Chapter 19 - Derek’s charges
The criminal cases did not merge into one sensational charge.
The child case involved:
Felony child endangerment.
Unlawful restraint.
Intimidation or threat-related conduct.
The financial case involved:
Identity theft.
Forgery-related electronic conduct.
Unauthorized access and transfers.
Evidence destruction.
Exact counts changed.
Some dismissed in negotiation.
Some consolidated.
Derek eventually pleaded guilty to a serious child-endangerment/unlawful-restraint offense and several financial felonies.
He admitted:
He knowingly locked Emily in the dog cage.
He knew she could not leave.
He kept her there substantially longer than any safety need could justify.
He used threatening language involving the pool.
He destroyed financial records and devices connected to unauthorized accounts.
He did not admit intending to kill Emily.
No evidence supported that.
Sentence:
Several years in state custody.
Not decades.
Additional supervision afterward.
Restitution to Laura for documented financial losses.
No contact with Emily.
No contact with Laura except legal channels.
The judge said:
“A child is not an evidence-control problem.”
That line stayed with me.
May you like
Simple.
Accurate.
