Mom Of Victim In High-Profile Suicide Case Pushes For New MA Laws

FAIRHAVEN, MA — Four years after Michelle Carter was convicted of encouraging her boyfriend Conrad Roy to kill himself, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts still does not have a criminal statute for suicide coercion.

Since the incident, state Sen. Barry Finegold says he is making it his mission to push for the criminalization of suicide coercion in Massachusetts, one of only eight states that does not have such laws. Currently, Massachusetts courts have to categorize coerced suicide cases under 'involuntary manslaughter statute,' which could mean up to life in prison if the person is convicted.

Finegold wants the state to pass the "common-sense reform" before the new school year starts. He noted increased cyberbullying and suicide rates among teens over the past decade that worsened during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Almost every other state has criminalized suicide coercion, and Massachusetts should too," Finegold said. "Passing Conrad’s Law would send a clear message that suicide coercion is unacceptable and subject to criminal liability."

On Tuesday, Finegold was joined by Lynn Roy, the mother of Conrad Roy, as they submitted testimony to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary to support a bill that would create a criminal charge for suicide coercion — instead of involuntary manslaughter, according to a news release from Justin Curtis, Finegold's legislative director.

The bill, called Conrad's Law, was created after Roy was bullied and pressured into suicide by his girlfriend, Michelle Carter.

Under the proposed bill, a person would be prosecuted and sentenced to up to five years in prison if they knew someone had suicidal ideas and intentionally convinced or coerced that person into taking their own life.