ARLINGTON, Va. (WUSA9) -- Michael Gardner has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing four young girls. Now, one of his victims is speaking out exclusively to Peggy Fox, who has covered the case since Gardner was arrested in 2011.
The Gardners were a well-connected political power couple in Falls Church. He was a Democratic Party leader, and she had been the mayor and council member. They even held a campaign kickoff party at their home for the Democratic Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney, who handles felony cases in Falls Church.
That conflict led to the appointment of special prosecutor Nicole Wittmann from Loudoun County. It was an all-female prosecution team that Michael Gardner called "an estrogen lynch mob" in one of his recorded jailhouse conversations.
"It's an incredible relief," said Sonya Richardson, the lead detective in both cases. She was stunned when Gardner pleaded guilty on Thursday. "It was very, very surprising. I didn't think that he would plead."
During the plea, Gardner seemed to have difficulty acknowledging what he did. He never directly admitted to molesting the girls and never said he was sorry.
Richardson thinks it's because he convinced himself that the Commonwealth was out to get him and his wife and pleaded guilty to protect her.
"This is a desperate man, in terms of trying to protect himself from what he's done and what he is," said Richardson. She listened to and transcribed more than 1,045 jailhouse calls between Gardner and his family members over the past year.
"It became apparent to me that Mr. Gardner felt that the commonwealth was corrupt and manipulated evidence. That was shocking to me since I know what the evidence is," said Richardson. She believes Michael Gardner is an intelligent man who was able to manipulate his wife and mother into believing him and ignoring the facts of the case.
The DNA evidence collected from the undergarments of one of the girls he molested at his daughter's slumber party was so strong, it was considered practically single source from Michael Gardner.
"These little girls were 9 and 10-years-old. And from the very first interviews, they stuck to the same story because they were telling the truth. This happened," said Richardson about the 2011 case.
Three girls came forward.
The jury convicted Gardner in only two of the girls' cases, the ones with DNA evidence. Those two girls told their parents the morning after the slumber party and the parents took them straight to the Falls Church Police Department, where Sonya Richardson would interview them and collect their pajamas and under garments.
PREVIOUS STORY: Gardner on trial again for child sex abuse
No semen was involved, but since Gardner touched their genitals, and penetrated one of them, Richardson asked the FBI lab to look for touch DNA evidence on the girls' underwear and pajamas. The lab found DNA profiles that pointed to Gardner.
The third girl revealed her abuse to police later during questioning. Gardner had molested her the night before the slumber party while she was at a sleepover with the Gardner's daughter. Her story was the same at the other girls' story. She said that Gardner came in during the night and put his hands under their clothing, touching her genitals.
"When your child tells you something like this happened, you believe them," said Richardson. But Gardner's wife, some Falls Church leaders and residents continued to doubt the girls and support Gardner even after he was convicted. Then last year, during Gardner's appeal process, the Virginia Supreme Court threw out his conviction on a technicality. He would have to be retried because a witness was not permitted to testify that Gardner was a good caretaker of children. The Virginia Supreme Court's decision had nothing to do with the evidence in the case.
Gardner was soon released on bond.
His release traumatized his niece who lives in another state. She sought counseling and revealed that her uncle had molested her when she was 12-years-old, on two visits to the Gardner's home. She was sleeping in Gardner's daughter's room when the abuse happened, just like the girl who abused at the sleepover.
Gardner was arrested again, charged with two counts of sexual battery against his niece. A trial on the niece's case began on Monday, September 21, 2015. The niece, now 18-years-old, testified against her uncle on Wednesday.
The niece's revelation tore the family apart. Her father, Robin Gardner's twin brother, secretly recorded a phone conversation with his sister.
Robin Gardner acknowledges the abuse of her niece in the recording and proposes to her brother that he allow the slumber party case to be retried first, before following through with his daughter's allegations. He declined and gave the recording to Detective Richardson.
Gardner did not want the jury to hear that recording. He entered into a plea agreement just before it was to be played in court. Gardner plead guilty to all counts in the abuse of the four girls in exchange for a 20 year prison sentence and immunity for his wife.
He also received immunity in a murder for hire plot in which he allegedly tried to hire a hit man from jail to kill the child victims, the prosecutors and Detective Richardson.
"The vindication that these children have gotten through this process is worth it. It's so worth it, "said Sonya Richardson, shrugging off being targeted by a defendant. "It goes with the territory."
One of the now 14-year-old victims who talked exclusively to WUSA9 said she wishes her abuser received more time. She was ready and prepared to testify against him again.
"I knew he attacked me. I knew it was him. We were telling the truth the entire time," she said, adding that anyone who doubted he did it was "delusional."
"It's kind of crazy that it's such an anti-climactic end. I feel like choosing to plead guilty now after all this is really just to save face," the girl said.
Her parents say they don't expect an apology from Gardner because they believe he pleaded in order to protect his wife. They do hope his plea will encourage doubters of the girls' to come around.
"Some people are still confused and not willing to be involved and stand up and say what's wrong is wrong," said Kris Rice, the girl's mother.
Their daughter, now a freshman in high school, said the whole experience has given her a new ambition in life - to be a prosecutor someday.
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