The mother of a man who killed himself at the urging of his girlfriend over text messages has filed a wrongful death lawsuit for $4.2 million.

Conrad Roy, 18, killed himself on July 12, 2014, after being encouraged to do so by his girlfriend, Michelle Carter. Then 17, Carter wanted Roy to die so she could play the part of the grieving girlfriend and gain attention from her peers, prosecutors argued.

She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and on Thursday, she was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. Her sentence is on hold pending the outcome of her appeal.

Carter is also now in the midst of a civil case related to Roy's death. Lynn Roy, his mother, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in July, according to court records. She is seeking $4.2 million in damages from Carter for her son's death, the Associated Press reported.

Eric Goldman, an attorney for the Roy family, told MassLive.com any money won in the suit will go to some kind of memorial.

"The family would obviously rather have their son back," Goldman said. "What the Roys are looking to do is somehow memorialize Conrad."

