Chapter 10 - THE CRIMINAL CASE
Prosecutors separated the conduct.
Travis faced charges related to tampering with amusement equipment, reckless endangerment, and associated offenses supported by evidence.
Vanessa faced child-endangerment and conspiracy-related allegations based on her role in arranging the event.
No attempted murder charge.
No crash.
No injury.
No fantasy sentencing.
The seriousness came from:
child age,
targeted planning,
knowledge of unsafe interference,
silence after Emily reported the seat moving,
and the train beginning to depart.
Vanessa’s attorney emphasized:
her intent was a scare,
she believed operator checks would prevent launch,
she did not perform the tampering,
and she never wanted physical harm.
All relevant.
Then the prosecutor answered:
“She outsourced risk to a ride operator who did not know a child had been intentionally placed in a compromised seat.”
That sentence stayed.
Ryan testified later.
He said:
“I felt movement that should not have been there.”
Then:
“If I had checked one row later, the train would have been farther out.”
No speculation about catastrophe.
Just timing.
The emergency stop system worked.
May you like
That was the good news.
It did not make Vanessa’s plan safe retroactively.
