rachely's Blog

Well my excitement over the book led me to cheat and sort of read from end to beginning and everywhere between, so my reviews are more likely to go by topic rather than chronologically. Hopefully we all know how the story ends so I'm not bringing anyone any surprises. We will start will the infamous Laura Hall.

One section of the book I was anticipating was the coverage of Laura Hall's trial. Media was kept out of the courtroom and it left me hungry for the details that were revealed there. I can't fathom how Laura got so far in her education and aspired for a law career and yet said and did so many foolish things after arriving back from Mexico that would allow tons of witnesses to testify against her in the courtroom. She had to know the legal implications that would come from saying things like "I helped to cut up a body," "how many grandmothers can tell their grandkids they cut up a body," "I'm just going to tell people I thought I was on a vacation, they'll never be able to convict me." I can't help but think she must be a sociopath due to her ability to put on a clever and intelligent face for the law firms she applied to and turn into a raving lunatic in the jail house. Most of the damning behavior we have from Laura in the news is talk, but one of the most telling instances of her actions in the book is the moment where she bursts through the door of a bathroom in use by Sharon Cave pushing past a victim advocate screaming that she can do as she pleases.

I understand the letter of the law that would lead a jury to giving Laura only a misdemeanor for helping a criminal flee, but I can't imagine how a jury wouldn't go by the intent of the law. The only reason she escaped a felony charge here is because a warrant was issued for Colton after they had already started their flight. Laura knew full well what he had done when she started the trip to Mexico and as the prosecutors argued, letting her off on this charge only tells criminals "flee quickly, don't procrastinate." Six years: that's all the time Laura will be serving in jail. When she gets out, she will likely move to another state or city, go by her middle name Ashley and keep up a deceptive persona that covers the cold-hearted sociopath I believe she is.

It would be great to believe that Laura was the battered victim that she portrayed herself as in the 48-hours special and in the courtroom. When I saw the photo of her looking pretty, clean and smart carrying a copy of Are Men Necessary (the same book I was reading at the time) I really wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but the evidence just says otherwise.