Michele Carter, who was convicted of encouraging her boyfriend through texts and phone calls to take his own life, is expected to be released from jail on Thursday.
Her release will come just 10 days after the United States Supreme Court said it would not take up her appeal and less than a year after receiving her 15-month sentence.
Carter, 23, of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, was convicted in 2017 of involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 death of her suicidal boyfriend Conrad Roy III, but the judge initially allowed her to remain free while she appealed. Massachusetts' highest court upheld her conviction, saying her actions caused Roy's death.
When a judge later ruled that she should start her sentence, Carter was taken into custody. She began serving her jail sentence in February of 2019.
The Massachusetts Parole Board denied her request for an early release in September. But on Thursday, she will be released roughly three months early due to good behavior.
"She really was a model inmate," Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson said Wednesday.
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She's regularly participated in Bible study, among other programs, and had a job in the kitchen where "she really seemed to meld well with the other inmates," he said.
One of the conditions of Carter's release is that she cannot profit from her story.
The Roy family said Wednesday that they hope her release is the end of a long and painful process for them.
Carter was 17 when Roy, 18, took his own life. Her case attracted international attention and provided a disturbing look at teenage depression and suicide.
Carter and Roy both struggled with depression, and Roy had previously tried to kill himself. Their relationship consisted mostly of texting and other electronic communications.
In dozens of text messages revealed during her sensational trial, Carter pushed Roy to end his life and chastised him when he hesitated. As Roy made excuses to put off his plans, her texts became more insistent.
If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting 'Home' to 741741.
