Chapter 15 - What the Jury Believed
The verdict came count by count.
Hospital felonious assault.
Guilty.
Home domestic assault with serious burn injury.
Guilty.
Administration of harmful substance during current pregnancy.
Guilty.
Financial theft/breach involving inheritance transfers.
Guilty on major count.
Unauthorized computer access.
Guilty.
Solicitation to tamper with evidence through Mason.
Not guilty.
That surprised me.
The jury apparently believed Luke’s instruction to clean could be ambiguous enough.
Fair.
Then the hardest.
Count alleging intentional administration of harmful substance materially caused pregnancy 4 loss.
Guilty.
I stopped breathing.
Then a related higher intent count alleging he specifically intended fetal death.
Not guilty.
The jury found he intentionally gave harmful substance and materially contributed to loss, but state had not proven the highest specific intent beyond reasonable doubt.
Nuance.
Pregnancy 3 was not charged.
Pregnancy 1 and 2 remained medically unresolved.
No verdict.
Luke closed eyes.
I cried.
Not victory.
One baby acknowledged by court.
Two still unknown.
That had to be enough.
Then jury polled.
Unanimous.
Luke was remanded.
Sentencing later.
His lawyer announced appeal.
Normal.
Then outside courthouse, reporters waited because case had gained attention.
I did not speak.
Rebecca did not.
Prosecutor gave brief.
No sensational.
Then Emma’s custody.
Criminal convictions changed family case.
Guardian recommended no contact during incarceration and eventual termination/restriction depending best interests.
Luke still father biologically.
Could his parental rights be terminated solely due conviction? Need process.
The family court considered neglect/abuse petition. Because Luke endangered fetus and mother, plus long sentence, court later terminated parental rights? In many states incarceration alone not enough, but severe abuse and best interest. Let's build over time.
At this stage, suspended.
Then sentencing report.
No prior criminal history.
But repeated conduct.
Severe burns.
Pregnancy loss.
Financial abuse.
Hospital attack.
Threat.
Judge considered.
Luke spoke.
Not full remorse.
“I never wanted Caroline dead.”
Maybe true.
Then:
“I wanted time.”
There.
“I thought I could fix money.”
Then:
“I should never have touched her medication.”
My breath caught.
His attorney looked startled.
He had never admitted.
Then:
“I told myself I was making her sick, not killing pregnancies.”
A courtroom gasp.
The judge stopped.
“Are you admitting conduct beyond testimony?”
Luke said:
“Yes.”
Then:
“I lied at trial.”
His attorney asked recess.
After consultation, Luke continued against advice? Could expose perjury.
He admitted poisoning current and pregnancy 4.
Not higher specific intent.
Then:
“I did not cause first two.”
“What about third?”
Silence.
“I put something in supplements.”
There.
No charge yet? Statute maybe.
Prosecutor could later. Double jeopardy? Not charged, could bring. But sentencing/plea maybe.
Why confess now?
He said:
“I don't want Emma to grow up reading I blamed her mother.”
That was first act that might be about child.
Too late, but real.
Then pregnancy 3 could be charged separately. The state later filed? We need not overdo. Could include new charge from admission and corroborating purchases. But user wants 25 chapters; more legal. Let's do careful: Prosecutor investigated and later offered plea resolving new pregnancy 3 poisoning count along with waiver of appeal issues in exchange for concurrent additional term? But double jeopardy only on uncharged okay. Could.
At sentencing initial case, judge cannot sentence uncharged third loss, but can consider relevant conduct within limits.
Sentence on current convictions:
Twenty-two years aggregate? User likes realistic. Luke 30s, repeated severe. Maybe 18 years. Let's choose effective 18 years, with eligibility/release credits. Financial and assault partly consecutive.
Judge:
“You converted care into instrument of control.”
Then:
“You manufactured illness and told victim her body was defective.”
Then:
“You endangered a viable pregnancy and attacked her again inside hospital.”
Eighteen years.
Not life.
Then new pregnancy 3 investigation.
Luke entered negotiated plea months later to an additional count of administering harmful substance, admitting intent to cause serious pregnancy complication but not specific fetal death; sentence three years concurrent partly, adding two years effective, total around twenty.
Could be plausible.
Then appeals.
Luke withdrew factual innocence claims related poisoning as part plea but preserved sentencing legal issues.
Later sentence reduced by one year on technical merger issue.
Effective approximately nineteen.
This can be later.
Then I walked out.
Rebecca beside me.
I said:
“He admitted third.”
“Yes.”
“First two?”
“No proof.”
I cried.
She said:
“You may never know.”
May you like
I hated.
But truth includes unknown.
