“When this proud man realized what she was doing for him, he could not close his eyes to sleep at night,” I continued.

“She was depriving her own body of nourishment just to keep breath inside an old man who had already lived past his century mark,” Clarence choked out, unable to contain his sorrow any longer.

Clarence confessed to the court how he had immediately emptied his modest checking balance to buy groceries and baby items for Rebecca’s family, hoping to replenish the pantry she was emptying for his sake.

When his small bank account was completely drained by the steep cost of living, Clarence secretly sold his late father’s gold pocket watch, his military medals, and several heirloom dining chairs to second hand shops in neighboring towns.