The metadata showed they were created on Lauren’s phone using a third party app.
Casey also found that Lauren had searched for how to fake text messages for court and spoofing apps that look real on her laptop. The week before the wedding, the police detective called Casey to say they were no longer considering me a suspect, but I was still a key witness.
My phone rang while I was still in the parking lot and the screen showed a military number. Chandler Birgrove from JAG was on the line telling me my security clearance was now under review due to the ongoing investigation. He said my emergency leave was extended, but I was placed on administrative hold, which meant I couldn’t return to duty until this mess was cleared up.
I sat in my car feeling like my whole career was falling apart while my kids needed me most. Casey called right after and said she’d gotten copies of those fake screenshots Lauren had shown the police. She was looking at them on her computer and immediately noticed the font was wrong for my phone model.
The timestamp formatting didn’t match either, and some of the messages had different spacing than others. She’d already called in Cory Cedlan, who specialized in proving when digital evidence was fake. She was driving over to her office right now to examine everything properly. Meanwhile, Devon Pinehire from victim services called to say she’d arranged for Tommy to have a medical exam at the children’s hospital that afternoon.
I drove him there myself, but when we got to the exam room, they told me I had to wait in the hallway. Tommy looked so small walking in there with just the nurse and doctor. I paced that hallway for 3 hours checking my phone every few minutes and trying not to think about what they might find.
The nurse brought him juice boxes twice, and each time I caught a glimpse of him sitting on the exam table in a hospital gown. When they finally finished, Tommy came out holding a stuffed bear they’d given him and wouldn’t look me in the eyes. Devon walked out with a thick folder of documentation and told me they’d found evidence consistent with his disclosure.
My phone started buzzing with voicemails from Conrad, who was losing his mind about not being able to see Tommy. The safety plan required all visits to be supervised now, and he was screaming into my voicemail about how this was all my fault. First message, he blamed me for turning our son against Lauren. Second message, he blamed Lauren for being a predator.
Third message, he blamed our son for ruining his wedding. Fourth message, he was back to blaming me for not warning him about Lauren, even though I’d literally just found out myself. His parents were calling, too. But I deleted those without listening. Lauren posted bail that same day using her parents’ money, and within hours, her lawyer had filed a restraining order against me.
