Not only was Dr Thomas Burchard, 71, a respected child psychiatrist, he also loved magic.
He'd often perform tricks for his patients, according to girlfriend Judy Earp.
It put them at ease.
But he was also a man who struggled to resist a damsel in distress.
When Thomas met Kelsey Turner in his home city of Salinas, California, in 2017, she told him she was a cash-strapped model.
She also had a young child and was living with her mum.
When Thomas came into her life, the fortunes of, were about to change.