A pregnant mother. A two-year-old hiding under the covers. And a husband who claims he was 169 miles away when his wife was beaten to death.

On November 3, 2006, Michelle Young was found face-down in her Raleigh bedroom — bludgeoned more than 30 times, her teeth knocked out, her body surrounded by blood [citation:3][citation:4]. Upstairs, her daughter Cassidy was unharmed, her tiny bloody footprints tracked throughout the house. She had been left alone with her mother's corpse for hours [citation:2][citation:9].

Jason Young, Michelle's husband, was on a business trip in Virginia. Or so he said. Prosecutors painted a different picture: a man who left his hotel, disabled security cameras, drove three hours home, killed his pregnant wife, and drove back before dawn [citation:2][citation:8]. Shoe prints matching his missing Hush Puppies were found on blood-soaked pillows. Internet searches on "anatomy of a knockout" were traced to his computer [citation:3][citation:6].

After two trials, Jason Young was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. But the case still haunts those who heard Cassidy's words at daycare: "Mommy has red stuff all over" [citation:9].

Turn down the lights, put on your headphones, and press play — because the only witness was a two-year-old who couldn't speak in court.

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