That was the moment she completely snapped.

She started shouting that Samuel had been the one who wanted me frightened, dependent, and legally incompetent from the very beginning.

Samuel shot up from his chair, screaming that she was a liar, and the bailiffs had to physically restrain them both as mother and son hurled insults at each other across the courtroom.

The jury came back with a verdict after only three hours of deliberation.

Joyce was convicted of aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment, and conspiracy.

Samuel was convicted of conspiracy, financial exploitation, obstruction of justice, identity theft, and attempted grand larceny.

As the deputies hauled him away in handcuffs, he stopped to glare at me one last time.