Chapter 25 - The Verdict
The jury deliberated for exactly forty-five minutes.
It was a record time for a felony trial of this magnitude in Denver County. When the jurors filed back into the box, they refused to even look in the direction of the defense tables.
The judge, a stern, older woman who had barely masked her own disgust throughout the trial, demanded silence in the court.
"Has the jury reached a verdict?" the judge asked.
"We have, Your Honor," the forewoman replied, her voice ringing with absolute certainty.
Grant closed his eyes tightly. Vanessa stared blankly at the wall, chewing on her thumbnail, completely disassociated from the reality of her impending doom.
"On the charges of felony child abuse in the first degree, we find the defendant, Vanessa Vale—also known as Valerie Vane—guilty."
"On the charges of felony child endangerment, we find the defendant, Vanessa Vale, guilty."
"On the charges of felony child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse, and gross criminal neglect, we find the defendant, Grant Carlisle, guilty on all counts."
The heavy silence of the courtroom was broken by my sharp, profound exhale. The crushing weight that had sat on my chest since the moment I walked into my home and saw my daughter on the floor finally, completely lifted.
The judge didn't wait for a separate sentencing hearing. She looked down at the two pathetic figures before her.
May you like
"Grant Carlisle and Valerie Vane, your actions represent the most depraved, cowardly failure of human decency I have seen in my twenty years on the bench," the judge stated coldly. "I sentence you both to twenty-five years in the Colorado State Penitentiary, without the possibility of parole. May God have mercy on your souls, because this court has none."
The bailiffs immediately grabbed Grant and Vanessa, violently yanking them to their feet and slapping the heavy chains around their wrists and waists. As they were dragged out of the courtroom, neither of them looked back. The monsters had been slain.
