the buzz log

The case of the swindled socialite appears to be over. The jury on the Brooke Astor trial found her 85-year-old son guilty of siphoning $60 million from his Alzheimer's-afflicted mom, who died at the age of 105 two years ago.

Searches on the Web immediately surged, with lookups on "brooke astor" and "astor verdict" both posting big gains.

The trial had gripped New York with all its Greek-tragedy implications. A fantastically wealthy philanthropist matriarch. A lackluster son who worked for his mother, accused of sneaking himself a million-dollar raise and helping himself to her cash. The conviction of one of the charges could mean up to 25 years in the clink.

The beleaguered son, Anthony Marshall, says his power of attorney allowed him to pay himself more, and to change his mother's will, which originally had benefited charities. He put a stop to the bequests, and instead directed most of the estate to himself. Instead of recipients like the Bronx Zoo and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Marshall altered the will to pay expenses like his yacht bill.

Mom's high-placed friends did nothing to help her son's case. None other than Barbara Walters and Henry Kissinger testified on her behalf, saying the society queen was not of sound mind at the end of her life — and that her son took full advantage. The prosecution presented 72 witnesses compared with two for Marshall's side. The trial dragged on for an eye-popping 19 weeks.

According to the New York Daily News, the jury found Marshall guilty of 14 out of 16 charges. Marshall plans to appeal. But the reputation of a fine family has already lost.