On Thursday, the "long road to justice" came to an end for two local families when a Rensselaer County jury found Michael Mosley guilty of first-degree murder in the 2002 murders of Arica Lynn Schneider and Samuel "Frost" Holley.
Many times during the month-long trial, I found my thoughts turning to the Schneider family as I wondered how they were holding up through their ordeal.
At one time, Arica Schneider worked at The Record for a few months in our advertising department. I did not know her well, but I still remember how she was always in motion, whether it was moving from department to department around the building or quickly heading out the door to pick up an ad.
Over the years I have spoken several times with her mother, Robin Nold, and other members of the Schneider family as they called about promoting various fundraisers in Arica's memory or asked to have a letter placed in "Pulse of the People" in honor of their daughter's birthday.
You could always hear the sense of loss in their voices during those conversations.
After the verdict, Arica's father, Paul Schneider, told Record reporter Dave Canfield that his family will now begin to "pick up the pieces" after more than nine years of living with an unsolved crime.
While he said there will never be a full recovery for his family, he felt Arica can now rest in peace.
I, too, hope that Arica can rest in peace and that her family can find some comfort in the fact that this long saga is finally over.