As the investigation continued, detectives discovered that Richard had contacted a former neighbor. When questioned, the neighbor admitted Richard had asked when Daniel and I were usually home and whether I still kept my grandmother’s records in the house. Hearing this made the situation far more frightening. Someone from my own family had been gathering information about our lives without our knowledge, carefully planning his search.

Over the following weeks, investigators collected enough evidence to confront Richard. He eventually admitted entering the house and searching for the documents. He claimed he never intended to hurt anyone and only wanted proof that could help him challenge the estate in court. However, his explanation could not erase the fear he had caused or the feeling that our privacy had been deliberately violated.