The Widow

One month before trial, at a closed hearing, Judge Pointer grants the defense motion to move Simon’s trial to Virginia Beach—a community where the case has not been in the news and where the jury pool will be less prone to prejudgment. She then recuses herself, citing health concerns. Before stepping aside, she confirms courthouse rumors that Netty’s estate totals only a fraction of what was claimed. The news shocks Simon, who realizes the grand fortune never existed.

Later, Lassiter relays a plea offer from Cora Cook for 15 years in prison, with possible parole after 10. Simon refuses; he has now started thinking that suicide would be preferable to prison. That night, feeling cut off from his community, he walks Braxton’s streets alone.

In the first week of May, Simon receives unexpected funds. His ex-wife, Paula, sells their former house and nets $28,000. She gives him $5,000 for his defense. His mother leaves her husband, Arn, and sends Simon $10,000.

The Virginia Supreme Court appoints Judge Padma Shyam to preside. She has a reputation as a highly competent and ethical professional. To blunt media influence, she advances jury selection and issues a gag order restricting public comment.

The defense team, joined by Lassiter’s associate Casey Noland, finalizes its strategy. They will concede the established facts about the will and will stipulate that Netty died of thallium poisoning. An independent expert confirms the state’s autopsy, so the defense focuses the case on a single point: Simon did not administer the poison.

On Monday, May 23, the first day of trial, Simon studies the jury’s composition, then enters the Virginia Beach courthouse through a service entrance to avoid the press. In her opening statement, Cora Cook, dressed less provocatively than usual, frames the case as a murder driven by greed. She describes Simon’s secret drafting of the will, the high hourly rate he includes for his eventual role as executor and trustee, and the ginger cookies as the murder weapon. She argues that he pushed to cremate Netty to eliminate evidence.

Cook closes by revealing that the fortune is a hoax and asks the jurors to convict. Judge Shyam recesses court before calling the first witness.

When the jury returns, Lassiter delivers the defense’s opening. He argues that the Commonwealth’s argument is built only on speculation, that Simon tried to help a delusional older woman, and that the fact that he never received payment from Netty argues against greed being a motive.

The prosecution calls its first witness, Detective Roger Barr, who recounts the anonymous 911 tip that halted the cremation. The jury listens to the recording. Over the defense’s objection, Judge Shyam admits the will Simon drafted into evidence.

On cross-examination, Barr confirms that searches of Simon’s computers and phone show no research on poisons and no purchase trail for thallium. He also acknowledges he does not know how one acquires thallium.

On Tuesday, Dr. Samuel Lilly, Netty’s treating physician, testifies that Simon seemed reluctant to make end-of-life decisions. Next, Dr. Dendra Brock, the medical examiner, takes the stand. To streamline the proceedings, the defense stipulates that thallium caused Netty’s death. Lassiter makes a big show out of agreeing with the prosecution on the manner of Netty’s death—the idea isn’t to argue against murder, but against the idea that Simon is the one who killed her.

The Commonwealth calls Dr. Henry Roster, a forensic toxicologist, who explains that thallium is not commercially available in the United States. His testimony bores and alienates the jury, which gets Simon’s hopes up. On cross-examination, Lassiter questions him about a prior thallium case, and Roster confirms the defendant in that case was acquitted because investigators never proved the source of the poison.

Early Tuesday afternoon, Landy tells Simon she believes the jury leans against him. Back in court, Dr. Connor Wilkes testifies that Simon never pressured Netty and that visitor logs show visits by Jerry Korsak and Thackerman. The idea is to highlight the hospital’s very lax record-keeping about visitors and to show how many hospital employees had unfettered access to Netty’s room at all times of the day.

The Commonwealth calls Douglas Gregg, the funeral director, who states that Simon arranged the cremation 47 minutes after Netty’s death, which is on the shorter side of typical. Finally, Matilda testifies for the prosecution, betraying Simon in the same way that he betrayed her. She states that Simon hid the will from her, lied about its existence, and billed an unusually high fee. She confirms she delivered the cookies to Netty at the hospital but denies any tampering.

Late Tuesday night, Landy summons Simon to a hotel room and plays surveillance video of Matilda meeting secretly with Jerry Korsak at a hotel. On Wednesday morning, Lassiter dismisses the fact of their romantic relationship as inadmissible mid-trial.

The prosecution calls Wally Thackerman, who testifies about the will he prepared for Netty. He invokes attorney-client privilege to avoid producing his copy; since the will has not gotten to probate, it is not part of the public record. The judge accepts the claim, and the defense declines to cross-examine him. Thackerman makes meaningful eye contact with Simon, implying a quid pro quo: Thackerman’s attempt to bilk Netty’s estate for almost $500,000 will remain a secret, and in exchange Thackerman confirms that the will Simon drafted is in keeping with the norm.

Clement Gelly testifies that Netty’s estate totals about $630,000. Dirk Wheeler, Simon’s lawyer friend, tells the jury that $500 per hour is a fair rate for complex estate work. He also claims that their phone call about the year-long estate tax abatement is a typical example of professionals consulting one another, but the reader is told that in reality lawyers do not usually come to each other for advice.

During a recess, Landy shows Simon new surveillance of Matilda and Jerry together at an apartment, suggesting an ongoing relationship.

The Commonwealth calls its final witness, Sami Lu, the employee who sold the cookies to Simon. Lu confirms the purchase and states the cookies were not poisoned when they left the store. The Commonwealth rests.

On Wednesday night, Simon drives to Danville for an unannounced visit with his family. He eats dinner with Paula and their children and later tells Paula he suspects Matilda and Jerry played roles in Netty’s death. He sleeps poorly and drives back to Virginia Beach at daybreak.

Lassiter and Casey Noland advise Simon not to testify, emphasizing the risks. Lassiter predicts an eight-to-four split to acquit, while Casey forecasts a six-to-six deadlock. Simon agrees not to take the stand.

On Thursday, the defense calls its only witness, Loretta Goodwin, the charge nurse from Netty’s floor. Goodwin states that Simon acted in Netty’s best interests. Using her testimony and hospital photos, Lassiter again shows that dozens of staff and visitors could have entered Netty’s room.

Goodwin confirms the hospital’s porous visitation policy meant staff could not log every entrant. On cross-examination, she says she does not suspect any hospital employee. Immediately after her testimony, Lassiter rests the defense case.

After the jury instructions are finalized, Cora Cook presents the Commonwealth’s closing argument. She contends that strong circumstantial evidence—the secret will, the fees, the cookies, and the cremation request—proves Simon’s guilt. Lassiter responds that the state has offered no direct proof, that Netty manipulated Simon, and that Simon never profited and thus was not motivated by greed.

Judge Shyam dismisses the jury for the evening. Later, Landy meets Simon, and they drive to Williamsburg. She tells him she expects a hung jury.

On Friday, the jury begins deliberations at 9:15 am. At 11:20 am, the jury asks whether the prosecution must prove motive. Judge Shyam instructs them that motive is not a required element of the crime.

At 5:10 pm, the jury returns. The courtroom fills, and Judge Shyam orders Simon to rise. With a frown that indicates that she does not like the result that the jury has come to, she reads the verdict: guilty of murder in the first degree.