The Killer’s Confession Was a Lie / Chapter 6: Dead Ends and New Evidence
The Killer’s Confession Was a Lie

The Killer’s Confession Was a Lie

Author: Brett Donaldson

Chapter 6: Dead Ends and New Evidence

← Prev
Next →

A good lawyer doesn’t quit after one try.

I went back to Mark’s wife seven times, hoping for a letter of forgiveness. She never opened the door again.

Meanwhile, the police dug into Tom Reynolds, the project manager at Oak Ridge.

Tom wasn’t a gangster. No record, just a regular guy—$6,500 a month, a leased Ford pickup, softball on weekends, sitcoms at night. His assets barely hit $300,000, savings only $30,000—nowhere near $180,000.

No evidence tied him to Caleb—no calls, no texts, no footage.

When the cops questioned him, he looked up from his phone, chewing gum, construction badge swinging on his belt.

“Look, I’m just a worker. I don’t have beef with anybody. If I did, I’d offer what I could afford. If I had $180,000, why would I be here?”

He even asked about the supposed blackmail money. The cops checked—every penny in his account was accounted for. No big withdrawals, no secret payments.

With nothing to go on, the cops closed the case in nine days.

No appeal. The court scheduled the second trial.

…

September 5, 2014.

Second trial.

A few of Caleb’s classmates and some local reporters were in the gallery. The air was thick with tension—everyone waiting for a headline.

The prosecutor had more to say this time, including Caleb’s accusation against Tom Reynolds.

He put it simply:

“We investigated the murder-for-hire claim. No evidence connects Tom Reynolds and Caleb Myers. No proof of a grudge between Tom Reynolds and Mark Sanders. Without evidence, we can’t charge Tom. The prosecution’s position is unchanged.”

The gallery erupted in boos. Reporters grumbled—no story here. Caleb’s friends jeered, convinced Tom was untouchable. The judge’s gavel echoed off the wood paneling, finally restoring order.

…

Caleb leapt up, shouting:

“Everything I said is true! Tom Reynolds hired me! It’s the truth!”

I wanted to scream at him, shake him, anything to make him see what he’d done. But all I could do was stare at the table, heart pounding.

I glanced at Tom Reynolds on the witness stand. He shot me a look as if to say, “What can you do to me?”

My hands balled into fists so tight my knuckles went pale, jaw clenched like I was biting back a scream.

But the outcome was no surprise.

No proof against Tom. No forgiveness from the family.

The verdict was upheld: death penalty.

This chapter is VIP-only. Activate membership to continue.
← Prev
Next →

You may also like

Confessions Before the Needle: The Killer's Truth
Confessions Before the Needle: The Killer's Truth
4.6
With just two hours left before his execution, Brian Ellis offers his counselor a chilling bargain: listen to the story that made him a monster. As secrets unravel—of a mother's desperate love, abuse that festered in silence, and a murder planned for years—Dr. Carter must decide if justice is ever as simple as it seems. But Brian’s final confession hides a twist that could haunt them both forever.
Hunting the Devil: America's Most Savage Killer
Hunting the Devil: America's Most Savage Killer
4.8
When 53 innocent lives are butchered by a monster who vanishes without a trace, profiler Michael is the only one who can unravel the horror. As the body count rises and the wrong men are accused, Michael races against time, haunted by the killer's sick games and a system eager for a scapegoat. But with every clue, Michael realizes the real evil wears a familiar face—and if he fails, more families will be destroyed.
Blind in the Killer’s Lair
Blind in the Killer’s Lair
4.8
I came home to the scent of my roommate’s cologne—hours before cops swarmed our apartment and told me he’d been murdered while I slept. The killer left a bloody message: 'Lucky you’re a blind man, right.' Now, trapped in the darkness, I realize the murderer may still be here... and I’m the only witness who never saw his face.
Stuck in the Killer’s First Chapter
Stuck in the Killer’s First Chapter
4.8
Every time I die, I wake up at my front door—destined to be the first victim in a horror novel I can’t escape. Floating comments reveal I’m just here to launch the hero’s revenge, but if I pick the wrong ‘guy,’ I’ll die screaming again. The killer is closing in, and my only hope is to outsmart the story itself before I’m erased for good.
The Killer Vanished, But Her Husband Knows
The Killer Vanished, But Her Husband Knows
4.6
Five years after the brutal murder that shattered Maple Heights, the prime suspect vanished without a trace—leaving only a blood-soaked bedroom, a broken family, and a trail of secret money. As the victim’s grieving husband clings to memories and the killer’s mother guards her son’s secret, the truth festers in the shadows. When the past resurfaces, everyone must confront the horrifying question: What if the real monster never left?
Adopted by a Killer’s Granddaughter
Adopted by a Killer’s Granddaughter
5.0
After being murdered by the girl she tried to save, Ms. Harper wakes up back at the start—this time determined not to be anyone’s hero. But in the shadowed Appalachian hills, secrets run deep, and kindness can be deadly. With her family’s fate and her own life on the line, she must outwit a vengeful child and her terrifying grandfather before history repeats itself.
The Serial Killer Left Her in My Motel
The Serial Killer Left Her in My Motel
4.8
When a desperate motel owner lets a masked stranger and his unconscious date rent a room, he thinks it’s just another night—until he realizes he’s harboring a notorious serial killer. With hidden cameras recording every move and a dead girl upstairs, he’s trapped between turning himself in or covering up the crime. But when the killer discovers his secret, one chilling message changes everything: 'You shouldn’t have interfered.'
Locked In With the Killer Next Door
Locked In With the Killer Next Door
4.7
When her AI butler warns of a murderer inside her smart apartment complex, Harper thinks it’s a glitch—until she sees the headless corpse on the rooftop cam. With every resident a suspect and the building on lockdown, the killer is hiding in plain sight—and Harper’s odds of survival are dropping fast. The worst part? The murderer is one of her neighbors in the group chat, and someone just texted: Don’t trust anyone.
Murder in the Belle’s Tower
Murder in the Belle’s Tower
4.7
Jenna thought her mother’s fame would keep them safe, but one summer afternoon, she found her mom stabbed and cold in their Savannah campus apartment. As more bodies are discovered—including a beloved professor’s family—the college’s glittering world of art and secrets unravels. With no sign of forced entry, the killer must be someone they all trusted—and Jenna is the only witness who can expose the truth.
Trapped With Her Victim’s Corpse
Trapped With Her Victim’s Corpse
4.8
I broke into the wrong apartment, only to hide from the owner—while her last victim’s body dangled inches above me in the closet. Now I’m trapped, forced to watch her drug and butcher her next target, terrified I’ll be next. My only way out is past the killer who already claimed my best friend.
The Victim’s Father: Accused of Vengeance
The Victim’s Father: Accused of Vengeance
4.7
When a brutal crime against his daughter goes unpunished, David Lewis becomes the prime suspect in a horrifying revenge killing that shakes the town to its core. With his life in ruins and his daughter’s trauma consuming them both, the town demands blood—but all evidence says David never left her side. As suspicion turns neighbor against neighbor, the real killer is still out there, and no one is safe from the secrets that refuse to stay buried.
Cheated by My Cousin’s Killer
Cheated by My Cousin’s Killer
5.0
When Mike’s beloved cousin is driven to suicide by a ruthless card shark, he risks everything to confront the men who destroyed his family. In a town where everyone knows your secrets and debts can cost you everything, Mike must outwit a crew of hustlers before he loses it all—or exposes the truth. One wrong move, and Maple Heights will never forgive or forget.