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Back Legacy of Lies
Chapters (88)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. PART TWO
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. PART THREE
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. PART FOUR
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. 73
  82. 74
  83. 75
  84. 76
  85. 77
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  88. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

She cocked her head. “No. Only that the truck was going really slow when it passed Butch’s house.”

fleuron

After a short break for lunch, the afternoon started with the fingerprint and DNA evidence, which was also bad for the home team. Chief Frannie Storm testified that print analysis of the victim’s house showed matches for the defendant on the knob of the side door of the victim’s home and on the victim’s shirtsleeves. The only prints found in the house belonged to the victim, the defendant, and the victim’s neighbor, Terry Grimes, who was the person who found the victim after Butch had failed to show for their morning workout. Frannie then testified that particles of blood, hair, and skin were uncovered in the den where the body was discovered and that microscopic fragments of blood were located in the defendant’s car and on the defendant’s clothing. Frannie said that all the DNA evidence had been sent off to the crime lab in Nashville.

Frannie then summarized the sheriff department’s search of the victim’s home, car, and clothing, concluding that Butch Renfroe’s laptop computer and wallet were missing.

Finally, Frannie testified to the discovery of the press release in the safe of Butch Renfroe’s home. Over Bo’s hearsay objections—the rules of evidence were more liberal at a preliminary hearing as opposed to trial—Frannie read the letter.

When Sack said he had no further questions for Frannie, Bo expected the state to say it was through. They clearly had more than enough evidence to show probable cause, which was the threshold for the judge to bind the case over to the grand jury.

“Anything further, General Glover?” Judge Connelly asked.

“We have one additional witness, Your Honor. The state calls Ms. Gloria Sanchez to the stand.”

fleuron

As she watched her top assistant—her right hand—these past three years walk through the double doors and take the witness stand, Helen felt as if the air had been kicked out of her. She glanced at her lawyer, and Bo raised his eyebrows as if to ask, What could this be?

Helen shrugged and turned her attention back to the action.

After Gloria was sworn in, Sack quickly covered her background as an assistant district attorney employed by the defendant. Then he cut right to the chase.

“Ms. Sanchez, did you witness a conversation on April 1, 2015, between the victim and the defendant?”

“Yes,” Gloria said, and Helen felt the hair on her arms begin to prickle.

She lied to me, Helen thought.

“When and where did this conversation occur?”

“In this courtroom at approximately two o’clock in the afternoon.”

Sack paused, clearly relishing the moment. “Please describe to the court what you saw and heard.”

Bo started to stand, presumably to make a hearsay objection, but Helen placed her hand over his. “No,” she whispered. “I want to hear.”