill their mate could claim protected free speech. Once on that slippery slope, what would preclude a mafia don from claiming orders of murder-for-hire to underlings should be protected too?

Murder by Suicide

The main difference is Michelle Carter cut out the middle man and nagged her mentally enfeebled ‘friend’ to just ƒ-ing kill himself. After coming up with the idea of carbon monoxide poisoning, she dreamt up further ways for him to kill himself– hanging and bagging. For the drama, you know, the ooh and ahhs of classmates and the warm glow of hugs and Twitter attention and that lovely feeling of power over life and death.

One major assertion claims she can’t be a killer because she wasn’t present. Again, the spouse-hiring-hitman argument could be applied, but it’s simpler than that: She was in his head. Instead of commanding her own finger to pull the trigger, she commanded his. In his susceptible state, the lad followed through, an instrument of his own demise.

Give a Girl Enough Rope…

Michelle Carter’s plotting reminded me of another classic play and crime movie again by Patrick Hamilton, the same playwright who wrote Gaslight. Film fans will recognize Rope as the innovative Hitchcock suspense. Inspired by a true story, students experimentally kill a friend, arrogantly believing they’ll get away with it.

In a nutshell, that sums up Michelle Carter’s approach. The difference is she strangled no one; instead she manipulated her friend into killing himself.

That anyone could reach that depth of evil beggars imagination. Clearly she knew exactly what she was doing. Over hundreds of text messages, she cajoled, threatened, urged and persuaded her friend to take his own life. She gaslighted him.

Part of me argues she was only 17 then, intelligent but immature, that she lovingly practiced assisted suicide. But then I reread the transcripts of their cell phone records. She lied to the boy’s mother, his sister, her own friends, the police, and the boy himself. She admitted he’d be alive if it weren’t for her.

She’s young, so she has plenty of time for redemption. That’s more than she gave her friend, Conrad Roy.

Children shouldn’t be tried as adults, and that includes her. Nonetheless, a possible sentence of zero time would be a terrible miscarriage of justice.

What is your take?

Cellular Text Transcript

☛

June 2014	In June 2014, Michelle Charter initially suggested Conrad Roy seek help for his depression and suicidal thoughts. In July, her tone abruptly changed.
CARTER	You always say you’re gonna do it, but you never do
CARTER	I just want to make sure tonight is the real thing.
CONRAD	How was your day?
CARTER	When are you doing it?
CONRAD	Since you don’t get your snapchat anymore, I sent them to you.
CARTER	😀 My day was okay. How was yours?
CONRAD	Good.
CARTER	Really?
CONRAD	Yes.
CARTER	That’s great. What did you do?
CONRAD	Ended up going to work for a little bit and then just looked stuff up.
CARTER	When are you gonna do it? Stop ignoring the question???
04-Jul-14
CARTER	You can’t keep pushing it off, though. That’s all you keep doing.
CARTER	You're gonna have to prove me wrong because I just don't think you really want this. You just keeps pushing it off to another night and say you'll do it but you never do
05-Jul-14
CARTER	SEE THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. YOU KEEP PUSHING IT OFF!
CARTER	You just said you were gonna do it tonight and now you're saying eventually…
06-Jul-14
CARTER	But I bet you're gonna be like 'oh, it didn't work because I didn't tape the tube right or something like that' … I bet you're gonna say an excuse like that
07-Jul-14
CONRAD	If you were in my position. honestly what would you do
CARTER	I would get help. That's just me tho. When I have a serious problem like that my first instinct is to get help because I know I can't do it on my own
CARTER	Well there's more ways to make CO. Google ways to make it…
CONRAD	Omg
CARTER	What
CONRAD	portable generator that's it
08-Jul-14
CARTER	So are you sure you don't wanna [kill yourself] tonight?
CONRAD	What do you mean am I sure?
CARTER	Like, are you definitely not doing it tonight?
CONRAD	Idk yet I'll let you know
CARTER	Because I'll stay up with you if you wanna do
	it tonight
CONRAD	Another day wouldn't hurt
CARTER	You can't keep pushing it off, tho, that's all you keep doing
09-Jul-14
CARTER	Do you have the generator?
CONRAD	not yet lol
CARTER	WELL WHEN ARE YOU GETTING IT
10-Jul-14
CARTER	You better not be bull shitting me and saying you're gonna do this and then purposely get caught
CARTER	(text to female friend) I texted his mom 'cause I was getting really worried. Like, he always texts me in the morning and he didn't and he stopped answering last night so I asked her where he was and she said they have been looking for him for the past few hours and they can't find him.
CARTER	(text to female friend) Is there any way a portable generator can kill you somehow because he said he was getting that and some other tools at the store. He said he needed to replace the 18 generator at work and fix stuff I didn't really think anything of it but he didn't go to work today so I don't know why he would have got that stuff.
11-Jul-14
CONRAD	I'm just too sensitive. I want my family to know there was nothing they could do. I am entrapped in my own thoughts
CONRAD	like no I would be happy if they had no guilt about it. because I have a bad feeling tht this is going to create a lot of depression between my parents/sisters
CONRAD	i'm overthinking everything. fuck. I gotta stop and just do it
CARTER	I think your parents know you’re in a really bad place. I’m not saying they want you to do it but I honestly feel like they can accept it. They know there is nothing they can do. They’ve tried helping. Everyone’s tried, but there is a point that comes where there isn’t anything anyone can do to save you, not even yourself.
	And you’ve hit that point and I think your parents know you’ve hit that point. You said your mom saw a suicide thing on your computer and she didn’t say anything. I think she knows it’s on your mind and she’s prepared for it.
	Everyone will be sad for a while but they will get over it and move on. They won’t be in depression. I won’t let that happen. They know how sad you are, and they know that you are doing this to be happy and I think they will understand and accept it.
	They will always carry you in their hearts.
CONRAD	Aww. Thank you, Michelle.
CARTER	They will move on for you because they know that’s what you would have wanted. They know you wouldn’t want them to be sad and depressed and be angry and guilty. They know you want them to live their lives and be happy. So they will for you. You’re right. You need to stop thinking about this and just do it because over turning always kills, over thinking.
CONRAD	Yeah, it does. I’ve been thinking about it for too long.
CARTER	Always smile, and, yeah, you have to just do it. You have everything you need. There is no way you can fail. Tonight is the night. It’s now or never.
CARTER	Don’t be scared. You already made this decision and if you don’t do it tonight you’re gonna be thinking about it all the time and stuff all the rest of your life and be miserable.
	You’re finally going to be happy in heaven. No more pain. No more bad thoughts and worries. You’ll be free.
	It’s okay to be scared and it’s normal. I mean, you’re about to die. I would be concerned if you weren’t scared, but I know how bad you want this and how bad you want to be happy. You have to face your fears for what you want.
CARTER	If you don’t think about it, you won’t think about failing. You’ll just do it and then thinking you’ll succeed.
CONRAD	Right. That’s what I’m talking about. I read so much about failed attempts gone wrong that it’s gotten me discouraged.
CARTER	Yeah, exactly, so stop doing that. There is more success than there are failures.
CONRAD	Are you kidding me?
CARTER	You have to look at it that way and people only fail because they have the same mindset as you. Thinking they’ll fail.
CONRAD	I really want to believe you.
CARTER	Why don’t you.
CARTER	(text to female friend) I’m confused. I'm going to talk to his mom tomorrow morning and I'll let you know but don't be sorry. It's my fault. I mean, I should have did something. I just didn't think he was serious because he always says stuff and I just didn't think anything of it. But, yeah, I want to believe that. He told me he wouldn't do anything without telling me. Just in case something did happen, I'm thankful that our last words were I love you … I was supposed to save him. He needed me. I let him down. I should have knew what he was saying was suspicious and I should have called his mom or someone. I could have prevented this.
CARTER	Well in my opinion, I think u should do the generator because I don't know much about the pump and with a generator u can't fail
CONRAD	(Visits Sears to purchase a generator. There he sees a character dressed as Christ Jesus.)
CONRAD	Guess who is here.
CARTER	Who? Wait, here? Wait, where?
CONRAD	Jesus.
CARTER	Ha ha, it’s meant to be.
CONRAD	Literally, there is a guy walking around in a Jesus costume.
CARTER	Ha, ha, ha. It’s a sign it’s your calling.
CONRAD	i don't want anyone hurt in the process though
CONRAD	I meant when they open the door, all the carbon monoxide is gonna come out they can't see it or smell it. whoever opens the door
CARTER	They will see the generator and know that you died of CO…
CONRAD	hey can you do me a favor
CARTER	Yes of course
CONRAD	just be there for my family 😀
CARTER	Conrad, of course I will be there for your family. I will help them as much as I can to get thru this, ill tell them about how amazing their son/brother truly was
CARTER	(text to female friend) I know I can't help him no matter how many times I try but I could have prevented him from missing which could end up being his death.
12-Jul
CONRAD	Okayy.
CARTER	Conrad!
CARTER	Hey, you there?
CONRAD	Hey, sorry. I fell asleep.
CARTER	It’s okay. Why haven’t you done it yet tho?
CONRAD	I’m too messed up to.
CARTER	What are you talking about?
CONRAD	My head.
CARTER	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	I don’t get it either. I don’t know.
CARTER	So I guess you aren’t gonna do it then. All that for nothing. I’m just confused. Like you were so ready and determined.
CONRAD	I am gonna eventually. I really don’t know what I’m waiting for but I have everything lined up.
CARTER	No, you’re not, Conrad. Last night was it. You kept pushing it off and you say you’ll do it, but you never do. It’s always gonna be that way if you don’t take action. You’re just making it harder on yourself by pushing it off. You just have to do it. Do you want to do it now?
CONRAD	Is it too late? I don’t know. It’s already light outside. I’m gonna go back too sleep. Love you. I’ll text you tomorrow.
CARTER	No. It’s probably the best time now because everyone is sleeping. Just go somewhere in your truck and no one is really out there right now because it’s an awkward time. If you don’t do it now you’re never gonna do it, and you can say you’ll do it tomorrow, but you probably won’t. Tonight? Love you.
CONRAD	Thank you.
CARTER	For what. Are you awake?
CONRAD	Yes.
CARTER	Are you gonna do it today?
CONRAD	Yes.
CARTER	Like in the day time?
CONRAD	Should I?
CARTER	Yeah, it’s less suspicious. You won’t think about it as much and you’ll get it over with instead of wait until the night.
CONRAD	Yeah then I will. Like where? Like I could go in any enclosed area.
CARTER	Go in your truck and drive in a parking lot somewhere, to a park or something. Do it like early. Do it now, like early.
CONRAD	Didn’t we say this was suspicious?
CARTER	No. I think night is more suspicious, a kid sitting in his car turning on the radio. Just do it. It wouldn’t be suspicious and it won’t take long.
CONRAD	Okay. I’m taking Holly for a walk.
CARTER	Okay.
CONRAD	I don’t know why I’m like this.
CARTER	Sometimes things happen and we never have the answers why.
CONRAD	Like, why am I so hesitant lately. Like two weeks ago I was willing to try everything and now I’m worse, really bad, and I’m LOL not following through. It’s eating me inside.
CARTER	You’re so hesitant because you keeping over thinking it and keep pushing it off. You just need to do it, Conrad. The more you push it off, the more it will eat at you. You’re ready and prepared. All you have to do is tum the generator on and you will be free and happy. No more pushing it off. No more waiting.
CONRAD	You’re right.
CARTER	If you want it as bad as you say you do it’s time to do it today.
CONRAD	Yup. No more waiting.
CARTER	Okay. I’m serious. Like you can’t even wait ’till tonight. You have to do it when you get back from your walk.
CONRAD	Thank you.
CARTER	For what?
CONRAD	Still being here.
CARTER	I would never leave you. You’re the love of my life, my boyfriend. You are my heart. I’d never leave you.
CONRAD	Aw.
CARTER	I love you.
CONRAD	Love you, too.
CARTER	When will you be back from your walk?
CONRAD	Like, five minutes.
CARTER	Okay. So you gonna do it?
CONRAD	I guess.
CARTER	Well, I want you to be ready and sure. What does that mean?
CONRAD	I don’t know. I’m freaking out again. I’m over thinking.
CARTER	I thought you wanted to do this. This time is right and you’re ready. You just need to do it. You can’t keep living this way. You just need to do it like you did the last time and not think about it and just do it, babe. You can’t keep doing this every day.
CONRAD	I do want to but I’m like freaking for my family I guess. I don’t know.
CARTER	Conrad, I told you I’ll take care of them. Everyone will take care of them to make sure they won’t be alone and people will help them get through it. We talked about this and they will be okay and accept it. People who commit suicide don’t think this much. They just could do it.
CONRAD	I know. I know. LOL. Thinking just drives me more crazy.
CARTER	You just need to do it, Conrad, or I’m gonna get you help. You can’t keep doing this everyday.
CONRAD	Okay. I’m gonna do it today.
CARTER	You promise?
CONRAD	I promise, babe. I have to now.
CARTER	Like right now?
CONRAD	Where do I go?
CARTER	And you can’t break a promise. And just go in a quiet parking lot or something.
CONRAD	Okay.
CARTER	Go somewhere you know you won’t get caught. You can find a place. I know you can. Are you doing it now?
CONRAD	I’m determined.
CARTER	I’m happy to hear that.
CONRAD	I’m ready.
CARTER	Good because it’s time, babe. You know that.
CARTER	When you get back from the beach you’ve gotta go do it. You’re ready. You’re determined. It’s the best time to do it.
CONRAD	Okay, I will.
CARTER	Are you back?
CONRAD	No more thinking.
CARTER	Yes. No more thinking. You need to just do it. No more waiting.
CONRAD	On way back. I know where to go now.
CARTER	Where?
CONRAD	A parking lot. There is going to be no cars there at 9:00. So that’s when I’ll be found.
CARTER	Okay, perfect. When will you be home?
CONRAD	10 minutes.
CARTER	Ha ha, that’s perfect.
CARTER	Okay. And, well, yeah, I don’t know.
CONRAD	Like, I don’t wanna kill anyone else with me.
CARTER	You won’t.
CONRAD	When they open the door they won’t know it’s odorless and colorless.
CARTER	You’re over thinking. They will see the generator and realize you breathed in CO too.
CONRAD	So should I keep it in the back seat or front?
CARTER	In the front. You could write on a piece of paper and tape it on saying carbon monoxide or something if you’re scared.
CONRAD	I was thinking that but someone might see it before it actually happens.
CARTER	Well, wait, the generator is gonna be on because you’ll be passed out, so they’ll know you used carbon monoxide. Dead. It’s not loud is it?
CONRAD	Not really, LMAO.
CARTER	Okay, good. Are you gonna do it now?
CONRAD	I’m home.
CARTER	Okay.
CONRAD	Ahhh.
CARTER	What?
CONRAD	I don’t know. I’m stressing.
CARTER	You’re fine. It’s gonna be okay. You just gotta do it, babe. You can’t think about it.
CONRAD	Okay. Okay. I got this.
CARTER	Yes, you do. I believe in you. Did you delete the messages?
CONRAD	Yes. But you’re going to keep messaging me.
CARTER	I will until you turn on the generator.
CONRAD	Okay. Well, I’m bringing my sisters for ice cream.
CARTER	So will you do it when you get back?
CONRAD	Yup, I’ll go right there.
CARTER	Okay.
CONRAD	Love you.
CARTER	I love so much.
CONRAD	😀
CARTER	❤♥
CONRAD	Ha ha. What are you doing?
CARTER	Nothing really. Just resting.
CONRAD	Okay. Ha, ha I’m procrastinating.
CARTER	Yeah, ha ha, I know. Are you back?
CONRAD	Yup.
CARTER	So it’s time?
CONRAD	Oh, it’s been time.
CARTER	Are you gonna do it now?
CONRAD	I just don’t know how to leave them, you know.
CARTER	Say you’re gonna go the store or something.
CONRAD	Like, I want them to know that I love them.
CARTER	They know. That’s one thing they definitely know. You’re over thinking.
CONRAD	I know I’m over thinking. I’ve been over thinking for a while now.
CARTER	I know. You just have to do it like you said. Are you gonna do it now?
CONRAD	I still haven’t left yet, ha ha.
CARTER	Why?
CONRAD	Leaving now.
CARTER	Okay. You can do this.
CONRAD	Okay. I’m almost there.
CONRAD	(43 minute voice call with Carter.)
CARTER	(47 minute voice with Conrad Roy. He became scared after setting things in motion. She ordered him back into the truck to complete the poisoning. “I fucken told him to get back in.”)
CONRAD	(Dies by carbon monoxide inhilation.)
13 July 2014 etc…
CARTER	(text to Conrad’s sister) Do you know where you brother is?
CARTER	(text to Conrad’s mother) Do you know where Conrad is?
	MOTHER: They’ve been looking for him the past few hours and they can't find him.
CARTER	(text to female friend) 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 ... I'm so fucken stupid. The generator he got the other day I think that was the noise I heard. I just looked it up. They emit carbon monoxide. I think he poisoned himself with it and it's all my fault because I should have knew he 17 was going to do that and I should have stopped him. I kept trying to call and there was no answer. I think he did it. I don't even know what to do right now.
CARTER	(text to female friend) Just talked to his sister. He's dead. He committed suicide. Police found him in his truck. He died from carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator. He died while talking to me on the phone.
14-Jul-14
CARTER	(tweet) Such a beautiful soul gone too soon.
CARTER	(tweet) I’ll always remember your bright light and smile. You’ll forever be in my heart, I love you Conrad.
CARTER	(text to female friend) I don't know how I'm supposed to get through this. I can't function. I haven't eaten. I just completely shut down. I do blame myself It's my fault. I was talking to him while he killed himself. I heard him cry in pain. I should have known. I should have done something.
20-Jul-14
CARTER	(text to female friend) And that night I knew he was going to do it and a part of me thought he wasn't going to like always but when he stopped talking to me on the phone, like, I knew he did it, and a couple of days before leading up to it I guess I kind of let him do it. I started giving up because whatever I said I knew I couldn't change his mind so we talked about it and about how I'll take care of his family when he's gone and all of that.
	Like, to him it seemed like I was okay with him dying but I wasn't. Like, I didn't think he was actually going to do it, you know. Like, I said stuff to make him realize how stupid he was being and I tried to convince him not to but I think I just made it easier for him?
	I knew he was in the K-mart fucken parking lot. I knew he was going to use the generator to inhale carbon monoxide. I knew it all. But I didn't think he would actually go through with it or that it would work, and that's why I feel like it's all my fault because I knew what he was going to do but I didn't call anyone to stop him.
CARTER	It's just hard because, like, I was the only one that knew and I, like, said yesterday everyone talks about how they wished he had someone to talk to and told what he was feeling to and I was that person so I'll always feel guilty about it.
	Like, I'm the reason everyone was in that church yesterday. But you're right. He was just going to do it another time and I'm thankful for talking about everything we did know knowing he was going to die. It's just you think I'm a bad person for doing what I did?
	… yeah, that's exactly what I wanted. I didn't want to be mad at him anymore because I knew he was going to do it so I knew yelling at him wouldn't help. I wanted him to die knowing that I accepted it and that I loved him.
	I was the last person he talked to so I feel special that I had that moment with him? It's hard to accept it now that it actually happened but I know he's finally happy. I told him it was okay to do it because he was miserable and I knew he would always be in pain and I just couldn't stand to see him like that anymore.
	I told him he'd be free and happy in heaven. I wanted him to leave knowing he wasn't selfish for doing it.
21-Jul-14
CARTER	(text to female friend) I just got off the phone with Conrad's mom about 20 minutes ago and she told me that detectives had to come to go through his things and stuff. It's something they have to do with suicides and homicides and she said they have to go through his phone and see if anyone encouraged him to do it on text and stuff. Sam, they read my messages with him I'm done. His family will hate me and I can go to jail.
FRIEND	Police are unlikely to tell Conrad's family about [your encouragement] unless it was like really bad bullying.
CARTER	Yeah, that's what I'm hoping. Like, I hope they see that he had his mind set on it. Like, it may seem like I wanted him to do it but I didn't at all. You know I loved him. Like, I read the thing online where it said if you agree with the person then it makes them realize how stupid they're being and so they'll stop it but it didn't work and I just I don't know. I hope that the cops don't see it that way. Like, I didn't bully him or anything? So you don't think that they'll really tell his family?
	Carter continues texting her friend throughout the remainder of the year.
15-Sep-14
CARTER	(text to female friend) his death is my fault. Like, honestly I could have stopped it. I was the one on the phone with him and he got out of the car because he was working and he got scared and I fucken told him to get back in…