Now, the question I’m sure most of you are wondering: What about Warren? Is he on his way home?
Almost. The wheels of justice are turning, albeit slowly, and I have it on good authority that Warren will soon be free. You may recall that in an early episode of this podcast, Melanie Cave stated neither she nor Warren intends to pursue civil penalties against Lanie. Both of them are holding to that earlier statement. Warren lost twelve years of his life, but he’s told me that God would want him to forgive.
WARREN:
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14–15.
Melanie tells me that she is following her son’s lead.
MELANIE:
There has never been any doubt in my mind that Lanie lied about what she saw that night. I’m so relieved that she has finally admitted it, and that this long nightmare of ours is coming to an end. While the petty, vindictive part of me wants to see Lanie Buhrman pay for robbing my son of more than a decade of his life, Warren and I are choosing to take the high road. Instead, we’re focusing on the excitement of his upcoming release. I’ve already started planning his welcome-home dinner.
My work here is done. Thanks for listening, and, above all, thanks for being a part of this. If you loved this program, please make sure to let my bosses at Werner Entertainment know that you’d like to hear from me again.
This is Poppy Parnell, signing off. Thanks again for listening to Reconsidered. It’s been a hell of a ride . . . but it’s not over yet! Join me next spring on the ID network for Reconsidered with Poppy Parnell as I dig into more cases that are cold but not forgotten!
acknowledgments
A million thanks to all the people who have devoted their time and energy to make this book a reality: my superlative agent, Lisa Grubka, who has provided invaluable assistance at every step of this process; my brilliant editor, Lauren McKenna, who understood these characters from the very beginning and whose insightful comments and suggestions helped me give them the story they deserved; everyone at Fletcher & Company who has advocated for this book (Gráinne Fox, Melissa Chinchillo, and Erin McFadden); everyone at Gallery Books who has played a role in the editing and publishing process (Louise Burke, Jennifer Bergstrom, Elana Cohen, Marla Daniels, Chelsea Cohen, Akasha Archer, Liz Psaltis, Diana Velasquez, Melanie Mitzman, Mackenzie Hickey, and Kristin Dwyer); Catherine Richards at Pan Macmillan, whose thoughtful comments and enthusiasm were incredibly helpful; and Michelle Weiner, Michelle Kroes, and Olivia Blaustein at CAA. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Mollie Glick, who was an early supporter of this project, and who introduced me to Lisa. I am truly humbled to have worked with such talented people, and I appreciate everything each of you has done more than I can say.
I am also deeply grateful to my friends, family, and assorted loved ones who have supported and encouraged me along the way: my husband, Marc Hedrich, who gave me the courage to follow my dreams and who has been a pillar of strength during the emotionally tumultuous writing process; my mother, Mary Barber, who has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders and believes in me (even when I don’t); my brother, David Barber, who patiently and thoughtfully answered all my questions about Illinois criminal law and who introduced me to Serial, the podcast that sparked the inspiration for this book; my late father, Richard Barber, who nurtured my creativity from a young age and from whom I inherited the storytelling gene; and all my friends who didn’t say I was crazy for quitting law to write (or who at least had the decency not to say it to my face). I love you all.
Finally, a special shout-out to the staff at V-Bar on Sullivan Street in New York; Starbucks on Piedmont and 41st in Oakland; Philz Coffee in Washington, DC; and the lounge at the Warsaw Marriott, all of whom kept me in coffee and/or wine while I wrote, cursed, and rewrote huge sections of this book. Thanks for not kicking me out.