Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 4 august 2017
Girlfriend whose texts urged suicide gets 15 months in jail

now 20, a 2 1/2-year jail death. She asked the judge
sentence but said she had to send Carter to state pris-
to serve only 15 months of on for seven to 12 years.
that. He also sentenced her Flynn said Carter “under-
to five years of probation. took a deliberate, well-
He granted a defense mo- thought-out campaign”
tion that will keep Carter to cause Roy’s death in a
out of jail until her appeals “quest for attention” and
in state courts are exhaust- sympathy from her friends.
ed. She said after Roy’s death,
The judge called the case, Carter put on a charade
which has garnered inter- as “the grieving girlfriend”
national attention, “a trag- for Roy’s family and friends,
edy for two families.” even though she had re-
Carter’s lawyer, Joseph peatedly pressured him to
Cataldo, asked the judge act on his suicidal thoughts.
to spare her any jail time Flynn said Carter could
and instead give her five have stopped Roy be-
years of probation and re- cause the two teenagers
quire her to receive men- were on the phone to-
tal health counseling. He gether as Roy succumbed
said she was struggling with to carbon monoxide inside
mental health issues — bu- his truck. “All she had to do
limia, anorexia and depres- was say, ‘Get out of the
Michelle Carter awaits her sentencing in a courtroom in Taunton, Mass., Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, sion — during the time she car,’ ‘Get out of the truck,’
for involuntary manslaughter for encouraging Conrad Roy III to kill himself in July 2014. Carter was urged Roy to kill himself. and none of us would be
sentenced Thursday to 15 months in jail for involuntary manslaughter.
(Matt West/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool) “Miss Carter will have to live here right now,” Flynn said.
By DENISE LAVOIE back in” a truck filled with tion to Conrad Roy III with the consequences of In dozens of text messages,
this for the rest of her life,” Carter had urged Roy to
AP Legal Affairs Writer toxic gas was sentenced caused his death. Carter
TAUNTON, Mass. (AP) — A Thursday to 15 months in jail was 17 when Roy, who was Cataldo said. “This was a follow through on his talk of
horrible circumstance that taking his own life.
young woman who as a for involuntary manslaugh- 18, was found dead of car- she completely regrets.” “The time is right and you
teenager encouraged her ter. bon monoxide poisoning in Prosecutor Maryclare Flynn are ready ... just do it
suicidal boyfriend to kill him- Michelle Carter was con- July 2014. called probation “just not babe,” Carter wrote in a
self in dozens of text mes- victed in June by a judge Juvenile Court Judge Law- reasonable punishment” text the day he killed him-
sages and told him to “get who said her final instruc- rence Moniz gave Carter,
for Carter’s role in Roy’s self. q
Polygamous leader’s alleged memory loss could delay trial

By BRADY McCOMBS Lund in arguing against the
Associated Press trial delay said authorities
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The interviewed several witness-
polygamous sect leader es who never questioned
caught recently after a Jeffs’ ability to run the al-
year on the run from au- leged scheme in which
thorities is probably com- sect members are accused
petent to stand trial, but of breaking the law by do-
needs a neurological exam nating products purchased
to determine if two late with food stamps to a com-
1990s accidents left him munal storehouse while di-
with memory loss and pos- verting funds to front com-
sible brain injuries, his at- panies to pay for a tractor,
torney said Thursday. Jurors a truck and other items.
need to know if Lyle Jeffs Sect leaders lived lavishly
has memory loss if he de- while followers suffered,
cides to testify at his trial on authorities have said. U.S.
charges that he oversaw a District Judge Ted Stewart
food stamp fraud scheme asked Nester why the is-
while leading the Mormon sue of the brain injuries did
sect in a small community not come up last year and
on the Utah-Arizona bor- if she had observed any
der, said attorney Kathryn signs of impairment during
Nester. She spoke during a her interactions with Jeffs
hearing that followed her Lyle Jeffs leaves the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. Jeffs, the polygamous sect leader caught before he became a fugi-
request to delay Jeffs’ trial recently after he was on the run for a year, needs a neurological exam to determine if two late tive. Nester responded that
scheduled for Sept. 18 until 1990s accidents left him with memory loss and possible brain injuries, his attorney said Thursday. lawyers observed that Jeffs
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
early next year. But federal had difficulty remembering
prosecutor Robert Lund last year after he was ar- became a fugitive after he He was caught in South Da- conversations but thought
questioned why Jeffs’ legal rested in February 2016. slipped off an ankle moni- kota on June 14 after two at the time it was because
team never mentioned the Jeffs had been placed un- toring device on June 18, pawn shop workers spot- the events happened in
possible health problems der home detention but 2016 and went on the run. ted him and called police. the past. q