suicide | Life and Lemons

Timmothy Pitzen was born on October 18, 2004 in Aurora, Illinois. He was taken on May 11, 2011. James Pitzen, Timmothy’s father, dropped him off at Greenman Elementary School that morning. A short time later Amy Fry-Pitzen, his mother, checked him out claiming a family emergency. The mother/son duo went on a 3-day excursion visiting amusement parks and such. At the end of this spontaneous trip, Amy was found dead of self inflicted wounds with a note that would shock and confuse everyone.

Around 8:30 am on May 11, 2011 Amy checked her son out of school, explaining that there was a family emergency. That turned out to be false. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RNbiIFC4zX4. (Footage of Amy picking up Timmothy at school) She then dropped off her car at a mechanic shop around 10am. An employee of the shop took Amy and Timmothy to the Brookfield Zoo. She returned around 3pm to pick up her car. From there, the two went to the KeyLime Cove Resort in Gurnee.

On May 12 they were spotted on hotel surveillance at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AE_xviac6K0. (Hotel surveillance showing Amy and Timmothy) The pair were also seen on camera in a check-out line around 10am. The following day would be the last time Timmothy was seen.

On May 13, Amy called her mother and brother-in-law between 12-1:30pm. She explained that they were both safe and that no one should worry. Of course by now they have been reported missing by James Pitzen. It was speculated that the couple’s marriage was tense and maybe she was taking some time away. Her cellphone pinged northwest of Sterling, near Route 40 (about 130 miles from Wisconsin Dells). Timmothy was heard in the background saying that he was hungry. For some unknown reason, Amy never called James.

Here is where I noticed a worrisome time gap. Amy is seen on camera at 7:25pm, alone, at a Family Dollar in Winnebago buying paper, a pen and envelopes. The distance from Sterling to Winnebago is about 40 miles. She is then spotted at 8:00pm at Sullivan’s Food Store, also without Timmothy.

Around 11:15pm, she checks into the Rockford Inn at Rockford. On May 14, around 12:30pm, a hotel maid found Amy’s body. She had taken an excessive amount of antihistamine medication and slit her wrists and throat. She left a note apologizing for the mess she had made. The most shocking and confusing part of the note was her claim that Timmothy was safe with people who would care for him and that he would never be found.

This investigation is quite confusing. She traveled over 600 miles during this crazy trip and left little to go on. Her 2004 Ford Expedition gave small clues, but not enough to find little Timmothy.

Inside the SUV was a significant blood stain that matches Timmothy but it was not fresh. A family member told law enforcement that Timmothy had a bad nosebleed within the last month and that he had them frequently. The outside of the SUV revealed vegetation that held small clues. Police were lead to areas where Queen Anne’s lace and black mustard plants grew. They searched Whiteside County and Lee County, located in northwest Illinois, but came up empty handed.

Her cell phone was turned in to law enforcement in 2013 but was actually found in 2011 off route 78. The woman that found the phone kept it on a shelf for two years and eventually gave it to her brother. When he turned the phone on, he recognized the contacts in the phone as being in relation to the Pitzen case.

Amy had an I-PASS for tollbooth use. That account showed that she had made two separate trips, one in February and one in March, to the exact hotel she died in and the locations along the way of her final trip with her son. This information has lead law enforcement to believe she planned the whole thing.

Timmothy Pitzen with his father, James Pitzen

But what happened to Timmothy from the afternoon of the 12th to before 7pm on the 13th? What did she do? Who could she have left him with, if she really did that? Many theories have circulated in this case. Family and friends do not believe she would ever harm Timmothy. But then where is he? Timmothy’s father still holds tight to hope that he is alive somewhere. If you have any knowledge of his whereabouts, please contact the number at the bottom of the poster below. Let‘s bring Timmothy Pitzen home!

Tragedy struck the Roy family of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts on July 13, 2014. Lynn and Conrad Roy were facing one of every parent’s worst fears. Their son was missing. Then another fear became reality… their son was dead. Conrad Roy III had committed suicide.

Conrad Roy III graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School with a 3.88 GPA. He also earned his captain’s license from Northeast Maritime Institute. Roy had been accepted to Fitchburg State University and planned on attending with his best friend. He was an excellent, all-around athlete. He played football, baseball, rowed crew and ran track. He worked with his father, grandfather and uncle for Tucker-Roy Marine Towing and Salvage, Inc. It seems that he had everything going for him, right? It seems like the life of a normal teenager. So, what happened? What was hiding just under the surface?

There seems to be a bit of a troubled past dealing with depression and a hospitalization for an acetaminophen overdose in October of 2012, according to an article I found. This same article talks about the relevance of a domestic violence document dealing with Roy’s parents in 2011, before their divorce.

Conrad Roy III met Michelle Carter in Naples, Florida while on vacation in 2012. Their relationship consisted of text messages and phone calls. I’m a little confused about their relationship though. They lived about 35-40 miles apart and only met up in person a couple of times after they met on vacation. It seems odd to me. Michelle Carter, if I’m not mistaken, claims a 2 year relationship, but I’ve read quotes from Roy’s mother and best friend that they didn’t know her or know of an ongoing relationship. In my opinion, the relationship doesn’t add up. You’ve got Carter claiming a 2 year “relationship” and Roy’s best friend not knowing about her… hmmm. An article from the Boston Herald (https://www.bostonherald.com/2015/03/01/teens-family-girl-is-not-the-villain/) states that friends interviewed by police described Michelle as someone who “requires a lot of attention” and “has a history of being the ‘girl who cried wolf'”.

Let’s look at July 12, 2014, the day before his body was found. He spent the day with his family at the beach. An article on masslive.com states there have been two stories about that day at the beach. One story is that the day went fine and Roy spent quality time with family. He walked the beach with his mother discussing college and other future plans. Another story, given by Roy’s mother to New York Magazine, states that Roy was distracted and more interested in texting than speaking with her. It was discovered later that he had been texting Michelle Carter. According to those text messages, Carter was urging Roy to end his life. It appears that Roy had second thoughts about ending his life, but Carter just wouldn’t let it go. Texts from Carter state, “You said you were gonna do it. Like I don’t get why you aren’t. So I guess you aren’t going to do it then. All that for nothing.”. Here’s messages I found from deadstate.org (https://deadstate.org/here-are-the-disturbing-texts-from-michelle-carter-pressuring-her-boyfriend-to-commit-suicide/

Carter acted as if she was devastated about losing Conrad. She was so consumed by her grief and sadness that she enjoyed her prom and visited Disney World. (I promise I’m rolling my eyes so hard at the moment!) Anyway, as the investigation unraveled, it was brought to light Michelle’s role in Conrad’s suicide. Carter opted for a bench trial. A bench trial is when a judge, not a jury, would decide the punishment. She was convicted in 2017 of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 15 months with 5 years probation. She was just released, 3 months early, for her good behavior. One of the conditions in her release is that she cannot profit from her story.

My personal opinion about this case probably won’t mean much to most but I like adding my two cents worth anyway! Michelle Carter, in my opinion, is an attention-seeking monster. She met Conrad while they were both on vacation with their families and decided right then and there that she had found a “puppet”. She took the next two years, sending thousands and thousands of text messages, grooming him for his death. Conrad had dealt with depression in the past and did have a suicidal past…BUT he was doing better and making progress. Carter came along and seemed to enjoy pulling strings and calling the shots. The constant messages to Conrad demanding that he commit suicide and the “effort” to help his family find him afterward proves she’s evil as hell. She posted so many “sad” updates on social media and arranged little remembrance events for him…all the while knowing she was the one who convinced him to take his own life. Serving 12 months has taught her NOTHING, in my opinion. She’s going to go on with her life. She’s going to have all the experiences in her life that she stripped from Conrad. It’s completely ridiculous that her punishment wasn’t more severe. We have to have more consequences for crimes like this.

With that said, I implore anyone dealing with sadness and/or suicidal thoughts to seek help. Please talk to someone. Talk with a trusted friend and/or adult or call a hotline. There are resources available! You matter! Don’t let others make you feel “less than”.

National Suicide Hotline- 1-800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863

Text HELLO to 741741 for Crisis help

Click this link for hotlines for any and all situations- https://psychcentral.com/lib/common-hotline-phone-numbers/