Prologue
“Harley Andrews, you’re under arrest for the murder of Gwen Andrews. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you.” Sheriff Ward takes me away in handcuffs towards his squad car that’s flashing red and blue, and blinding me. I don’t resist, but I do plead with him to hear me out. Hear that I’m innocent. I don’t know how the knife that killed my brother’s wife got into my vent. I’m not a murderer.
“Wait!” I hear my brother, Teddy, scream.I’m instantly relieved. He knows me. He knows I didn’t do this. He’ll tell the sheriff that he’s making a mistake. The sheriff stops dragging me, and I almost cry in relief when my brother appears in front of us.
“How dare you?” That’s right Teddy! Give him hell! Make him release me! “How could you kill her? How could you do this to me?” Huh? He’s talking to me? He thinks I actually did this? I don’t know what to say because my brother, out of everyone, should know I would never. I open my mouth to tell him I’m innocent, but before I can get it out, I’m suddenly thrown back as Teddy punches me in the face. I can feel blood coming out of my nose as two cops drag him away. The tears I’ve been holding back since the sheriff found the bloody knife in my vent finally start to silently roll down my face. My brother actually believes I did this. He hates me. He just punched me. The boy I helped raise after our mom died, took one look at me and decided I was a monster.
After I’m thrown into the back of the squad car, I use my shoulders to wipe my tears away, and pray to the Graceful God that my parents told me about to help them see the truth, to help me not get sent away to prison for a crime I didn’t commit.
Hours later, I’m interrogated in a hot as hell room, and sweating as I try to tell them I didn’t do this. Unfortunately, none of my answers are helping.
Where were you the night of November 17?
I was home alone.
Any witnesses or cameras that can support that?
no.
Can you explain why we found the murder weapon in your home?
I don’t know how it got there, but I didn’t do it.
They showed me the murder weapon which was in a bag, and I had to tell the truth that it was my knife. They showed me gruesome pictures of her crime scene and dead body, which makes me sick to my stomach. I loved Gwen like a sister. She was my sister, forget the in-law part. I helped her on a couple of projects at her house while Teddy was away, and she was always so full of life. The pictures of her body mess with me, because it doesn’t look like her. That picture shows a lifeless body with empty eyes. It doesn’t look like her , but it is.
After what felt like years in interrogation, they lock me away, and I get no sleep on the lumpy mattress I’m forced to sleep on. All I can think is that there’s no way I’m getting out of this. The world has labeled me as a murderer, and I’m never going home again.
3 Months Later
“We the jury find the defendant guilty on account of murder.”
Though I fought hard at my trial, and had the best lawyer money can buy, I’m still not free.
After getting arrested, I went top court to see if I could stay out of jail on bail, but I was denied. It didn’t stop me from calling a friend from college. She went to law school after we graduated. She was a hell of a lawyer, but she quit after three years and became a journalist instead. I didn’t want to call her because I know what being a lawyer cost her, but I don’t trust anyone else.
She believed me when I said I was innocent. She’s the first person to look me in the eye when she asked if I did it, and saw the truth.
She set up a good case for me. With no evidence, she put together a group of old friends to speak on my character. That’s what my case relied on was that the jury saw my true character, and realized I didn’t do it. I even got on the stand and defended my innocence. She said it would help people make their own opinion on me and my character.
Unfortunately, with my family sitting on the opposing side, it didn’t look good.
After being sentenced to life in prison, I broke down crying. I tried not to. I tried to be strong, but as I looked around and saw my family not even looking at me it was impossible. I was alone. My family abandoned me. I was going to prison for a crime I didn’t do.