Guilty

Chapter One

The gavel slammed down on the board with a deafening crack as the jury rose to face the criminal. With his head bowed and hands cuffed Ryan Peterson slunk into the court room with a sturdy officer either side of him; when he looked up to face the judge his un-shaven face gave a solemn, yet frightening, glare. Judge Carson had work as a judge for seven years now and he knew that some people looked like criminals but were not and that some looked innocent but were ruthless murderers – on a first glance he could tell that Ryan Peterson looked like a criminal and also probably was. Peterson was here after being accused of the murder of his wife and two children; neither the judge, the jury or the officers were surprised after they had set eyes on the dangerous looking man.

Peterson was barely twenty seven and yet as he stood in the court room he looked closer to the age of forty five. His face was dirty and unshaven as if he hadn't considered washing in days. His hair had grown long, messy and matted much like his beard which met his dark side burns in a tangled jumble. The clothes in which he wore were crumpled and stained with a brown substance that one could only imagine to be food; a strong smell of stagnant alcohol emanated from every inch of the accused and many of the jury turned away in disgust. The judge and jury saw what everyone had always seen of Ryan Peterson: a violent drunk with no self control. That was all he was and all he would ever be. It was well known to the officers who surrounded him that Peterson had ruined his own life long ago but no one, especially the family of his wife, had believed him to have gone so far.

On reaching the podium in which he would defend himself Peterson belched loudly before giving a proud smirk in the direction of judge Carson – who was more disgusted than he had ever been by somebody's attitude in a court room. Did he want to be sentenced with life in prison? Did he not want a chance at least? Before a single question could even be asked of Peterson he began shouting and swearing to the jury about how he didn't even remember the happenings of January 19th and so there was little point in questioning him on it. The entire night had been wiped from his memory through the abuse of alcohol and judge Carson only hoped to be able to retrieve the memories in which he had lost. With a long sigh Carson silenced Ryan and suggested that they start simply...

"What was your relationship like with Charlotte Peterson when you first met?"