William GrotheNASHVILLE, Tenn. - A former Music Row attorney took the stand Friday to explain why he tried to fake his death.
William Grothe eventually turned up at an Arizona mental hospital in November, weeks after his he abandoned his car in Nashville.
Grothe said he suffered a break with reality after losing his job and felt the need to get away.
"I went down to Shelby Park, parked my car, went through what in my mind was a ritual of exactly how I felt, dead to the world," he said.
A judge sentenced Grothe to five years probation and 32 hours of community service every month.
He also had to pay the Metro Government $13,000 for the cost of his search.
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