co-written by RatedrKjErIcHo

"It's going pretty well." Leah said as they sat in the restaurant having lunch. "But there is still a way to go."

"Yeah." John replied.

"John, you know what's to come will be hard to hear." Amanda said to him. "Matt is going to call witnesses who saw Eve and Johnny mistreat Joey. And then they will call me about the autopsy. I just want you to be prepared."

"I appreciate that." She smiled and nodded at him. "I just want them to be held accountable for this."

"And they will. Have faith in the system." Leah replied.

"The system didn't do him any favors while he was alive."

"I know." Leah sighed. "The child welfare system failed him. But that doesn't mean the legal system will. I believe they will be found guilty. And they will have to pay for what happened."

"I hope you're right." She nodded. She hoped she was too. John needed the closure of this. He had made a promise to his mother to find his brother. And now that he was gone, he had made the promise to see the people who killed him, punished.

"Let's go back in to the courthouse and see where Matt will go with the questioning next." John nodded and they all headed back to the courthouse.

The judge called the court to order. "Mr. Striker, called your next witness."

"I call Zack Ryder to the stand." Matt did a quick look over his notes and started his questions. "Mr. Ryder, what is your relationship to the Lauranitits?"

"Johnny is my uncle. He and my mom are siblings."

"Were you present at their house on an Easter Sunday when you were six years old?"

"Yes."

"And what happened?"

"We were eating Easter dinner and Eve was feeding Joey. He wasn't swallowing the food."

"What did Eve do?"

"She turned the fork backwards and dipped it in horseradish. And put it into his mouth. She kept shoving it down to get the food to go down."

"And then what happened."

"He started gagging like he was going to throw up."

"What did Eve do?"

"She told him if he threw up, she was going to make him eat it."

"And what happened after she said this."

"Joey threw up."

"What happened next?"

"She made him eat it." Everyone in the courtroom cringed when he said that.

"Did you see anything else?"

"I saw her slap him in the face a few times."

"Thank you." Matt said as he sat back down.

"Your witness Mr. Otunga."

"I don't have any questions for this witness."

"Mr. Striker, your next witness."

"I call Amanda Rollins to the stand."

Amanda looked over at John and winked before she got up and took the stand. She was sworn in and sat down.

"Dr. Rollins, you performed the second autopsy right?"

"Yes, I did."

"And you read over the file on the first?"

"I did."

"Can you explain your finding?"

"Well, I decided to do the autopsy step by step as the first one. To see if I found anything that was missed."

"And what did you find?"

"The cause of death was peritonitis. But his bones were fractured and healed. That says he was kicked or beaten in the ribs."

"So, after the autopsy, you agreed that Joey had been abused right?"

"Yes. I read all the medical reports and looked at everything. I believe that Joey was abused and that ultimately lead to his death."

"Thank you." Matt said taking his seat.

"Your witness." The judge said to the defense.

"Dr. Rollins, what led you to your assumptions?"

"Everything I said was based on reading the original autopsy and the one I performed when the body was exhumed."

"And what did this file say?"

"It said what Joey died of the peritonitis. As well as the many fractures. The medical report says the peritonitis was caused a ruptured bowel which they deemed was caused by the fall down the stairs."

"Do you disagree with that?"

"No. He died from the peritonitis caused by the fall."

"Then it was an accident."

"No. Based on the pictures and reports, he didn't just fall down the stairs. He had to be thrown. Those injuries were too severe for a just a random fall."

"Let's for arguments sake say that he did fall, would the fall have been enough to kill him?"

"No. The bowel would have to have been ruptured for several hours. There would have been a great deal of blood and a great deal of pain as the poison's that the colon and bowel normally aid out of the body built up in his system. If after the injury was sustained, he had been taken to the hospital, he would have made a full recovery."

"No further questions." David said with a sighed. He knew he had no chance to dispute her finding.

"Redirect your honor." Matt said.

"Proceed."

"Dr. Rollins, is peritonitis painful?"

"Yes. Peritonitis is not a pain free way to died. It's extremely painful and not something any doctor would want any one let alone a child suffer from it."

"No further questions."

"Next witness Mr. Striker."

"I called Trish Status to the stand." Everyone watched as the blond nurse took the stand. Matt felt she was keeping something about Joey's death and he hoped he could get it out of her. "Ms. Stratus, can state for the court your job and relation to this case?"

"I'm a nurse at the hospital and I attended Joey a few times when he came in."

"Did you report that you suspected abuse?"

"I didn't suspect abuse." She replied.

Matt looked at her. "But the doctor and most everyone suspected it. Why didn't you?"

"Because his mother told me he was an accident prone child. And all his bruises could have come from accidents."

"Ms. Stratus, what is your relationship to the Lauranitits'?"

"I have no relationship to Mr. Laurinatis."

"Is that so?"

"Yes sir it is."

"Isn't it true that you get regular deposits to your checking account in the amount of 5,000?"

"That's payment from an inheritance."

Matt took out the paper he had. "Oh yes, an inheritance from your mother's estate one Blanche Lauranitits Stratus. Your mother was Mr. Laurantitis's sister, isn't that correct?"

"Yes."

"So that would make you his niece?"

"Yes, I'm his niece." She replied.

"Are you covering up for your uncle and your aunt?"

"No. Why would I..."

"Isn't it true that you have a child of your own? A daughter named Kelly?"

"Yes."

"And you had her when you were a teenager correct?"

"Yes."

"And your aunt and uncle helped you raise her and paid for you tuition through nursing school correct?"

"Yes. But."

"Kelly has an illness doesn't she? Lupus I believe? The medications must be expensive." Trish bowed her head. "I bet Uncle Johnny didn't tell you that the trust account your inheritance comes from was supposed to be transferred to you three years ago. Or that he's the one who blocked that from happening."

"No, I knew none of that." She replied.

"Thank you. No more questions."

"We will take a brief recess. Fifteen minutes." The judge said as he pounded the gavel.

Everyone filed out of the courtroom for the much needed break. Matt hoped that Trish's testimony would show that the Laurantitis's had people covering for them. It would go to prove that they were guilty.

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