Chapter 14 - The Grand Jury
Six months after the wake, a Cook County grand jury returned indictments.
Julian:
Aggravated kidnapping/unlawful confinement of a child.
Aggravated child endangerment.
Administration of a harmful substance to facilitate confinement.
Attempted murder of Chloe.
Financial exploitation/fraud against the trust.
Forgery.
Obstruction.
Criminal threats and attempted aggravated assault toward me.
Victoria:
Conspiracy and accountability on most Chloe-related counts.
Child endangerment.
Financial fraud.
Forgery.
Obstruction.
Criminal threat/conspiracy related to the adult-casket plan, though not attempted murder of me.
Both pleaded not guilty.
Attempted murder count became contested.
Their lawyers argued:
They intended fake death, not actual death.
They planned to move Chloe alive to Wisconsin.
The state argued:
Keeping a febrile child sedated, restrained, and sealed in a casket while planning additional sedation demonstrated intent or at least knowledge consistent with lethal outcome.
A jury would decide.
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I did not need attempted murder label to know what happened.
But I understood why prosecution charged it.
