Chapter 10 - The Verdict
The jury deliberated for less than forty-five minutes—one of the fastest verdicts in county history.
When the court reconvened, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Josephine sat at her table, her hands cuffed, her eyes bloodshot and defeated. Her brother Richard sat in the gallery behind her, looking down at the floor, knowing he had lost completely.
“Will the defendant please stand,” Judge Harris ordered.
Josephine stood up slowly.
“On count one, Attempted First-Degree Extortion, how do you find?”
“Guilty,” the jury foreman announced.
“On count two, Felony Unlawful Imprisonment…”
“Guilty.”
“On count three, Aggravated Child Endangerment resulting in bodily injury…”
“Guilty.”
“On count four, Forgery and Financial Fraud…”
“Guilty.”
Guilty on all counts.
Three months later, the sentencing hearing took place. Judge Harris did not hold back.
“Josephine Sullivan, your actions represent the absolute pinnacle of narcissistic cruelty,” Judge Harris said, looking down at her over his glasses. “You weaponized the birth of a child to destroy a young family out of sheer greed and malice. You showed no remorse, no humanity, and no maternal instinct.”
He banged his gavel down hard.
“I sentence you to twenty-five years in the Iowa State Penitentiary, without the possibility of parole for fifteen years.”
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Josephine broke down into ugly, hysterical wails as the bailiffs hoisted her up and led her away toward the heavy steel doors at the back of the courtroom. She looked back at me one last time, her eyes pleading, but I turned my back on her, focusing only on the woman beside me.
Melanie received five years of supervised probation, a felony conviction on her record, and five hundred hours of community service. Her life as she knew it was over.
