At 2:27 a.m., My Dad Called: “Your Sister-in-Law Beat Me with a Baseball Bat—But She Told Police I Attacked Her Because I’m Mentally Ill”

My name is Natalie Brooks. I’m a federal agent based out of Columbus, Ohio.

The harsh buzz of my phone against the nightstand tore me straight out of sleep. I reached for it half expecting a dispatcher, a confidential informant, maybe one of my supervisors calling about a case that couldn’t wait until morning.

Instead, I heard my father.

His voice came continue reading …