She stood in a Court of Queen’s Bench before Madam Justice Sue Crawford in the matter of Girl A, Girl B and Girl C.

“You’ve come a long way.” Justice Crawford looked over her bifocals at the woman.

The judge had read every report and had presided over every review in the case during the last several years, after Justice Claiborne died of heart failure while wintering in Florida. Today’s final review was the woman’s last court appearance for it marked the completion and final day of her sentence. She was supported by her lawyer, caseworkers and psychologists to attest to her conduct over the years.

Relatives and friends of the Tullocks were in the courtroom to bear witness to the next chapter, along with some of the investigators, members of the public and several journalists, including some who’d reported on the murders in Eternity from day one more than a decade earlier. But few details could be reported today as the case was still covered by laws protecting the identities and privacy of Girl A, Girl B and Girl C. Records concerning the woman standing before Justice Crawford that had been submitted to the court were sealed.

Today’s court matter would be replayed two weeks later when a second convicted killer, a woman, aged twenty-six, dressed in a short-sleeved knit blouse and pants, her hair in a side ponytail, appeared before Justice Crawford. Like the previous woman, she’d be accompanied by several people to see her through her last appearance.

Nearly three weeks later, the scenario would be repeated with the third woman convicted in the case. Also now twenty-six, she’d be wearing a white dress shirt and new stylish haircut when she made her final court appearance before Justice Crawford with her support team, while a similar group of people observed from the gallery.

In each instance, the caseworkers and psychologists reported the progress each woman had made on the long, difficult road to rehabilitation.

During their time, each woman, as a condition of their sentences, had been separated from the others, serving six years in federal institutions, including a year credit for time served before sentencing. They then served four years in different halfway houses in separate cities across the county, then they were released on their own but were required to report to police every month for two years—failure to do so meant a return to prison.

Throughout those years, each woman had undergone intensive therapy, which included keeping journals and diaries to demonstrate how they were maturing and making progress by facing the issues leading up to their crimes and the consequences. Each woman completed secondary school and had taken some university and college-level courses which could be applied in pursuit of any degrees or diplomas. Each had found jobs and had matured while coming to terms with the tragedy.