1000 SMS pour convaincre un adolescent que le suicide est bien la solution à ses problèmes. Telle aurait été la technique de Michelle Carter, une jeune fille de 18 ans, avec son petit ami.
Conrad Roy luttait avec une sévère dépression et envisageait de mettre fin à ses jours depuis plusieurs mois. S’accrochant à la vie, il a fini par s’ouvrir de son trouble à sa petite amie, Michelle Carter, 18 ans, qui l’aurait encouragé à se suicider. Selon les SMS révélés par l’enquête, elle l’aurait même aidé à trouver la bonne méthode pour passer à l’acte “Stop overthinking it” disait-elle.
Tous deux ont recherché, ensemble, la meilleure méthode pour siphonner le monoxyde de carbone du camion de Conrad. Lorsque ce dernier hésite, Carter l’invective et le traite de velléitaire : “De toute façon, tu te trouves toujours une excuse pour ne pas passer à l’acte“. Et si ce plan ne marchait pas ? “Essaie de t’étouffer dans un sac, peut-être, ou alors la pendaison ?”.
Mais lorsque Conrad a renoncé à son projet morbide, Michelle a continué de l’encourager, en disant notamment : “Tout le monde sera triste pendant quelque temps, mais cela leur passera et ils tourneront la page. Tu ne les entraîneras plus dans ta dépression”.
Conrad fut retrouvé mort dans son camion en 2014.
Michelle prétendit ne pas être au courant et posta un tweet qui semble indiquer un certain “besoin d’attention”.
L’enquête révéla que, immédiatemment après le suicide de Conrad, après l’avoir encouragé 45 minutes par téléphone, Carter prétendit n’être absolument pas au courant et prit même soin d’envoyer un SMS à la soeur du jeune homme: “Est-ce que tu sais où es ton frère ?”
Si la défense prétend que c’est Conrad qui a manipulé Carter, celui-ci allant jusqu’à lui proposer qu’ils se suicident ensemble comme “Roméo et Juliette” mais elle refusa – les deux adolescents ne se sont rencontré qu’une ou deux fois de visu.
Carter, quant à elle, chercha à tout prix à attirer l’attention sur elle après la mort de son petit ami. Elle créa un évènement Facebook pour oganiser un tournoi de baseball en honneur de Roy: “Je veux prendre le risque de me mettre en avant, si cela peut sauver autant de vies que possible”. Mais lorsqu’un ami de Roy partagea l’évènement sur sa propre page, Carter l’aurait appelé pour le menacer: “Je te préviens, tu ne t’attribueras pas le crédit de tout ça, c’est mon idée !”
Malheureusement pour Carter, la police décida de confisquer le téléphone de Roy. Aujourd’hui, elle ne nie plus les faits et admet avoir voulu aider son ami à passer de vie à trépas.
The morning of July 12, at 4: 19 AM
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 now you can. Are you doing it now?
Later that afternoon, the conversation continued
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. 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: Ten minutes. Ha ha, that’s perfect.
CARTER: Okay. And, well, yeah, I don’t know.
CONRAD: Like, I don’t want to 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?
5:08 PM, Conrad returned from the beach and wanted to back out
CONRAD: I’m home.
CARTER: Okay.
CONRAD: Ah.
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: (Smiley face).
CARTER: 33.
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.
6:25 PM, the last message was sent
Following the text messages. Carter and Conrad spoke on the phone for almost an hour. During the phone call Conrad had decided that he no longer wanted to kill himself and got out of the car……
But Michelle instructed him to get back in the car and “just do it”.