Karen Lay Garcia won. It was a serious coup d’état for Leo. Wearing a white tuxedo, he stood proudly next to his daughter while photographers took their picture, knowing that they would be on the front page of the local weekly, the Des Moines News.

Leo Garcia had traveled far from the boy who had to wear manure stained pants to school. He didn’t give a second thought to whoever had fallen in his path along the way. Leo never had pangs of conscience that anyone could see.

Karen was soon caught up in the whirl of the Miss Washington competition. Preparing for the state pageant on June 22 to...