The supposed notary had never met me.
The stamp had been ordered online using Barbara’s credit card.
Andrew had also moved nearly $38,000 from our joint savings into an account I did not know existed.
Records showed deposits toward a Miami condominium under a company created in Barbara’s name.
The plan was brutally simple.
Andrew expected Katie’s death to produce a $250,000 insurance payout.
The forged power of attorney would allow him to control the house and portray me as mentally unfit if I challenged him.
Barbara would support his story.
Together, they intended to sell the property, move the remaining money, and leave me with debt and grief while they started over in Florida.
Barbara’s birthday party had been part celebration, part cover.
Thirty relatives and friends would place Andrew at her house immediately after the accident.
When I refused to leave the hospital, Barbara tried to force me home so she could control what I knew and watch whether Katie regained consciousness.
The cruelty of it was almost harder to understand than the crime.
She had listened to me say that Katie was in intensive care and worried about chicken, potatoes, and birthday guests because the party mattered more to her than whether my daughter survived.
Months later, Andrew accepted a plea agreement after prosecutors presented the recordings, digital searches, financial records, witness statements, and surveillance footage.
He pleaded guilty to attempted murder, aggravated assault, forgery, and conspiracy-related charges.
The judge imposed a lengthy prison sentence and prohibited him from contacting Katie or me.
At sentencing, Andrew asked to speak.
He said he had made mistakes under financial pressure.
He spoke about stress, debt, and feeling trapped.
He never said Katie’s name until the judge asked whether he wished to apologize to her.
He turned toward us.
Katie sat beside me, wearing a blue cardigan and holding my hand.
