A book about ‘Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom’ it says on the cover. As you can see from the cover photo, this couple loved each other. They seem to melt in each other’s embrace daring us to keep looking.
Some people tried to stop this relationship because to them, it did not resemble a traditional marriage. Some people acted as if they had carte blanche to deny these two any decent treatment.
In this book, we read about a natural death that went to trial. Only after the attorney made the jury see his client’s imperfect humanity, a wrongful conviction was avoided.
On Oct 4, 1997, Virginia Gail Hickey Ridley (Apr 8, 1948 – Oct 4, 1997) beloved wife of Alvin Eugene Ridley, died in her sleep after an epileptic seizure, in their home in Ringgold, Georgia.
Her husband, in the habit of checking her body position while she slept, found her face down on her pillow when he woke up. He turned her body and started CPR. He was not sure what to do so tried to get help. Not having access to the home phone, it was permanently cut off, Alvin jumped in his car and drove to the nearest phone he knew.
In the book, the reader has two choices. Accept all Alvin’s actions as strange and therefore suspicious or, wonder why such slow progress was made to uncover all the medical details about both Virginia and Alvin, and the handling of Virginia’s remains.
A woman who was not seen in public for more than twenty years leaves behind a treasure trove of writings. Journals, poems, bible verses. What was she like? What did she write about her medical condition? Did she ever mention she wanted to go outside? What exactly was her mental condition? Was her husband healthy? We know Alvin took care of his wife, the house, and his business. But was he completely healthy or did he suppress his own complaints so as not to worry his wife? What about his mental state of mind?
McCracken Poston Jr. wrote a great book about this heartbreaking case. We meet the authority figures involved, coroners, EMTs, the prosecution, and their witnesses. We also see how Poston Jr. struggled through this trial. The relationship between client and attorney was not easy. It is fair to say that Alvin’s behavior was off-putting. It is equally fair to say that Poston Jr. made mistakes in the case preparation that could have cost Alvin his freedom. The attorney had enough going on in his private life and in his practice but still.
The moment he shines is when his client is on the stand against his advice. Poston Jr. manages to make the jury see this case through Alvin’s eyes. What happened, how does he explain what he did and why, and what lies underneath the tension and animosity with some people including Virginia’s family. Most importantly, Poston Jr. manages to show the court how much Alvin loved Virginia and how the widower griefs.
Not one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, one to smile at what may seem an inappropriate moment, Alvin deeply loved his wife. He is shattered that his wife lies buried without her wedding ring. A ring that she had never taken off. What happened to it, you need to read for yourself.
Together, Alvin and Virginia cherished little things between them. A poem she wrote on a cereal box, watching her favorite show (the Waltons) together, and knowing that they could rely on each other even when the rest of the world (including her own family) had turned their backs on them, all these stories finally make the court see the marriage, his actions, and her death through the widower’s eyes. Alvin was later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Highly recommended reading.
Note 1: My copy was an advance uncorrected proof. From that book cover, I know the final version will include a 16-page photo insert but I have not seen it. Therefore, I cannot warn for possible graphic details such as crime scene photography that some readers might find disturbing. My copy did not have photos, an index, footnotes, or a list with sources.
Note 2: I received an advance uncorrected proof from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Note 3: This book will be in stores February 20, 2024.
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