Chapter 19 - The Verdict and Judgment
The jury deliberation following the two-week trial was one of the fastest in the history of the federal district court. Exactly one hour and twelve minutes after retiring to the jury room, the bailiff notified Judge Vance that a unanimous verdict had been reached.
I stood beside Grandfather Arthur in the front row of the gallery, holding his arm tightly as the twelve jurors filed back into the box. The courtroom was so quiet you could hear the hum of the air conditioning vents overhead. Richard and Beatrice stood at the defense table, flanked by four federal marshals, their heads hanging low in absolute defeat.
The jury foreman, a retired schoolteacher, handed the verdict sheet to the clerk of the court, who read it into the microphone with ringing clarity.
"On Count One, Conspiracy to Commit Attempted Murder of an Elderly Dependent: we find the defendants, Richard Sterling and Beatrice Sterling, GUILTY."
"On Count Two, Severe Elder Abuse and Unlawful Imprisonment: we find the defendants GUILTY."
"On Counts Three through Thirty-Two, Wire Fraud, Identity Theft, and Insurance Fraud: we find the defendants GUILTY on all counts."
A wave of applause and emotional sighs swept through the courtroom gallery, immediately silenced by a sharp tap of Judge Vance’s gavel. The judge fixed his cold, uncompromising gaze on my parents.
"Richard and Beatrice Sterling," Judge Vance spoke, his voice vibrating with righteous indignation. "In my thirty years on the bench, I have rarely encountered such a depraved, sociopathic betrayal of basic human decency. You preyed upon a man who gave you everything, treating him with a cruelty that defies imagination for the sake of material greed."
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The judge picked up his sentencing pen. "I hereby sentence both Richard Sterling and Beatrice Sterling to thirty-five years in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, without the possibility of parole. You are further ordered to pay full restitution of four point two million dollars to the Arthur Sterling Recovery Trust, and all seized assets are permanently forfeited to the United States government. Remand the prisoners immediately."
As the heavy steel handcuffs were clicked onto my parents' wrists for the final time, dragging them away to spend the rest of their natural lives behind concrete walls, Grandfather Arthur looked at me and nodded slowly. Justice had not only been served; it had been absolute.
