Chapter 6 - THE CAST WASN’T THE FIRST TIME
Investigators reconstructed three incidents involving Leo.
At age six, unexplained drowsiness.
At seven, recurrent vomiting.
At eight, the cast.
The vomiting episode produced the next significant finding.
During that hospitalization, Leo’s sodium had been abnormally high.
Doctors believed dehydration was responsible.
But nursing notes contained an odd detail.
Leo’s sodium rose after Martha brought him a sports drink from home.
It improved after the drink was removed and IV fluids were administered.
The old container was long gone.
No direct test remained.
So investigators could not simply declare she put something in it.
But Martha’s internet history from that period included searches about salt ingestion.
Again, suggestive.
Not sufficient alone.
The prosecution made a deliberate decision.
They would build charges around conduct they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
The cast incident.
The medication exposure where supported.
Potential historical acts would be used only where admissible and properly corroborated.
Emily’s death would not be transformed into a murder accusation without evidence.
Richard initially hated that.
“She did this to Emily too.”
His attorney said:
“You believe that.”
“I know it.”
“No. You suspect it strongly.”
Richard slammed his hand on the table.
Then stopped.
He understood.
Justice built on exaggeration can collapse.
He wanted the case against Martha to survive.
So he accepted limits.
The medical examiner’s office reviewed Emily’s historical death records but found insufficient basis to determine that her death had been intentionally caused.
Her case remained what it had always officially been: death from complications of severe infection, with historical medication findings now recognized as concerning but inconclusive.
That was painful.
It was also honest.
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Leo’s case did not need Emily’s death to prove what happened to him.
The evidence beneath his cast was enough to stand on its own.
