The trial began three months later at the big courthouse in downtown Dallas.
The large courtroom was filled with reporters, police officers, and curious local citizens.
Victoria sat at the defense table wearing a plain gray outfit with no jewelry.
Her high-priced defense attorney tried to argue that the whole scene was an accident.
He claimed that Lily was just a confused child who dropped a glass cup.
Mark sat in the front row, holding his head high and looking steady.
The prosecutor called the state chemical expert to the witness stand first.
The expert confirmed that the red juice contained a deadly dose of liquid poison.
"It was enough to stop a man's heart in minutes," the expert stated clearly.
The defense lawyer tried to question the chemical testing process without much success.
Then the prosecutor asked young Lily to step up to the witness stand.
Mark held his breath as his brave eight-year-old daughter walked to the chair.
She sat up straight in the high seat and looked directly at the judge.
"Can you tell us what happened at lunch that day, Lily?" the prosecutor asked.
Lily spoke clearly into the microphone without showing any fear or doubt inside.
"I saw Victoria pour blue liquid into Daddy's juice glass," Lily testified softly.
"She told me to keep quiet or I would get into big trouble," she added.
"I didn't care if I got in trouble, I just wanted Daddy alive."
The whole courtroom fell dead silent as the little girl spoke her words.
Victoria tried to shout at the child, but the judge ordered her quiet.
"Silence in this court or you will be removed!" the judge warned sternly.
The jury members looked at Victoria with strong disgust written on their faces.
They saw the truth through the brave words of the young innocent girl.
Mark felt a wave of immense pride fill his beating heart right then.
Lily stepped down from the stand and walked back to sit by her father.
The prosecutor rested his case, knowing the truth was clear to everyone present.
The jury left the room to make their final decision on the case.
It did not take them long to agree on the obvious facts presented today.