“So, you woke him up to do it again at 6:30?” the prosecutor clarified.
Lisa, embarrassed, replied, “No, he was already ready.”
The prosecutor, seeing the jury’s reaction, continued, “Tell us exactly how you woke him up.”
Lisa, resigned, said, “I just started doing it with him.”
The prosecutor moved in for the final blow.
“You said you love your husband. Is that true?”
After Lisa’s emphatic yes, he continued, “You spent the night with his best friend while he took his life. How can we believe you weren’t involved in his end of life?”
Lisa cried quietly, unable to answer. Judge Cox ended her suffering by asking if there were any more questions.
When there were none, the judge announced a lunch recess.
After Lisa composed herself, she joined her attorney, Basil Smith, for a somber lunch. The experienced attorney warned them the case could go either way. Privately, he was pessimistic, since both clients had faltered on the witness stand.
The afternoon session ended quickly as Smith announced there were no more defense witnesses. Both attorneys prepared their closing statements.
The prosecutor emphasized the overwhelming evidence against the defendants, while the defense stressed the circumstantial nature of the case, the absence of a body, and the lack of a clear motive.
The case went to the jury by 4:00 p.m., and they deliberated for two hours before retiring for the night.
The next morning, Lisa and Blake waited at Basil Smith’s office for the jury’s verdict. Sharing a conference room, they put aside their differences, hoping for acquittal.
By 3:30 p.m., the call came. The jury had reached a verdict.
Lisa’s parents, who had come to town for the trial, were present at the courthouse. The verdict was announced quickly.
Guilty of second-degree homicide.
Lisa burst into tears, and Blake pounded his fist in frustration. They were handcuffed and taken into custody, with Lisa having a brief moment to speak to her parents, proclaiming her innocence.
The week between conviction and sentencing passed slowly. Lisa’s parents visited daily, while Blake received one visit from a cousin.
At sentencing, both received fifteen years to life. Basil Smith promised to review the court records for a possible appeal.
Within three days, they were transferred to state prison. Lisa’s prison had a good reputation, but Blake’s had a history of riots.
With the trial over, media coverage ceased, and Lisa Evans and Blake Moore faded from public attention.
A couple of months later, Basil Smith and Jeff Bagden met for a drink, reflecting on the case. Smith expressed surprise at the convictions, believing the defendants’ consistent stories suggested innocence.
Bagden replied, “The jury didn’t believe them. I try not to take these cases personally unless they involve particularly heinous crimes or children. This case wasn’t the worst, but it didn’t generate much sympathy for the defendants.”
A year later, a news item reported a major disturbance at Blake Moore’s prison. Blake had been stabbed during the riot and transferred to the hospital with a collapsed lung. He was in serious condition but expected to survive.
Eighteen months after Lisa Evans and Blake Moore were convicted of Mark Evans’ homicide, Basil Smith rarely thought about the case. He had spent the first year reviewing transcripts but found no legal grounds for appeal.
One quiet Wednesday morning at the New York office of the Innocence Project, the receptionist received a FedEx package. Inside were a DVD, a sealed biohazard bag, and a multi-page letter.
Intrigued, she called Tony Kelly, a young lawyer, to look at it. Tony, dressed casually, took the package to his office. He had been with the Innocence Project for a year doing legal research. He enjoyed helping those wrongfully convicted.
Sitting at his desk, he read the letter.
The letter, addressed to the Innocence Project, began:
“Regarding the convictions of Lisa Evans and Blake Moore, I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll start at the beginning.
My name is not important, but the information I have could change the lives of the two convicted and five others, including me.
About fifteen months ago, a man responded to my ad for a computer-literate person. He knew as much, if not more, about business networks than I did. I hired him immediately.
This man, whom I’ll call Mark, was quiet but exceptionally skilled. Within two months, my business grew by fifty percent due to his efforts and long hours.
When Mark started working for me, he had just arrived in town and hadn’t rented a place yet. My business was new, so I rented him our basement room for extra income. I wanted to reinvest profits into the business to support me and my young son.
Though a risk, something about Mark convinced me he was no threat. We quickly settled into a routine. For the first three months, he lived in the basement but ate with us and commuted together. He often worked extra hours without pay, preferring productivity over TV or sleep.
Over time, our relationship evolved from employer and employee to friends and eventually into a loving family. My son now calls him Dad.
From the start, I sensed something deeply troubled Mark. One quiet afternoon, I locked the office door and called him in, determined to find out what was bothering him.
He eventually confessed he was running from a failed marriage. His wife had betrayed him with a good friend, and he nearly committed homicide and self-destruction because of it.
Our conversation helped him overcome his past. We started dating on weekends, maintaining separate roles during the week. After a month, he moved from the basement into my bedroom, and we became a family.
Despite this, I felt he was still hiding something. Our relationship grew stronger, and Mark became a father figure to my son, who needs a loving dad.
Four days ago, Mark collapsed at work and was diagnosed with a heart condition requiring surgery. Once stabilized, he was moved to a private room where he shared his story, afraid it would die with him if he didn’t survive the surgery.
He told me this over the course of a day. Once I agreed to share his story with you, he seemed relieved. Now, as he sleeps, I’m typing this letter with our son asleep beside him. I need to finish this tonight, create a DVD, and send everything to you by noon tomorrow, ensuring it can’t be traced back to us.
Mark’s story began almost two years ago. He was happily married to Lisa for nearly six years when he noticed a small bruise on her right bosom. Initially thinking it was from bumping into furniture, he realized it looked more like a love bite.
Knowing it wasn’t from him, he spent the night troubled by various scenarios of how the bruise got there. These thoughts stayed with him the next day at work.
By the time he got to his office, he felt foolish for his suspicions. He had no evidence of wrongdoing and thought it was all circumstantial.
Just before lunch, the parts delivery manager brought him a tracking device to evaluate for improving the delivery service. Mark quickly decided how to test it.
Three days after installing the device in his wife’s car, he checked the monitor while at work. She had said she was going shopping, but the tracker showed she went to Blake Moore’s house. An hour later, her car was still there.