The Rogue Mate

Prologue.

“Please stand for the jury.” I stood with a heavy heart, watching as six men and six women filed into the room.

“Please be seated, the record will show the presence of the jury, the defendant and all counsel. Ladies and gentlemen I understand that you have reached a verdict? The verdict form has been handed to the bailiff please come forward. Clerical read and record the verdict.” Judge Reuters voice echoed around the courtroom.  My heart pounded in my chest, a bead of sweat dripped down my forehead as I awaited the decision that would change my life forever.

Who was I kidding? My life had already been changed. Even if I was found innocent, a verdict that seemed very unlikely, my name had been dragged through the mud in a court case that had driven the media into a frenzy. My family had disowned me as more and more evidence appeared, all against me. My boyfriend had dumped me the minute the police knocked on my door. The one person who had believed in me my entire life and loved me unconditionally was the reason I was here.  

The clerical, a fat man of around fifty, scanned his beady eyes over the piece of paper that contained my fate. There was total silence as he began talking.

“The state of Montana vs. Evan Taylor. We the dury duly impound and sworn of the above and titled action upon our oaths do find the defendant on four counts of murder, guilty.” My world came crashing down then. Over the past year there had been countless trials with media hounding me for statement. All previous trials had ended with hung juries until new evidence began emerging; it was all bull. “Five jurors find premeditated, zero find felony murder, seven find both premeditated and felony. Is this your true verdict say you one and all?”

“Ladies and gentlemen the clerk is now going to ask you a question please answer with yes or no.”

“Juror number one is this your true verdict?”

“Yes.”

There was a resounding yes from all members of the jury. There were no tears, no words as I sat in silence. In the eyes of the law and the eyes of America I was guilty of the murder of my uncle and three ranch hands.

“Evan Taylor, you are sentenced to death by lethal injection for your crimes.”

After that everything was a blur as I was carted away. They flew me to the other side of the country to be incarcerated in Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women; one of the worst prisons in the country where inmates went to die.