A/N – This story is going to be about six chapters long with an prologue and a epilogue. It is suggested that you don't read if you can't handle graphic images seeing as this is a crime story.

Rated M for violence, graphic images, language, and sexual references


January 20th 2010

Joe Hart, a known religious preacher in the town of Lima, Ohio, stood outside the entrance way of a new club called Trexx, an openly gay bar. He shouldn't have gone by himself but no one else would partake in the activities saying he was going to far with it.

When he heard about the opening he furiously made signs and was prepared to voice is opinion. It wasn't his fault he believed what he did – his parents forced it on him at a young age. He was taught that marriage should only be between a man and a women, that same sex couples were sinners and deserved to burn in hell for what they are doing.

He stood there on and off for hours chanting as people walked by and entered the club. Joe left his post once in a while to get a coffee and warm up at Jones Diner. After getting warm he'd head back to his spot outside the club.

He took his post again at 1:45am just before the clubs closing and sprung into action as people walked by. Most of the people paid no attention to him but he noticed a girl looking at him, no not looking, glaring at him as she walked by. She was slim, with long brown hair that curled down to the tips, tanned skin and wore a sweatshirt with a hood and skinny jeans. She looked up to no good. He shrugged her off and continued to chant at the people as they walked by.

By 2:30am, the spot cleared out, so he began to pack his things. Joe was angry that the night was uneventful but he would stand there every night until the club closed down if he had to. He bent down to grab his bag when he heard footsteps approaching. He quickly turned and was greeted with a sharp blade into the stomach. Once, twice, three times. He lost count after the third and fell to the ground. A kick to his ribs easily broke them and he was left for dead.


December 1st 2010

"I would like to call Santana Lopez to the stand." The defense lawyer, Arnold Figgins addressed.

Santana shakily stood up from her spot behind the table, taking a deep breath. Santana's usually long, full, brunette locks were pulled back into a ponytail. She was dressed in an orange jumpsuit with handcuffs on her wrists. She slowly approached the stand to be sworn in.

"Please raise your right hand." The bailiff asked.

She did so instantly lifting it as high as it would go with the restriction of the other cuff and listened to his words carefully.

"Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do." Santana replied full of confidence. When she was seated she sat up straight and proud, looking directly at Figgins.

"Ms Lopez, how was your childhood? Did you have any events in which you were a victim of?" He started.

"No sir, I had a wonderful childhood with loving parents who wanted whats best for me and they still do." Her eyes found her mothers in the crowd. Maribel Lopez was sitting next to her husband Antonio and Santana's younger sister Carmen. The family was visibly upset, tears flowing freely down their cheeks with red swollen eyes, all cuddled together. Santana quickly turned her attention back to her attorney getting tears in her eyes as well. She hated that this was happening to them, she hated that she couldn't hug them, or kiss them, or tell them that everything would be okay. She just hoped that her defense was enough to keep her out of prison.

"I asked this because it's obvious that you come from a loving family and have no reason to rip apart someone elses. Can you please explain to the court, the jury, and the judge what happened the night of January 20th 2010?"

"Well sir, I admit to not having made good decisions that night. I went out about nine o'clock pm to meet Sebastian Smythe, a friend and at the time my drug dealer. I met him on West Street behind Jones Diner where we made the exchange. After meeting him, he left and I stayed behind the diner and did a line or two, from there I proceed to enter Jones Diner for a meal." Santana spoke clearly, with her head up. She wasn't proud of the fact that her best friend used to be the cocaine in her pocket but she wasn't going to hide it from the jury. She wasn't there to clear her name of the drug charges. She was there to clear her name of crime she didn't commit: murder.

"Do you do not deny the fact that you were into drugs?" Figgins asked.

"No sir, I have nothing to hide about that night."

"Continue please."

"While I was eating my meal, I overheard some girls talking about a club which had opened shortly before that night – I'm not sure of the exact time that they opened. I decided that I could go there and try to meet some new people in attempt to try and move on from a past relationship. Inside the club I had a few drinks, did a few lines, and hung out with some girls until close at two am." She closed her eyes taking a deep breath trying to remember every single detail – it was cold when she left and the wind was blowing directly in her face. She put up her hood and proceeded down the sidewalk. "It was cold when I left so I put the hood up on my sweatshirt in attempt to stay warm. As I walked towards home, a male with dreadlocks was still standing outside the club with a sign that said 'Being gay is a sin. You will all go to hell.' He was just there voicing his opinion as he was doing when I past him the first time on my way to meet Mr. Smythe." Santana took a deep breath trying to relax her nervous body.

"About 2:30am, I realized that my cell phone was missing so I retraced my steps back towards the club. When I reached the walk way to the corner of where Mr. Hart was, I saw him lying on the ground in a pool of blood, I quickly approached him to check for pulse. I didn't find one and by then my adrenaline kicked in so I quickly ran to Jones Diner, the owner Ms. Jones called 911. I proceed back to the crime scene but I saw a figure standing over Mr. Hart dressed in an all black outfit, so I hid behind a postal box watching the person. I'm not sure of the sex because I couldn't see well. But I did see the unknown person run their hand in the puddle of blood and drop something into it. I heard the sirens in the distance and remembered the drugs in my pocket. It was obvious the scene was tampered with so once the figure disappeared so did I."

"Why did you run from the scene Ms. Lopez?" Figgins asked.

"Because of the drugs in my pocket, I didn't want to get into trouble."

"No more questions your honor." Arnold sat back down in his seat.

Al Motta, the prosecutor, approached the stand looking at Santana, pure disgust in his eyes.

"Can you please tell the court your occupation?"

"I was an exotic dancer at Juicy Lucy's up until my arrest."

"Did you have the night off from Juicy Lucy's on the night of January 20th 2010?"

"Yes I did."

"Ms. Lopez, what was the name of the club you went to that night?"

"Trexx sir." She answered.

"And it is a gay club, yes?"

Santana nodded her head. "Yes sir."

"So are you willing to admit that you are in fact a homosexual?"

"Objection!" Figgins shouted furiously.

Judge Sylvester rolled her eyes at Figgins. "Overruled."

The man sat down gritting his teeth.

"Ms. Lopez please answer the question."

"Yes Mr. Motta, I am a homosexual."

"You see." He turned toward the jury, moving his hands while he spoke. "Motive. Ms. Lopez here did not like the fact that Mr. Hart was preaching outside of a gay club in which she attended that same night. Her cell phone was found at the scene in the blood around Mr. Hart. Her DNA was also found at the scene with hair follicles from the defendant." He turned towards Santana glaring at her. The look made her squirm in her seat. "Ms. Lopez, how did your phone get placed at the scene and how did your DNA match the hair found on Mr. Hart?"

"As I told you before Mr. Motta, my phone was lost. I went back to see if I dropped it."

"Well how did your DNA get at the crime scene?" He ordered.

"I must have shed some hair when I checked his pulse." She looked over that the Hart family and her heart broke. She couldn't even imagine what they were going through.

"Your hair must have shed when you checked his pulse? It is obvious that your hair shed when you took a knife and stabbed my deceased client with it." He barked and turned to the jury. "Ms. Lopez has a history of verbal abuse and violence. She was suspended from school on more than one occasion for fighting. She admits to being on drugs the night of the murder, she was so doped up and angry that she took an innocent human life."

"Yes I have been in fights Mr. Motta, but I would never take another life." Tears escaped Santana's eyes as she spoke causing her voice to be shaky. "I would kill myself before I ever kill anyone else. I act all tough and mean because I'm a closed off person, I don't let people see the soft side of me because it makes me too vulnerable. I would never, ever, hurt someone in the horrific manner that Mr. Hart was exposed to."

"You are a closed off person because you are a monster, a murd-"

"Objection!" Figgins shouted again.

"Please Mr. Motta, finish your questioning." Sylvester warned.

He huffed. "The prosecution rests your honor." Al Motta sat down in his seat, writing down some notes.

Sue nodded to Santana who climbed down from the stand, sitting in her spot next to her attorney.

"Mr. Figgins, do you have anymore witnesses to call to the stand?"

Figgins stood up looking at the judge. "No ma'am."

"The jury will deliberate the cases that both the prosecution and the defense presented and we will call you all back when they have reached a decision." She hit her mallet and everyone rose as she left the courtroom.

"Santana, everything will be fine mija." Maribel leaned over the railing wrapping her arms around her oldest daughter.

"I didn't do it Mami, I swear I didn't. I'm sorry for all the pain that I've caused you but I didn't do this. I'm not a m-m-onster." She hiccuped, her tears opening flowing.

"I know mija, keep your head up." Antonio said wrapping his arms around his wife and daughter. Another pair of arms soon engulfed the three.

"Te amo hermana." Carmen whispered.

"Te amo hermanita." Santana replied.

A guard approached the family and took Santana to the door which led back to the jail.

"Te amo mija!" Antonio shouted.

"Same mija!" Maribel said.

"Te amo mami and papi!" Santana called back before being shoved into the hallway.

Finn Hudson, the guard which transported Santana to the court room is on her left side walking her back to her sell. She ignored the vulgar comments coming from other inmates as she walked by them back to her cell.

Santana cringed at the noise of her jail cell shutting. It creaked from the rust on the hinges, it was like nails on a chalk board.

"Hands Ms. Lopez." Officer Hudson ordered.

She stuck them through the now open slot and got her cuffs removed before he shut and locked the box. He checked to make sure the sell was closed and locked before trotting down to take his spot at the end of the hallway. A box of donuts was visibily sitting on his desk as he snatched one up, taking a gigantic bite. The Latina rolled her eyes but her mouth was watering at the thought of the tasty treats. She would love to have a donut right now.


January 24th 2010

"All rise!" The bailiff called out to the people in the court room.

Everyone rose and became silence as the judge entered.

"Please be seated." She sat down in her leather chair and looked at the people of the court."Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"Yes we have your honor."

Time seemed to slow down for Santana in that moment, everything around her was fuzzy as the verdict was read by the judge.

"On the 24th of January 2010, we the jury find Santana Juliana Lopez guilty of murder in the second degree." The judge read out loud. Gasps, crying, and sighs filled the courtroom. Santana felt her heart fall out of her ass at that moment. How could this have happened? Why the fuck did it happen to her? She was found guilty of a crime she did not commit.

"Ms. Lopez, I will review the case and give you your sentencing within the next few days. The court is dismissed." The judge left the courtroom just as fast as she came in.

Santana's mother was in hysterics behind the Latina, Carmen and Antonio were hugging each side of Maribel picking her up from her spot on the bench. "We love you Santana. Always remember that, we will see you soon." Antonio led them outside the courtroom, getting bombarded by the media as they walked. "No comment." He told them.

"No Papi, I have something to say." Carmen spoke up. "My sister Santana did not commit this crime. I know her better than anyone and I know for a fact that she would not hurt someone else in the way that Joe Hart was."

Maribel took Carmen's hand. "Come on mija, I just want to go home." She whispered and seconds later the Lopez family were on their way home.


January 25th 2010

"Ms Lopez please rise." Santana stood up, her eyes had dark spots around them from crying and not sleeping. She looked at the judge with hopeful eyes.

"A decision was made regarding your sentencing." Sue looked at the family of Joseph Hart. "Do any of you have anything you'd like to say to Ms. Lopez before her sentencing?"

"Yes your honor." Mrs. Hart stood up in her spot and Santana turned towards the family. "Not only are you sinning by being homosexual, you added murder to your list of sins. We can't believe that someone could hurt my baby boy in the way you hurt him. Not only did you take a friend, a son, a grandson, a truly incredible person away from his family, but you took away apart of our lives that we will never get back. You deserve to be severely punished for your actions and I hope that the judge does justice as I know she will. I will never forgive you nor will my family for this vicious crime. I know I can speak for everyone when I say that we hope you rot in your jail sell for the rest of your life."

Santana was taken aback by the words coming from the mouth of Mrs. Hart but she took it without so much as a peep. She knows what she did that night and murdering someone was not on the agenda.

"Santana Juliana Lopez, you are hereby sentenced by the state of Ohio to 25 years to life without the possibility of parole for murder in the second degree." She slammed her mallet down and nodded to the court. "Dismissed."


Thanks for reading! I should have the first chapter up within the next few days but I'm not making any promises on that.

I hope you take a few seconds to review my work (reviews will get me to upload faster!)

Anyways I hope you enjoyed - Jessica