Eight Months Pregnant, I Refused to Hand Over the $150,000 My Husband Had Saved for Our Unborn Twins While He Was Overseas. My Sister-in-Law Responded by Punching Me in the Stomach and Leaving Me Fighting for My Babies’ Lives. She Thought She Had Erased the Truth… Never Realizing Every Second Had Been Captured on Camera.

The jury deliberated for a record-breaking twenty-two minutes.

When the twelve men and women returned to the courtroom, the air was so thick with tension you could cut it with a knife.

Judge Vance looked at the jury foreperson. "Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor," the foreperson—a stern-faced veteran—answered clearly.

"The defendants will rise," Judge Vance ordered.

Patricia and Brianna stood up, flanked by four armed county bailiffs. Patricia was shaking so violently she could barely keep her feet under her.

"On Count One: First-Degree Attempted Murder—how do you find the defendant, Brianna Brooks?"

"Guilty."

"On Count Two: Aggravated Assault on a Pregnant Female Resulting in Serious Bodily Harm—how do you find the defendant, Brianna Brooks?"

"Guilty."

"On Count Three: Felony Child Abuse Resulting in Critical Injury—how do you find the defendant, Brianna Brooks?"

"Guilty."

"On Count Four: Attempted Grand Larceny and Wire Fraud—how do you find the defendant, Brianna Brooks?"

"Guilty."

Brianna let out a high-pitched, hysterical shriek, collapsing back into her chair as the bailiffs caught her arms.

The foreperson continued reading the verdicts for Patricia Brooks:

First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder: GUILTY.

Accomplice to Aggravated Domestic Assault: GUILTY.

Felony Obstruction of Justice: GUILTY.

Grand Embezzlement and Systemic Financial Fraud: GUILTY.

Judge Vance did not delay. He looked down over his half-moon spectacles at the two crying, ruined women sitting at the defense table.

"In my thirty-five years serving on the judicial bench," Judge Vance spoke, his deep voice resounding off the marble walls, "I have witnessed many crimes born of desperation, anger, or tragic human error. But rarely have I witnessed a crime so devoid of basic human conscience as the one presented in this courtroom."

He turned his stern gaze upon Patricia.

"Patricia Brooks, you were a mother. You were supposed to be a grandmother. Yet, out of sheer greed and a desire to cover your own financial crimes, you stood over your bleeding, pregnant daughter-in-law and instructed your daughter to leave her and two unborn children to die on a cold floor. Your actions represent the absolute nadir of human morality."

He turned to Brianna. "And you, Brianna Brooks, acted as an instrument of horrific violence against a defenseless woman who was carrying your own niece and nephew. You showed zero remorse then, and you show zero remorse now."

Judge Vance slammed his heavy wooden gavel down onto the sound block.

"Sentencing is rendered immediately:

Brianna Brooks: You are sentenced to thirty-five years in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction without the possibility of parole.

Patricia Brooks: You are sentenced to thirty years in maximum-security state custody without parole, followed by full financial asset forfeiture to restore the embezzled funds to the Brooks Estate Trust."

The courtroom erupted into a sea of murmurs and camera flashes as bailiffs snapped heavy steel leg irons onto both women, dragging them screaming through the side exit doors toward the state transport van.

Patricia turned her head wildly toward Ryan as she was being dragged away.