The first thing Colton Ryan did when he was cast as the male lead in Hulu's “The Girl From Plainville” was to Google his real-life character’s name. In bold text at the top of the results screen was the Wikipedia entry that told him everything he needed to know: “Death of Conrad Roy.”
Ryan, best known for playing Connor Murphy in the film adaptation of “Dear Evan Hansen,” knew the headlines of the story he was telling. In 2014, 18-year-old Roy died by suicide, egged on in thousands of text messages by girlfriend Michelle Carter. Carter, who was 17 at the time, was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 15 months in prison. The story was national news, with Carter and her piercing dark eyebrows splashed across front pages as the salacious tale played out.
Prosecutors argued — and the judge agreed — that Carter held responsibility for Roy’s death, particularly with one final text that demanded he get back inside his truck, filled with carbon monoxide. Her conviction was the first of its kind, but not the last.
