CHAPTER 6: The Trial
The trial lasted three weeks.
The courtroom was packed. Reporters from every major network. Cameras everywhere.
Daniel's mother, Margaret, testified for three hours. Her voice was shaky. But her words were strong.
She told the jury how Michael had murdered her husband. How Vanessa had abused her. How they had both planned to steal everything from her son.
Elena testified too. She described the beatings. The locked rooms. The starvation.
And then, the final witness.
An elderly woman who had survived one of Michael's earlier scams. She had been too afraid to speak for years. But now, with everything coming to light, she finally broke her silence.
"Michael took everything from me," she said. "My husband was dying. He couldn't protect me. And Michael drained our accounts. He said if I told anyone, my husband would die."
The jury deliberated for only four hours.
The verdict: Guilty on all counts.
Michael: Life in prison for first-degree murder, plus additional charges for fraud and elder abuse.
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Vanessa: Twenty-five years to life for conspiracy to commit murder, elder abuse, fraud, and forgery.
