The final nail
Royal Woods Court, Barsonthor arraignment hearing
When news broke out that the son of formerly prominent aristocrat Gerald Barsonthor had been apprehended on a murder charge, the media had a field day. It had been nearly six or seven years since the family fell from grace after having been exposed in the wake of the Right Path scandal. Many saw Thomas Barsonthor, the whistleblower who gave evidence on Right Path's activities in the state of Florida, as a hero comparable to Shannon Tannenbaum, the teen girl who uncovered the entire network. No-one wanted to hear the name 'Right Path' again, but everyone had an interest in seeing justice be done.
"Docket number 170690, people vs. Timothy and Karen Barsonthor. Charges are two counts of murder, reckless endangerment of a minor, arson, and evading arrest," the clerk read out.
"How do the defendants plead?" the bail judge asked.
"Not guilty, Your Honour," Heathwood replied.
"Where do the people stand on bail?" the bail judge inquired.
"The people request remand, Your Honour. Timothy Barsonthor has already fled one state where he has an outstanding warrant. If let loose, he will flee again," Assistant DA Slade, a recent hire of DA Northerlyn, who got promoted after the initial Right Path trial, stated. Slade would describe himself as professional, but a little passionate about these sorts of issues.
"That is just Timothy. What about Karen? She's only been charged with arson. Your Honour, my clients are in the middle of a custody battle for their nephew. They wouldn't leave now," Heathwood reasoned.
"A nephew they are charged with endangering in this case," Slade argued.
"All courts operate under the maxim 'innocent until proven guilty', but I do see your point about Timothy. Mr. Barsonthor is remanded into custody pending trial. Mrs. Barsonthor will have bail set at $50,000. Next," the bail judge ruled with a bang of her gavel. Outside the courtroom, Slade's phone went off.
"Slade here. Really? On my way," Slade spoke into his device and terminated the call. It was his boss, DA Northerlyn. Judge McMillan from the family court had been to see her, and she was not happy.
DA Northerlyn's office
When Slade arrived at Northerlyn's office, he found not only Northerlyn and Judge McMillan, but Detectives Bensen and Cole, and their boss, Lieutenant Whiscoe. The look on McMillan's face said to Slade that this could be summed up in two words, both beginning with 's' and the second one being 'show'.
"I understand you're upset, Your Honour, but the cops were just doing their job," Northerlyn eased tensions, or at least tried to.
"I have the greatest of respect for law enforcement, Ms. Northerlyn, but what I don't appreciate is having my courtroom proceedings interrupted so that the boys in blue can collar a suspect whilst he is arguing for custody in court, nor do I like how my court was used as a delay tactic in their investigation!" McMillan ranted.
"Ruby told you about that, huh?" Whiscoe responded.
"Unlike you people, Ruby was very forthcoming and apologetic about the circumstances surrounding events leading up to Mr. Barsonthor's arrest. For the record, I intend to file an official protest on the actions of the investigators," McMillan resolved. Now Whiscoe thought this was taking things a bit too far. Sure, it wasn't the most polite thing to do; bursting into a courtroom and taking one arguing party away, but given the circumstances, she could've understood why they did this.
"With the greatest of respect, Your Honour, the chances of a small boy ending up in the hands of someone suspected of murder was greater than zero. We had to act," Whiscoe protested.
"And had I known that he was a murder suspect, I would've considered that in my ruling. This brazen act tells me you have no faith in my court whatsoever," McMillan countered.
"That is not true, Your Honour. We acted solely on the evidence gathered in our investigation and the circumstances surrounding the case," Bensen assured.
"You could've at least let me rule on the custody case first before collaring your man. I'll have you know that Ruby made quite a convincing argument as to why she and her wife should have custody. While Timothy Barsonthor is a blood relative, I was going to find in Ruby's favour before you burst in. She is very effective at her job. I dare say, if she specialised in criminal law, she'd be where you are now, Mr. Slade. You heard Mr. Barsonthor's outburst in my courtroom. No way was I going to let Henry Thompson anywhere near someone like that, blood relative or otherwise. For your sake, I hope you can present your case just as well as Ruby presented hers," McMillan reprimanded. No-one had anything more to say at this point. McMillan had made her points clear. Patience really would've been a virtue. McMillan then took her leave.
"You heard her. We have a case to win," Northerlyn rallied the troops, but then her phone rang. "Northerlyn. OK, we'll be there," Northerlyn then hung up the phone. "That was Heathwood. He wants to make a deal," Northerlyn informed.
Royal Woods Correctional Facility
Slade and Northerlyn were sat across the table from Heathwood, Timothy, and Karen Barsonthor. The pair were in typical orange jumpsuits, the former looking very angry about his circumstances, while the latter was just despondent and withdrawn. Karen wouldn't say a word, something Slade and Northerlyn had been told by Bensen and Cole about when they relayed the events of the search and seizure of evidence from the Barsonthor home. Heathwood then laid out his terms for a deal.
"Man 2. 15-20, my clients forfeit custody of the boy to the Tannenbaums," Heathwood offered. Slade and Northerlyn audibly derided these terms and had to refrain themselves from bursting out laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.
"Are you serious? With all we have, we can very easily argue murder 1 for Timothy. Life in prison with no parole and no chance of even seeing the boy. As for Karen, she's still an accomplice and burned down the house with the boy still inside," Slade rejected.
"You get what you want without the need for a trial. Henry goes to the Tannenbaums, you get your perps. Problem solved," Heathwood argued.
"What we want is justice. We intend to prove your client went to the Thompson house with the express intent of killing them and destroying any evidence with a fire," Northerlyn stood firm. Heathwood sighed in defeat.
"So be it," Heathwood conceded. It was then a prison officer came into the room.
"Bail office has fronted Mrs. Barsonthor's cash. She's free to go," the officer updated.
"Don't leave town," Slade cautioned Karen before she left to depart the prison walls. When Slade and Northerlyn did the same, they were met with Karen and Heathwood right outside. "Now what?" Slade asked.
"I want to deal," Karen replied. This took Slade and Northerlyn by surprise. From everything they had been told by the detectives, she should've been a mute. But here she was, with legal counsel present, asking for a deal.
"Some new information has come to light. Do you mind if we went back to the Barsonthor home?" Heathwood queried.
"This ought to be interesting. Lead on," Northerlyn allowed, against her better judgement.
Barsonthor home
Karen and Heathwood invited Slade and Northerlyn into the living room, where they sat down to have a renewed discussion about plea deals. Normally, they would have this talk in a legal office, but Karen was insistent on having it here and would not hear otherwise. After some consultations with a judge, Slade and Northerlyn agreed. Karen even brought them tea; unusual behaviour for someone looking at a considerable prison term.
"Before we even consider a new deal, what is this new information that Heathwood spoke of?" Slade asked.
"During the inspection, it wasn't just blind chance my chemicals were lying around the house. I put them there deliberately to sabotage Timothy's chances of getting the boy," Karen admitted.
"OK, why would you do that?" Northerlyn inquired.
"Because I didn't want Henry growing up in this environment. You wanna know why I have so much make-up remover? It's because I have so much make-up. You wanna know what that's for? To hide these," Karen then applied make-up remover on her face and arms to reveal signs of struggle. Cuts, burns, bruises, and even a black eye. It didn't take a genius to know what happened in this house.
"When did he do this to you?" Northerlyn asked, almost sympathetically.
"It's been going on for years. I've even documented it. Kept a log of every time he sought to 'remind me of my place'. The Thompsons weren't the only ones to dabble in home surveillance. I got it myself in case I ever needed to escape one day. I can show you the footage if you like," Karen answered. Begrudgingly, Slade and Northerlyn agreed to see the footage. What they saw was horrifying. Timothy had no compunctions when it came to 'disciplining' his spouse. Karen even showed them photos of another family.
"Who are they?" Slade probed
"My sister, her husband, and their son. Timothy always said that if I didn't do what he wanted, they would come to harm. That's why I agreed to burn the house after he killed his brother and sister-in-law. He'll do anything to start up Right Path again, even threaten one nephew and steal another's inheritance. Tim's a monster in every sense of the word," Karen explained.
"So, you readily admit to burning the house down?" Slade surmised.
"Under duress," Heathwood interjected.
"Regardless, I still did it. I'll even say it in court. Heathwood called it an 'allocution'. I will allocate to my part in this crime and testify against my husband if you need me to. I will not oppose the sentence handed to me. My only condition is that you get me away from him," Karen bargained. Now everything made sense. Karen was too shy and timid to speak around Timothy because she was being domestically abused. It was something Northerlyn had seen all too often in her profession.
"We can argue for a lesser sentence in a minimum-security prison out of state. You could file for divorce, take your maiden name back, start again somewhere else," Northerlyn offered.
"On top of that, we'll co-ordinate with the cops, see to your sister's protection. You need not fear him anymore, but we do need to know who and where they are," Slade added.
"Their names are Jade and John Evergreen, and their son's name is Callum. They currently live in Minnesota. Does that help?" Karen notified.
"Immensely. We'll see what we can do," Northerlyn replied. For the first time in a long time, Karen smiled genuinely. Sure, she still faced jail, but no prison could be worse than what she had to endure married to Timothy Barsonthor.
Allocution hearing for Karen Barsonthor
Karen Barsonthor was briefed on what to say at the allocution hearing by Heathwood. Owing to the circumstances, Timothy was not present in the court to hear his wife/punching bag confess to crimes he forced her to do under threat of harm to her family. Judge Crewe, whom Slade and Northerlyn knew had presided over domestic abuse cases before, was presiding. They thought her fair and compassionate when she needed to be and were pleased she had chosen to take the bench.
"Mrs. Barsonthor, I understand you have chosen to change your plea to guilty, is that correct?" Judge Crewe began the proceedings.
"I do, Your Honour. I, Karen Barsonthor, do readily admit to burning down the Thompson house and endangering the life of Henry Thompson," Karen replied.
"Take us through the events leading up to the fire," Heathwood directed.
"The day before I started the fire, a PI my husband Timothy hired to find his brother, reported to him that he had been successfully located, address and everything. He also told my husband about the boy, and what he was worth. Ever the opportunist, he saw this as a way to resurrect Right Path, the conversion camp network destroyed by Shannon Tannenbaum. The plan was that he would kill his estranged brother Thomas and his wife in their sleep, and I would incinerate the house, making sure Henry was kept safe, to make it look like a house fire. Timothy even called 911 to solidify this story. It was his hope that, because he was a blood relative, that we would have legal claim to custody of the boy. He also said if I didn't go along with this, he'd send people after my sister and her family," Karen outlined.
"Did anything happen to change the plan?" Heathwood asked.
"Yes. Ruby Tannenbaum filed a counter-claim for the boy, arguing that, since the child had been left in her care by a stranger who also wrote a note explaining why Henry couldn't be left with us, that she and her wife Shannon should take the boy. Timothy was furious when he found this out, and took out his anger on me," Karen relayed, rather painfully.
"Your Honour, I present Exhibit A, photographs of wounds inflicted on my client by, I get this is ironic, my other client," Heathwood then showed Judge Crewe photographs of all the cuts, bruises, burn marks, and the black eye Karen agreed to have taken as evidence.
"So noted. You have my sympathies," Crewe noted.
"Please continue, Mrs. Barsonthor," Heathwood guided.
"It was a setback, but nothing Timothy couldn't handle. He retained the services of Mr. Heathwood, the Barsonthor family attorney, to argue for him in family court. He even submitted our address for inspection by Child Services. I didn't want Henry growing up in the environment we lived in, so I placed chemicals in locations the inspector would spot easily, hoping to throw our claim without Timothy noticing. I got lucky there, I was able to pass that off as a busy day with my private beauty clinic clients," Karen summarised.
"Why didn't you disclose this to the cops when they searched your residence?" Slade argued.
"I was hoping they'd find it on their own and I wouldn't have to suffer Timothy's 'reprisals'. When I made bail and Timothy was still inside, I saw an opportunity and took it," Karen concluded her testimony.
"Your Honour, we have no further questions," Northerlyn indicated.
"Are the people satisfied with Mrs. Barsonthor's testimony?" Crewe probed.
"We are, Your Honour," Northerlyn responded. Judge Crewe then turned to Karen
"It is in my notes that you wish to be sent to a facility out of state. Considering your history of being a domestic abuse victim, I can't say I blame you. Rest assured, the people and I have been in touch with authorities in Minnesota, where your sister's family reside, and I can tell you that protection has been arranged for them by the DA. I accept that you have been a victim, and I commend your bravery for coming forward. I accept that you are willing to repeat all this at trial. But I also have to acknowledge that, willing or not, you are still an accomplice. I also commend your willingness to accept the consequences of your actions. After speaking with the DA in Minnesota, we have agreed to an appropriate sentence of one year under house arrest in a Minnesota residence close to your family. You will be allowed fortnightly visits from your family, monitored, of course, and you will be fitted with an electronic tag. We will also arrange for a divorce lawyer to formally separate you from your husband, and you will be given the option to take your maiden name back. This court is adjourned," Judge Crewe then banged her gavel, concluding the allocution hearing. Aside from being depressed, like other defendants would be when a sentence is handed down, Karen was elated at the prospect of leaving all this behind forever. True, she still faces punishment, but it was better than what she had now. Slade and Northerlyn saw this as a major victory. With one defendant down, they also had more ammunition to go after the other one. It was time to go on the offensive.
Royal Woods Correctional Facility
To say Timothy was outraged would be an understatement; he was beyond livid. Not only had his wife stabbed him in the back, he was also facing charges of domestic abuse and criminal coercion alongside two counts of murder and reckless endangerment of a minor. To top it all off, his attorney, the one he hired to defend him from all these charges, helped the DA's office do it.
"How the HELL could you let this happen?!" Timothy demanded.
"I was hired to present the best defence possible for my client, and that is what I did. Your wife wanted to do this, and it was better than the jail time she would've faced had she gone to trial," Heathwood justified.
"That BITCH! She knifed me to save her own skin!" Timothy ranted.
"She saved herself from being your punching bag, Mr. Barsonthor. When this goes to trial, everyone will know you're a woman beater as well as a homophobic murderer!" Northerlyn argued.
"First my brother betrays our cause, now my wife betrays me! You next, Heathwood?!" Timothy interrogated.
"Your brother gave evidence that helped destroy a network of conversion camps that tortured young people, physically and psychologically, all because they liked people of the same gender," Slade corrected.
"RIGHT PATH WAS HEALING THEM! THEY NEEDED SAVING!" Timothy blurted out.
"And you thought you could save Right Path? Bring it back? That's not gonna happen now. After this, Henry is sure to go with the Tannenbaums," Northerlyn almost gloated.
"Oh, lovely. My nephew goes with the same people who destroyed our work! Just like the Deep State to reward backstabbers! You know Shannon Tannenbaum sent her own grandparents to prison when she destroyed our noble mission!" Timothy reminded.
"I do know. I was an A.D.A. when Right Path went down. I was assigned the case under McKay. That case propelled him to Attorney General of Michigan," Northerlyn recalled.
"With everything we have, we can very easily prove you coerced your wife into committing the crimes she did when you threatened her family. We can also prove you beat her mercilessly when things didn't go your way. You can't win, Mr. Barsonthor. It's over," Slade added.
"As your attorney, I have to say they're right. The trial is a foregone conclusion. Make a deal now and you can avoid the death penalty," Heathwood reasoned. After a few deep breaths and some pacing around the room, Timothy calmed down enough to answer.
"Fine. Do it. Send me away. I'll just become a martyr, and others will flock to continue the fight. My father may lose his mind and I may rot in a deep state prison, but Right Path will never die. Not as long as there are those who still believe and are ready to fight for it," Timothy menaced.
DA Northerlyn's office
Celebrating their hard-earned victory with a round of drinks, Northerlyn, Slade, Bensen, Cole, and Whiscoe all raised a toast to a job well done, and hopefully the end of all this 'Right Path' nonsense. They even invited retired Lieutenant Sarah Fletcher and Attorney General McKay to join in on the festivities. Both had vivid recollections of the original case and wished they had played a part in stopping its resurgence. Nevertheless, they were proud of what their successors managed to accomplish.
"Two life sentences for the murder of Thomas and Katie Thompson. Fifteen years for domestic abuse. A further ten for endangering little Henry, and the Florida DA tacked on an extra five for evading lawful arrest. If he gets out, I'll eat my law licence," Northerlyn summarised.
"I have been speaking with my fellow Attorney Generals in other states. They're putting together a nationwide task force dedicated to stamping out any Right Path resurgents. They've asked me to head up the department," McKay informed.
"Another promotion? I think I got out of the game too soon," Fletcher commented.
"Is this on top of your AG duties?" Slade inquired.
"It's supplementary. Just a fancy way of saying they'd like to ask me for advice if it ever shows up again," McKay clarified.
"What about the Tannenbaums? Will they get Henry?" Bensen probed.
"The family court hearing's tomorrow. It took a lot of mini-muffin baskets and a couple bottles of champagne, but I was able to talk Judge McMillan into letting us watch via the public gallery," Whiscoe answered.
"Careful who you say that to, boss. They might have you done for bribing a judge," Cole joked.
"I don't think McMillan's ruling will be in doubt. No judge on Earth would let a convicted felon have custody of a child, blood-related or otherwise," Slade assured.
"You don't think Karen Barsonthor got off too easy?" Whiscoe queried.
"She'd already suffered enough at the hands of her husband. Besides, Karen Hallswell arrived in Minnesota, healthy and happy, albeit home-confined," Northerlyn informed.
"And her family is happy to see her there. Another toast. To a new chapter in two lives. One for Karen, another for Henry," McKay rallied.
"To a new chapter!" everyone called out and clanged their glasses together.
Royal Woods Family Court
Ruby Tannenbaum arrived bright and early for court the day after news of Timothy Barsonthor's incarceration hit mainstream news. Ruby knew he had ties to Right Path, and that he was suspected of murder. She had no clue about the domestic abuses he inflicted on his wife, or that he had threatened Karen's immediate family if she didn't do what he wanted. She partially sympathised with the poor woman. She had also heard that she was living a new life out of state, and that put her mind at ease. Heathwood was alone on the opposite side of the courtroom, and Judge McMillan took her place on the bench. As they said they would, McKay, Northerlyn, Slade, Bensen, Cole, Whiscoe, and Fletcher all took seats in the public gallery
"To say this case has been unusual would be a profound understatement. I certainly hope I never have to see arguing parties taken away in my courtroom again. However, everyone can agree Timothy Barsonthor got what was coming to him. Given what was argued here in court and the outcome of Mr. Barsonthor's criminal case, I have no difficulties whatsoever in awarding full custody of Henry Thompson to Ruby and Shannon Tannenbaum. Further, I am also hereby changing Henry's family name from Thompson to Tannenbaum. Ruby, I trust that you do not need guiding through the formal adoption process?" McMillan ruled.
"No, Your Honour," Ruby replied.
"Then this court is adjourned. Please bring the child forward," McMillan banged her gavel, concluding the proceedings. The door then swung open to reveal Lilianne holding Henry. Ruby, positively beaming with delight after having been awarded a child of her own, rushed forward to take her newly adopted son into her arms. Ruby looked down at this gift from the heavens, who in turn, looked up at her, gave a small yawn and conked out then and there.
"Looks like Jasmine isn't the only good judge of character," Rabbi Edgeson, who had also been watching from the gallery, remarked. Shannon also got up and embraced her wife tightly. She was also over the moon at the fact that they get to bring Henry home with them, and that he was also a Tannenbaum, further cementing his status as a new addition to the family. Ruby and Shannon were mothers now. Alongside their wedding, their first date, and their honeymoon, this memory would surely be one of the happiest of their lives.
"There's still the matter of adoption paperwork to fill out. You'll need to be briefed about Henry's birth date, any medical needs he has, etcetera etcetera, but that should be a breeze for you," Lilianne prepped Ruby for the formalities. Ruby then turned to Alison, who was also in the gallery.
"I think I'll take that paid leave now," Ruby took up Alison's offer of maternity leave that she had made prior to the court proceedings.
"Understood. I'll move some appointments around," Alison acknowledged. Shannon then called her secretary Tracey at her psychologist's office.
"Tracey, find alternative bookings for my clients for the next six to nine months. Send apologies for the inconvenience, but I have just become a mum. Little Henry takes priority now," Shannon instructed, then hung up. Outside the courtroom, Ruby and Shannon found all their friends waiting for them with huge grins on their faces.
"Is that him?" Rex asked.
"He's so cute!" Amy squealed.
"Awwww, he's adorable," Spencer complimented.
"You think he'll like Jazz?" Luan wondered.
"I think they'll be as thick as thieves," Benny postulated. Everyone wanted to get a good look at the boy, but they also saw he was fast asleep and left him to it. Luan, Benny, Amy, and Rex knew better than anyone never to wake a sleeping baby. As Ruby and Shannon made their way to the adoption office, they couldn't help but picture what memories they will make with their boy. His first word, his first day at school, his first date. All that and more left the two women beaming with delight about their son, and the future they will help him shape, and witness for themselves.
Author's note: This may be the end of the main story, but I do have an epilogue chapter in mind to finish this entry of the Sharuby Saga off for good. My apologies if you wanted to see Timothy Barsonthor stand trial, but the last trial I wrote took about 10,000 words. I wasn't about to do that again, especially when even the defence agreed that it was inevitable that a guilty verdict would be handed down. I hope this is a suitable compromise. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.