His conscience got the better of him. He's feeling that the family next door needed closure. He feels that another person might have been unjustly prosecuted.

I do not understand how anyone can, in good conscience, tell a family whose child is suffering from a life-threatening disease that politics is more important than finding a cure.

I grew up in an agnostic broad-minded family.

I have lots of grouchy plants though.

another person might have been unjustly prosecuted, and for other reasons which I can't explain at this time, but will become evident in the course of time, it was his firm instructions to me that he wished to get this matter over with.

The Internet is super for the theoretical/dreaming/communicating of ideas side of this wonderful pastime, but "gardening" is a verb, and getting dirt under the old fingernails can't be done by computer. I don't see that it could ever change real "gardening".