Chapter 17 - The Food
Caleb survived because Adrian kept returning.
Water.
Protein bars.
Occasional sandwiches.
Not enough.
Enough.
That detail disturbed people.
“If he fed him, maybe he didn’t want him dead.”
Maybe.
Intent is not mind-reading.
The prosecution focused on conduct.
Adrian confined an injured person for nine days.
Restricted food and water.
Prevented medical care.
Staged a disappearance.
Tried to coerce a statement.
Whether he hoped Caleb would die, feared he would die, or simply avoided thinking that far ahead affected specific charging decisions.
Investigators did not inflate uncertainty.
Attempted murder was considered.
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Ultimately prosecutors pursued kidnapping/unlawful confinement, aggravated assault-related charges, identity and financial offenses, and child-endangerment-related conduct tied to leaving Lila under false circumstances, according to the evidence they believed they could prove.
Precision mattered more than the most dramatic label.
