Chapter 13 - The Verdict
Nana's video deposition was played on the second day of the trial.
Because of her age and the stress, the judge allowed her to testify via a pre-recorded video.
She looked immaculate on the large screen, wearing a beautiful floral blouse.
She spoke clearly and heartbreakingly about how her son had betrayed her trust.
She described the morning she was thrown out into the negative thirty-eight-degree cold.
Several jurors visibly wiped away tears as she described her fear of freezing to death.
She ended her testimony by stating she had forgiven them, but she still wanted justice.
That statement was the final nail in their perfectly crafted coffin.
The defense attorney rested his case without calling a single witness to the stand.
There was absolutely no defense against the mountain of paper trails and emotional testimony.
Closing arguments took less than two hours.
The jury deliberated for a record-breaking forty-five minutes before returning to the courtroom.
I held my breath as the foreperson stood up to read the verdict aloud.
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Guilty on all counts of wire fraud, elder abuse, forgery, and grand theft.
My mother collapsed into loud, ugly sobs, while my father stared blankly at the wall.
