When Mark Faris first met Cate Greenway, he knew she was an angel. As a teenager hanging out with the neighborhood kids in 1970s Kansas City, Faris often went with his friends to Cate's house and enjoyed picnics next to the wishing well in her field. They found safety and love there, and Cate became a guiding light for them.

Even after Faris moved to Minneapolis and started a new life, he never forgot Cate. But it was years later in 2009 that Cate became an even more important influence on his life. After decades of selfishness, combined with his wobbly faith, Faris was convicted of...