I never forgot that sentence.

The criminal case continued over the following year.

Victor Hale’s actual history was more extensive than investigators first realized. He had previous convictions for burglary and assault in Indiana under his legal name, then spent years moving throughout Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia while using different aliases.

Investigators connected him with nine residential burglaries. In four incidents, residents had been home. One elderly victim had suffered serious injuries.

The evidence recovered from the storage unit undermined Hale’s claim that Ethan had acted on his own.

The recordings demonstrated coercion.

His phone records documented threats.

His notes tracked both children’s actions with disturbing precision.

Prokuratorzy oskarżyli go o porwanie, narażenie dzieci na niebezpieczeństwo, włamanie, napaść, przestępstwa związane z przestępczością zorganizowaną oraz dodatkowe zarzuty związane z odrębnymi incydentami.

Ostatecznie przyjął ugodę, dzięki której Ethan i Lily nie musieli zeznawać publicznie w sądzie.

Został skazany na długi wyrok więzienia.