House Rules

Part 5 is preceded by the case of Kay Sybers, a woman who was murdered by her husband. Bill Sybers—a doctor who also worked as the local coroner—poisoned Kay and covered up her murder by claiming that she had died of a heart attack. However, Bill’s coworkers found it suspicious that he refused to perform the routine autopsy that was required for all unexpected deaths, and they secretly arranged for Kay’s body to be exhumed and re-examined by an independent forensic toxicologist. The toxicologist found evidence of poison in Kay’s bloodstream and Bill was convicted of murdering his wife.

Following this case study, the action resumes with Rich’s perspective. Jacob is very sensitive to touch, and when Rich handcuffs him, Jacob reacts by punching Rich in the nose. Emma tries to explain, but Rich forces her to leave. Jacob is screaming while Rich restrains him, forces him into a police car, and drives him to jail. Rich later begins the arrest intake process—which involves mugshots and fingerprinting—and Jacob calms down because he’s excited to see a fingerprinting machine in real life instead of just on TV.

It’s only much later when the intake process is over and Jacob is taken to court for arraignment, that he begins to process the reality of his situation. Jacob gets overwhelmed in the courtroom and tells Oliver that he needs a break. Oliver tells him to shut up, but Jacob continues asking for a break even after the judge warns him to be quiet. When bailiffs touch Jacob to remove him from the courtroom, he starts screaming and is unable to stop. Jacob is taken back to jail, where he will be held until his trial. In his cell, Jacob suddenly realizes that he will not be going to school tomorrow. He will not be able to watch Crime Busters or sleep in his own bed. He is overwhelmed by the realization that every aspect of his routine has changed, and he pounds his head against the bars of his cell until he breaks his own nose and passes out. The next day, Emma attempts to visit Jacob in jail but is told that she will have to wait; prisoners who have been in jail for less than 48 hours are not yet eligible to receive visitors. She tries to explain that Jacob has autism and needs her support, but the guard is unwilling to make exceptions to jail policy.

Emma is outraged and convinces Oliver to help her find a loophole that will allow her to visit Jacob. Oliver feels ill-equipped to help Emma, but he is willing to learn while he works and finds someone in the local prison system who will grant an emergency exception. When Emma sees Jacob’s self-inflicted injuries, she campaigns for Jacob to be released on house arrest. Together, Oliver and Emma arrange for an emergency mental competency hearing. This procedure—involving the judge, the prosecutor, and a team of medical experts—will allow Jacob’s defense team to explain what autism is, how it impacts Jacob’s life, and why Jacob needs accommodations during his trial. One of the experts who testifies is Dr. Murano, a psychiatrist specializing in autism who has worked with Jacob since he was three years old. Dr. Murano’s testimony provides crucial insight into Jacob’s case and challenges the prosecution’s oversimplified conceptualization of autism.

When the prosecutor snaps that all teenage boys are moody and want to do things their own way, Dr. Murano clarifies that there is a difference between neurotypical people who are quirky, and people like Jacob, who are unable to cope with disruptions to their routine. Dr. Murano also explains that accommodations—such as being able to leave the room and take a break when he is overwhelmed by sensory stimuli—are vital for Jacob because these accommodations help him to regulate his emotions, cope with daily life, and engage in normal activities like attending public high school. Dr. Murano argues that the same standard must apply to Jacob’s interaction with the legal system as well.

Her testimony convinces the judge, who allows Jacob to return home and stay there until his trial is over. When Emma and Oliver arrive at the jail to get Jacob, they find that he has returned to a catatonic state. He is unable to move or speak and appears unaware of their presence. The story is briefly narrated by Jacob, who describes what it feels like to be locked in his own head, unable to communicate, and misunderstood by everyone around him.

Part 6 begins with the case of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Instead of rehashing the multiple murders he committed, this overview concentrates on the forensic evidence that was used to convict Bundy. Bundy frequently bit his victims, and a forensic dentist was able to match Bundy’s dental records to the shape of a bite mark on one victim’s body. It was impossible to deny the match and Bundy, who had evaded capture so many times before, was sentenced to life in prison.

This case study segues into the chapter’s opening scene as Rich and a team of crime scene investigators scour Jess’s home for forensic evidence. After he finishes processing the crime scene, Rich executes a search warrant at the Hunt home: The prosecution has asked him to seize Jacob’s laptop, his Crime Busters notebooks, and any other evidence that might prove that Jacob killed Jess.

Jacob has slowly emerged from his catatonic state but is still unwell. His face is black and blue with self-inflicted bruises, and he is almost entirely nonverbal. Jacob watches, silent, while Rich seizes his possessions. Emma lets Rich know that she blames his manipulation for the nightmare they are living through. Rich and Emma argue until Rich finds a note Jacob has written to himself—a rare personal diary entry that describes the pain that Jacob experiences when neurotypical people mock and exclude him.

Rich feels a moment of intense empathy for Jacob as he thinks back on his own experiences with bullying in high school. Rich was in a large body as a teen and he was tormented by his classmates until his family moved to a new town one summer and Rich saw an opportunity to reinvent himself by working out. When he started at a new school, he was lean and athletic, and no one made fun of him. As he reflects on his own experiences, Rich feels sorry for Jacob because Jacob cannot reinvent himself in the same way. He does not share these feelings with Emma, however. Instead, he simply tells her that he is sorry. His apology enrages Emma, who yells that Jacob is the real victim in this situation. Rich is disgusted and tells Emma that Jess’s case makes him afraid for the world in which Sasha will grow up. He admits that he would rather put Jacob behind bars than allow someone like Jacob to hurt his own daughter.

The next day, Oliver is spending time at the Hunt home to brainstorm his defense strategy. Oliver intends to use an affirmative defense which posits that Jacob committed a crime, but he is not guilty by reason of “insanity.” He explains that, in the context of the legal system, “insanity” can be any mental health condition which impairs a defendant’s ability to take responsibility for his own actions. Oliver believes that Jacob’s autism fits this criteria and can be used as a core element of his defense strategy. However, Jacob is offended by the insinuation that he is “insane;” he argues with Oliver that his autism is not a disability but rather a different type of ability. Oliver counters that Jacob’s logic is incongruent; if Jacob contends that his autism impacts every aspect of his life and he needs accommodations, he cannot then argue that having autism is not a mental disability. Jacob gets angry and storms off.