Chapter 8 - The Verdict & Michael's Downfall
Evelyn approached the witness stand slowly. Dana pulled her shoulders in, attempting to look frail.
“Mrs. Hale,” Evelyn began, her voice soft but sharp as a razor. “You claim my mother threw a glass vase at your head, correct?”
“Yes,” Dana whimpered. “It shattered right next to me.”
“And you claim you acted purely in self-defense?”
“Yes! I was defending myself!”
Evelyn opened the folder and pulled out a series of high-definition forensic laboratory photographs.
“This is the forensic analysis of the glass vase found in my mother’s living room,” Evelyn said, displaying the images on the courtroom monitors. “If a glass vase had been thrown and shattered against the wall during a violent struggle, microscopic glass dust and sharp fragments would be embedded in the carpet fibers, on your clothing, and on your shoes.”
Evelyn paused, turning to the jury.
“However, state forensic experts analyzed the clothing you wore that night, as well as the carpet in that room. Not a single particle of glass was found on your clothes or shoes. In fact, the glass vase you claim was thrown was found neatly packed inside a box in your garage—where you took it three days prior during your illegal attempt to clear out my mother's furniture.”
Dana’s eyes widened in horror. She looked frantically toward her lawyer, but Sterling was staring down at his desk, realizing he had been caught in a trap.
“Furthermore,” Evelyn continued, stepping closer to Dana, “we performed a digital restoration on the smartwatch you were wearing that night. Your heart rate was recorded at a steady 68 beats per minute throughout the entire encounter—until after you struck my mother, when your heart rate elevated during the physical effort of dragging her into the hallway.”
“That’s a lie!” Dana shrieked, losing her composure completely. Her meek persona shattered into pure malice. “She deserved it! She’s an old hag sitting on millions in real estate while we were struggling! She should have just signed the paper!”
Gasps echoed throughout the courtroom. The jury members looked at Dana with outright horror.
Sterling buried his face in his hands.
At the separate defense table, Michael covered his eyes and began sobbing uncontrollably.
Three days later, after less than two hours of deliberation, the jury returned with their verdicts.
Dana Hale: GUILTY on all counts. Sentenced to twenty-five years in state prison without possibility of early parole.
Michael Hale: GUILTY of felony conspiracy, forgery, and financial elder abuse. Sentenced to twelve years in state prison.
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Former Captain Ross: GUILTY of corruption, evidence tampering, and obstruction. Sentenced to fifteen years in federal penitentiary.
As the judge slammed the gavel down, police officers handcuffed Dana and led her away screaming profanities. Michael looked back at Evelyn and his mother one last time, tears streaming down his face, as he was led out in chains.
