Carter Roy

Within days, the state charged Cheryl with murder.

All eyes were on the coroner's inquest.

Basically a trial.

Think the old Hollywood equivalent of the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial.

Or maybe more appropriately, the OJ trial.

Lana's testimony aired live on ABC.

Audiences at home saw Lana detail Johnny's abuse.

She also revealed to the world that Johnny was actually on his way out of the house when Cheryl killed him.

Remember how Cheryl saw his hand raised above her mother, possibly with a weapon?

He was actually holding a clothes hanger raised high so its suit jacket and shirt wouldn't drag on the floor.

He'd finally listened to Lana.

The detail racked Cheryl with guilt.

Cheryl never appeared on the stand.

Her lawyer convinced the judge that she had gone through enough already.

Reading her police statement to the jury would be sufficient enough testimony.

It was taken in the police station right after the murder and detailed how she stabbed Johnny to protect Lana.

And despite Cheryl's absence and the clothes hanger detail, the jury ruled that the killing was a justifiable homicide.

Cheryl would not be sent to prison or, thankfully, to death.

Though Cheryl's life would not be easy from here.

The court ordered that she move in with her grandmother, and when threats of revenge came in from the mob, the police stationed an officer outside at all times.