Me. The police told my father that he was gone. Are you sure . What are you talking about . Grieving alongside his family, his girlfriend. She sent messages of condolences. To be strong together. She gave me a lot of support. Just there for me when i needed her. But was there something about the two that no one knew . What are you seeing . A series of messages. I had to read them a couple of time to really take it all in. Utterly shocking. A trail of Text Messages leading to the darkest of discoveries. Keeping all the light history is difficult. She did it masterfully. I closed my eyes and i said, this is not real. A twist no one saw coming. And a story that every parent needs to see. We need to know what is going on in our kids lives, can it be very scary when you dont. . Hello and welcome to dateline. 18yearold conrad roy battled depression and anxiety. Then but seemed to be finding his way. He was headed to college and excited about his new job. Then one night the teenager vanished, turns out he a dark secret, one he shared with someone chose to him. What that person did and did not do next would shatter two families. Heres Andrea Canning with reckless. It began as a chance encounter between two teens on vacation. She was a Family Friend that he met in florida. And ended two years with one of them dead. He was smiling before he left the house. And then he was dead. A few hours after. And apparent suicide. He did it seem like he was in any imminent danger . Not at all. But there was danger from something teens do all the time. Texting. Their cyber romantic and thereve and gripped the nation and the people in vault with the case gives us the inside story. The tech tactics who investigated the case it just keeps getting. Worse a grieving father i could fix a lot of things, but i just couldnt fix my sense. And distraught family members. I just didnt know. Hi, this is conrad. Our story starts can conrad, his mother said he was a easy child. What kind of a kid was he . Definitely sensitive. Never gave me a hard time with anything. Did well in school, had friends, loved baseball. Conrad was her first born. Two daughters would come later. Looking back, she remembers his early years as good ones. Every picture i have of him, he looks like a little goof ball, the happiest child, he was always happy. Conrad grew up in and around the old fishing town of new bedford, massachusetts, where his father and grandfather Run A Tugboat and barge business. His father said it seemed that he was destined to take to the sea from day one. After he was two or three days old, my dad brought him on the tug boat. I wanted him to follow in my footsteps. I was hoping that he would be able to just, you know, take over the business someday. Not only was conrad The First Born in the roy family, he was also the first grandchild. His aunt, chrissie roy, said his cousins adored him. My son would follow him around like a duck. He was the cousin that everyone looked up to. But in high school, his mom says the Happy Go Lucky Son started to change. His father and i divorced and i dont know any child that is not affected by divorce. He was 16 . Yeah. And it was going through the hormones and he obviously had anxiety depression. It just manifested at that time. He talked about it in this video diary. I feel like im wired differently than everyone else. Like theres something wrong with me. It was at 16, while struggling with anxiety depression, that conrad encountered a 15 Year Old Girl named Michelle Carter. They met when conrad and his sisters went and visited family in florida. This was supposed to be some r and r . Yeah, a week during school vacation. Had her grandparents were friends with our great aunt, and they all hung out with her for just a short while. When they returned from florida, conrad and michelle continued to stay in touch through Text Messages. Michelle lived in plainville, massachusetts, about an hour away from conrad, the two had a lot in common. She was a softball player, and he played baseball. Friends described them as quiet and funny and they communicated regularly, but conrads aunt becky said he never mentioned michelle. He other girlfriends where you knew their names and you met them. She was not somebody that he talked about. Apparently he kept a lot to himself. By the time he was 17, he had checked into psychiatric facilities a few times, suffering from deep depression. On the day he was discharged, he attempted suicide by swallowing a bottle of cough syrup. He felt bad and i said, conrad, you have no idea how much you are loved and appreciated. He swore he would never attempt suicide again. And things did seem to be getting better. A year later, by june, 2014, conrad had graduated from high school, gotten a scholarship to college and earned his captains license. That must have been a really big day. Conrad getting his captains license. It was. I was very proud of him. Are you feeling good about the place he is in . I felt that he was still struggling but i felt very positive that he was not going to do anything to harm himself. It was right around this time when conrad recorded that private video sharing his inner most thoughts. I feel like i still have a long way to go to recover from the social anxieties, feeling of insecurity. But if i keep talking, keep talking, its going to get better. On july 12th, conrad headed to the beach with his mom and two sisters. Lynn vividly remembers walking the shoreline with her son. He seemed in good spirits that day. We talked about school, and he was like, im not sure where i am right now in my head. I said, well, you just got your captains license, you dont have to worry about anything right now. He is looking toward the future . Yeah. When they return the beach, conrad drove his sisters to get ice cream. He was laughing and i said something and he was, like, smiling. Conrad told his mom he was going to his friends house and would not be back for dinner. But later that night, lynn said out of the blue, her daughter got a text message from someone quite unexpected. It was around 10 30 that night, Michelle Carter is asking where conrad is. And they are boyfriend and girlfriend now. This was news to lynn. She knew conrad and michelle had only seen each other in person a few times. The next morning, lynn woke up at 5 00 a. M. , and noticed conrad was not home. She called around and drove by his friends house but could not finds him. Conrad was missing. A son disappears, a mom worries, and a dad receives a troubling clue. Coming up. They saw his truck with the caution tape around it. The news is about to go from bad to worse. I said, are you sure . What are you talking about . When dateline continues. When you smell the amazing scent of gain flings. 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We have to get an army of the best crooks and criminals. Oh, youre adorable. Violence makes our tummies tingle its disturbing. But its awesome. We can take down the chameleon together. Oh. Andrea canning word spread quickly. Word spread. Quickly, Conrad Roy Iii was missing. His family and friends, growing more frantic by the hour, searched everywhere for him. By mid morning, his mom called 911. That evening, about 24 hours after conrad left his house, his father got that evening, after calk 24 hours after comrade left his house. His father got a call. A Family Friend said they saw his truck at kmart with caution tape around it. So you go to kmart. Yeah, and i think the police told my father that he was gone. An officer found conrad dead behind the wheel of his pickup truck. His dad called lynn to tell her the awful news. I couldnt even see. I felt like i was drugged. I couldnt eat. Slept in the same clothes for days. It was the most horrible time in my life. The rest of conrads family was in disbelief. I said, are you sure . What are you talking about . I just saw him . It just felt like all the blood dreamed out of your body to hear that kind of news. Detective scott gordon of the fear he even Police Department was assigned to the case. His First Impression was suicide by Carbon Monoxide. It was apparent that he placed a water pump in the rear of the truck and he passed away as a result of the Carbon Monoxide. To those who knew comrade best, it didnt make sense. Did they miss something . Hundred have been getting help, taking medication and seemed hopeful about his future. His grandmother remembered him using that very pump to help out his dad just days before. I can still see the smile on his face, just a little smirky smile that he always. And his father recalled the two of them working on a job together a week earlier, setting up fireworks on a barge. We were laughing. Watching fireworks. He seemed kind. The last thing i said to him it was, i love you. So his family wondered what pushed him over the edge. As they struggled with their grief, they got comfort from a surprising source. Michelle carter. She reached out to linda through Text Messages, consoling her saying can read loved her very much. Did you feel like you were getting support . Just a connection to congress somehow . Oh, absolutely. She told me so many great things about myself that he had said. I dont know, she was just there for me when i needed her. And that she never tried so hard in her life to save someone and that she wishes that she conrads aunts also remember getting messages from michelle. She sent messages of conolenscences, that she never tried so hard to save someone and she wished she could have saved him. She came through at the wake and introduced herself. I was a little shocked the when she said im conrad girlfriend. It was like, i had no idea. Never heard of her name. Among conrads things were Goodbye Letters that he written to people. Like this one to michelle. It was very positive, keep doing what you are doing, michelle. Keep moving on and doing great things. And after reading this letter, you must have thought that conrad and michelle had a special friendship that he wrote her this letter. Yeah, i was happy that she was in his life. I thanked her for being there for him. Just weeks after conrad died, michelle contacted his family saying she wanted to raise awareness for Suicide Prevention by organizing a baseball tournament, homers for conrad. I was thinking, wow, had this is really impressive. Here is a teenager. High school senior. And she is only a month later starting to plan this large fundraiser. Conrads whole family showed up. Had his aunt chrissie was impressed with michelle, then just 17. I went up to her parents at the fundraiser and i said, you must be so proud of your daughter, she is quite an amazing girl. Unbeknownst to the family, Detective Gordon was digging for answers. Hoping to discover why comrade may have taken his own life. I found out that 18 year old who do it in that manner. The Detective Figure there were clues on comrades telephone, found on his truck. And sure enough, he discovered a string of Text Messages left on the phone from just one person. That was Michelle Carter. He deleted all other Text Conversations with all other people . Correct. And when the detective started to read the texts, he could not believe what he was seeing. It was one of those things where you keep reading and it keeps getting worse. And that put everything in motion. Coming up the Text Messages no one could fathom. I had to read them a couple of times to really sort of take it all in. Words that raised a disturbing question, was this a suicide or something else. I closed my eyes and i said, this is not real. When dateline continues. 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Good thing the general gives you a break when you need it. Yeah, with flexible Payment Options to keep you covered. So today is your lucky. Oh [crash]. Day. Meteor [screams] dangit. For a great low rate, go with the general. Welcome back. Conrad roys family was reeling from his apparent suicide. The teenager left Goodbye Letters, including one to Michelle Carter. Now investigators were focused on other messages ,, Michelle Carter. Now investigators were focused on other messages that the teen shared. And what they uncovered would turn the case on its head. Back now to reckless. Two days after conrad roys death, detective scott gordon had found a clue. And it was a bombshell. A string of Text Messages from Michelle Carter on comrades phone. What are you seeing . A series of messages that seem to be encouraging him to take his own life. Encouraging him to take his own life . To the detective, it was unimaginable. He learned michelle and conrad has been texting like teenagers do for almost two years. But a few weeks before his death, something changed. It seemed michel started a campaign to get comrade to commit suicide. She even gave him suggestions on how to do it. Hang yourself, jump off a building, stab yourself. I dont know. Theres a lot of ways. Gordons partner, detective Glenn Cudmore also worked the case. He was looking at something to the effect of, i cant believe what i am reading. What kinds of things was she saying . Things like, you promised me, why havent you done yet . You disappointed me. I will take care of your family. The detectives poured over thousands of Text Messages. And the more they read the more they became disturbed, like this exchange in Early Morning hours before comrade died. You cant think about it, you just have to do it. He said you are going to do it. Like, i dont get why you arent. Conrad responded, i dont get it either. I dont know. Carter typed back, so i guess you want going to do within. All that for nothing. Im just confused. Like, you are so ready and determined. Conrad wrote back, i am gonna eventually. I really dont know why i am waiting for. But i have everything lined up. And this one, on the morning of his death. Okay, im gonna do it today. Do you promise . I promise babe. I have to now. Like right now . Where do i go . And you can break a promise. And just go in a quiet parking lot or something. Have you ever seen anything like that in your career as a detective . No. It was clear to the detective that conrad had died by his own hand. But was what michel did actually crime . Detective gordon detected contacted Mary Claire Flynn. Assistant da. He said, will you take a look at these Text Messages . I said sure i will. And it was utterly shocking. She checked with kelly rayburn, a colleague at the time, and they agreed that those Text Messages warranted further investigation. I couldnt believe what was in. Them i had to read them a couple of times. Clearly its Black And White for you. You know its wrong. But is it Black And White, we are going to go forward with this, is this a crime . I would imagine, for you, its complicated. Yes, and with all investigations, its our duty and responsibility to follow the evidence where it takes us. Until the evidence was taking us to carter. So the Commonwealth Office told detectives to keep digging and find out more about Michel Carter. First reaction when you see her picture . Shes young, just a kid. And the words that she was saying in her Text Messages, it just didnt seem feasible. During the investigation, Detective Cod more went undercover. At that fundraiser, home works for comrade. He secretly took photos