Chapter 23 - The Verdict
"On the first count of first-degree murder, how do you find the defendant?" Judge Ross asked the jury foreman clearly.
"We find the defendant, Evelyn Vance, guilty," the foreman announced with unyielding certainty.
A collective sigh of relief swept through the spectator benches as Julian squeezed Richard Hayes’s shoulder tightly.
Evelyn sank into her chair without making a sound, her eyes staring blankly at the polished mahogany floor.
"On the second count of felony child endangerment, we find the defendant guilty," the foreman continued firm.
"On the third count of wire fraud and conspiracy, we find the defendant guilty."
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Judge Ross turned to Evelyn, her expression stern and completely devoid of sympathy for the disgraced matriarch.
"Sentencing will take place in two weeks," Judge Ross announced before striking her wooden gavel down sharply.
