This archive report was first published on 11 July 2019.
Michelle Carter's Parents: A Look into David and Gail Carter's Lives ¶
Michelle Carter's parents, David and Gail Carter, have been at the center of controversy since their daughter's conviction for involuntary manslaughter in 2014. While they have repeatedly defended their daughter, their actions have raised questions about their own involvement and support for her.
Published on July 11, 2019, a new HBO documentary, I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter, raises questions about Michelle Carter's case once again. The two-part film not only recaps her case but reexamines it, complete with new interviews from Roy's family and Carter's lawyers.
Michelle Carter is currently serving a 15-month jail sentence that began in February 2019. Despite losing their appeal to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Michelle's lawyers are nonetheless appealing her case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
David and Gail Carter, Michelle's parents, hail from Plainville, Massachusetts, where they raised their daughter. David was the sales manager at a forklift supplier, while Gail staged interiors for real estate agents.
Before Carter was charged, Gail showed support for Roy's mother, Lynn Roy, texting her, "I think about you, your family, and Conrad every day. My heart breaks for all of you, as well as for Michelle, who loved Conrad as much as a 17 year old girl could."
However, many were shocked in May 2015 when news broke that Carter's mom, Gail, had posted several photos on Facebook of Carter at Walt Disney World with friends, despite Michelle being banned by a judge from using social media.
David pleaded with a judge for leniency in Carter's jail sentence, writing a heartfelt letter to Juvenile Court Judge Lawrence Moniz in 2017. He suggested that Michelle's medication affected her mental state, making it difficult for her to distinguish between right and wrong.
Despite Carter's parents conspicuous absence from I Love You, Now Die, this may not be the last the world hears of them. It remains to be seen if they, or any of their family members, will speak out once the documentary premieres.
