The sentencing hearing took place on a gray November morning, the kind of day that seemed designed to match the somber mood of the proceedings. Emma sat in the gallery, Robert beside her, her hands folded in her lap as she watched the final chapter of Daniel's criminal case unfold.

The judge, a stern woman who had presided over the trial with unwavering fairness, reviewed the evidence one final time before delivering her sentence. She spoke of the severity of Daniel's crimes, the ...