Lord was charged with murder a month after Burnsides death, based on Thompsons affidavit, and spent nine days in jail. She did her own interviews, speaking, for instance, with a firefighter who said he believed he had accidentally kicked the gun away from Burnsides body. IMDbPro. It was Burnsides father. Chasing a trail of clues, Thompson and the Dallas homicide team are always one step behind their suspect. By the first of June, hed put aside Lords file to work on his other cases. In that small house, she mistook the sound of a pistol shot for a glass falling to the floor? As for the question of blood spatter on Lords clothes, however, Quinton did have a definite opinion. One of the few black detectives in the unit, Thompson quickly made his mark. . [4] But those mistakes do not amount to malice., Tittle, however, wasted no time going on the attack, telling the jury in his opening statement, There is not and was not a shred of credible evidence to suggest that Olivia Lord had anything to do with Michaels death. Tittle next called to the stand a retired Dallas homicide detective named Kim Sanders, who said that Thompsons interrogation of Lord was outlandish and that he left out key evidence in his arrest warrant. The Dallas Police Department is featured in a national reality TV show on the A&E network called The First 48, (maybe youve seen it if not, watch episodes here) and the detective who interrogated Hephzibah Olivia Lord in a manner that justified Lords civil suit for damages was Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson, who has been seen frequently on this A&E show. She had then grabbed the bottles of cleaning products from under the sink to wash away the blood and the gunpowder residue, which would account for the chemical odor he thought he had smelled on her. Burnsides family and friends were caught off guard by the lawsuit. No, said Lord. Add a bio, trivia, and more. When Shearin asked if he had told anyone that there was blood spatter on Lords clothing, he replied, I may have said it, but I dont know whether I said it or not. Shearin then asked about the trajectory of the bullet through Burnsides skull. When Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson checks out a missing persons apartment and finds it covered in blood, he's launched into one of the strangest cases in his career--a case that he must solve without the victim's body. The First 48 (2004- ) In Dallas, when a good Samaritan is gunned down trying . And whats really frightening is that Thompson could come back after me, plant some new fake evidence, and arrest me for murder again. Then Jaffe added one more detail. But Lord wanted her arrest to be permanently removed from her record, which would require her to be no-billed by a grand jury, a finding in which the jurors refuse to indict a suspect, primarily for a lack of evidence. Lord was charged with murder a month after her boyfriend shot himself. Mikey said, Im not going to cheat on you in Vegas. Compared with Thompson, Lundberg was a quiet man who wore glasses and spoke slowly. Comments are moderated and these will not be published. Yes you did! Whats more, she didnt want him to go to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Hephzibah Olivia Lord, age 36, sued Dallas homicide detective Dwayne Thompson on civil rights violation theories under 42 U.S.C. He is one of the most popular detectives in the Dallas Police Departmenta charismatic man, big and boisterous, with a powerful deep voice, says Craig Miller, a former deputy police chief who served as Thompsons lieutenant in the homicide unit in 2010. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards. She has also enrolled in college for the first time. Or maybe in the midst of the argument, Burnside had pulled the Beretta out of the kitchen drawer for a second time, handed it to Lord, and said, in an effort to be dramatic, If you hate me so much, then just shoot me. And she did. But, he added, his friend wasnt the type to get married at any point.. The officer pointed to a woman sitting on a chair in the front yard, her face in her hands. The officer flipped another page. West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. She helped him with his finances, reminding him to pay his bills and to keep his spending in line. And then theres Jaffe, Burnsides best friend, who says he remains convinced that Lord is hiding something. He can go so far as to lie to a suspect to try to obtain a confession. And its going to come out.. Why did you wait seven minutes before calling 911? he yelled. She had desperately run from room to room trying to get better reception. Or maybe the two had struggled for the gun before it went off, leaving residue on both of them. Dallas homicide Detective Dwayne Thompson sits at his desk in 2010, looking over material he collected in the death of a 42-year-old mother who was shot in front of her home. Hed been as tall as Thompson, with a lean, athletic build. Strapped around his shoulders was a thick brown leather holster that held his department-issued pistol, a 9mm Sig Sauer. . He asked her about some of the puzzling physical evidence that had been found at Burnsides home the night of the shooting. Thompson thanked John and told him he would be back in touch. Lord could hardly look at him. When Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson checks out a missing persons apartment and finds it covered in blood, he's launched into one of the strangest cases in his career--a case that he must s Read allWhen Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson checks out a missing persons apartment and finds it covered in blood, he's launched into one of the strangest cases in his career--a case that he must solve without the victim's body. . She had lost her career because potential employers, when running a background check on her, would always find a reference to her arrest for murder. Another detective, Dwayne Thompson, charged into the interrogation room. Im just as baffled as you are, she said. And, yes, she said, she had grown irritated when she heard Burnside and Jaffe talking about the birthday party. We understand that people get upset, get scared, get angryand when all those emotions are happening at once, people do things., He paused and kept his eyes on Lord. The jury watched it. Lord explained again and again that while she was in the bathroom, her boyfriend shot himself (they had been fighting, he was drunk). The officer looked at the notes he had jotted down. Yes you did!. Stars Heaven Bellinger Linda Carden Sheila Cooks See production, box office & company info Watch on A&E Mitchell eventually told Shearin that she was willing to dismiss the charges against Lord. In October 2008 a mutual friend introduced her and Burnside at a small bar on Dallass Lower Greenville Avenue. Shearin was outraged. Prosecutors are also aware that detectives can develop a kind of tunnel vision about a case. Im innocent.. Dwayne Thompson (born October 6, 1950) is an American politician. The First 48 (2004- ) Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson hunts for a band of carjacking killers that are terrorizing a neighborhood. Lets solve some murders, my brothers, he would cheerfully bellow as he barreled into the office at the beginning of his shifts. Lundberg also took the stand, testifying that he too remained convinced that Lord was guilty of murder. I wondered about the story Jaffe had told Thompson about finding her in the front yard, desperately saying, I wasnt going to leave him. Political career [ edit] In 2014, Thompson ran for election to represent District 10 in the Tennessee House of Representatives, but lost to Republican incumbent Steve McManus. She claimed that Thompson show a reckless disregard for her rights in having Plaintiff arrested in 2010 for the shooting death of her boyfriend, Mcihael Brunside. Shearin ordered Lords cellphone records and received more good news: there was no seven-minute gap in her calls. Thompson stormed out of the room and asked Lundberg to see what he could get out of Lord. The detective was 47 years old and built like a linebacker at six feet two inches and 230 pounds. He thought he had a mild case of COVID-19. The detective was 47 years old and built like a linebacker at six feet two inches and 230 pounds. | Store The arrest affidavit had never mentioned that Rastegar had backed off during his interview. Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich said he brought thousands of offenders to justice, bringing closure to victims and their families. | Advertising At the end of the interrogation, he had discarded her like trash.. Why are you doing this to me right now? Lord asked Thompson at one stage during the questioning. Thompson left the room, walked down the hall, and opened the door to another interview room. In an excited voice, he said that he had been told by his sons next-door neighbor that a neighbor who lived across the streetan attorney named Sheida Rastegarhad information that linked Lord to the killing. And then she burst into tears. He told Lundberg that he wasnt sure this was a suicide. Thompson and Lundberg drove to Rastegars house. Hephzibah Olivia Lord, distraught and sobbing, sat across from Detective Dwayne A. Thompson in the Dallas Police Departments interview room several hours after her boyfriend had died from a gunshot wound to the head. You were very disappointed. What he needed was irrefutable evidence pointing to Lords involvement in the shooting. City attorneys are defending him, saying he acted in good faith and without malice. In 2008, when the producers of The First 48, a reality series on the A&E network about homicide detectives in big-city police departments, came to Dallas to film some episodes, they were riveted by Thompson. The Hephzibah Olivia Lord by Detective Dwayne A. Thompson lasted for hours. A jury in federal civil court ruled Friday that a Dallas homicide detective, Dwayne Thompson, violated Lord's civil rights by maliciously having her arrested for a killing she didn't commit,. Read the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about. As Lord hugged Tittle and members of her family, Thompson stood at the defense table, his mouth open. That she didnt mean to do it.. | Link Errors "The goal is to arrive at the truth." Thompson did his best to defend himself. One of his tasks was to take boxes of cold-case files out of the death room, where all homicide files are kept, and haul them to a storage area in city hall. If I had killed Michael, then doesnt it make sense that I would have walked away after I had gotten no-billed by the grand jury? Lord continued to deny involvement in the death during questioning, saying she was in the bathroom when she heard the shot and called 911. All we want is for Olivia to go through a criminal trial, said John Burnside, sitting with Cindi in their East Dallas home. Olivia, everyone we talked to said one consistent thing about Michael: that he loved life., He did love life. A light drizzle was falling in the early morning hours of May 9, 2010, when detective Dwayne Thompsonpulled up in front of a modest home on Spring Grove Avenue, in a tree-lined neighborhood in North Dallas. Okay, fine. In early May, word spread that the departments Public Integrity Unit had launched an investigation of Thompsons work on the Lord case. That doesnt mean they kill themselves.. After the argument was over, Michael stopped being sarcastic and he became quiet and somber. For several seconds, the courtroom was quiet except for Lords muffled sobs. Kim Sanders, a more than 30-year veteran of the department who served as a homicide detective, said the interview amounted to intimidation. But Sunday night, the deadly virus claimed his life. Its insane, he was overheard saying one afternoon at a restaurant near the police department. Ive talked to her many, many times, and if she is lying about what happened, shes a hell of an actress, said one friend, Eric Love. Basing an opinion on over 30 years with the Dallas Police Department, Kim Sanders explained that the Lord interrogation was intimidation, not questioning, and as Thompson handled the questioning it was a textbook example of how police can get false confessions. He also had the medical examiner testify about what Thompson supposedly told him about the blood spatter on Lords clothes. A uniformed officer walked over and told Thompson that the house belonged to a man named Michael Burnside, age thirty. Can you possibly understand how I feel?. As the interview continued, however, Rastegar said that he wasnt certain what he had heard. She was so hysterical he could not understand what she was saying. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. I think Michael might have gotten the impression that I was going to leave him, she said. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); With more than 150 jury trials under his belt, Michael Lowe has strong and varied courtroom experience. (2014) Scattered around the floor were a few bottles of household cleaning products. I cant undo what hes done.. Will detectives be able to catch the killers before they strike again? Testimony. If the review determines that he did nothing wrong, he could be reinstated as a detective. Every time she tried to answer a question, she said, he cut her off and called her a liar. At Christmas, you thought you were going to get a ring. Shearin got Lord out of jail on bail. During her twenties, she always seemed to be out and about, a regular at trendy nightspots and concerts. Sometimes he would think [a gun] was unloaded and he would swing it around, you know, not trying to hurt anybody, just being stupid. Do I feel an overwhelming feeling of guilt because I may have provoked something? Testimony continues Friday, during which Lord may take the witness stand. When Shearin called Lord with the news, she thanked him for all he had done for her, but then she said something else. Something is not right.. In his lectures, he often told other officers that to find out why a killing had taken place, it was as important to study the life of the victimvictimology, he called itas it was to study the behavior of the criminal. Thompson is the one whos gotten away with the crime., Lord told me that she was not surprised to hear that the police departments Public Integrity Unit had ignored the civil jurys verdict and cleared Thompson. However, the police may or may not let the person know about this right (remember the experts concerns that Thompson had not told Lord about her right to a lawyer). There was no sign that he had struggled with an assailantno bruises or scratches on his skin, no scuffed knuckles. Thompson just happened to be standing at the detectives desk, and he was more than happy to talk to Shearin. Outcome: Plaintiff's verdict for $800,000.00. Shearin paid a visit to Reade Quinton, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Burnside, to ask him why, just prior to Lords arrest, he had changed his ruling about the cause of death from pending to homicide. Quinton replied that Thompson had informed him about the statement made by Rastegar. He called the tone and line of questioning a formula for a false confession. And Sanders questioned why Thompson did not read Lord her right to remain silent after the point in which he clearly considered her a murder suspect during the interview. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Lundberg walked into the interview room, pulled his chair close to Lord, and played the role of the good cop. Perhaps sensing that the jury had turned against the detective, Jason Schuette, another attorney for the City of Dallas, resorted to a surprise tactic in his final arguments. After she graduates, she hopes to go to law school and perhaps someday work for the Innocence Project. Olivia kept saying, I wasnt going to leave him. She told her parents that Thompson had brutalized her. I hope you die in jail and burn in hell!. I wasnt going to leave him., She then told me something she had not mentioned before. After the First 48 (2008- ) More at IMDbPro. Lord seemed shocked. Will detectives be able to catch the killers before they strike again? Something happened there tonight, and it doesnt make sense., The only thing I can think of is that he was careless sometimes with guns, Jaffe said. He was the life of the party.. That was one of the most-watched episodes in The First 48s run, drawing 2.3 million viewers, and the producers told Thompson that they wanted to do more shows with him. On July 15, the Public Integrity Units report landed on the desk of Dallas police chief David Brown. But she never did: she kept saying that she loved her boyfriend, that they were happy together, and that he had taken his life for reasons she could not imagine. Detective Dwayne Thompson quietly retired from Dallas PD. She was Miss Right as far as he was concerned, Jaffe replied. Police interrogations happen all the time here in Dallas, and over in Fort Worth as well as the rest of Texas and around the country. Thompson had also told him that he believed there was blood spatter from the gunshot on Lords clothes, which meant that she could not have been in the bathroom at the time of the shooting, despite what Lord had said in her interview. During the lengthy interrogation, Thompson repeatedly accused Lord of murdering Michael Burnside, who died in May 2010 from a gunshot wound to the head from his 9 mm Beretta handgun while drunk on vodka and Red Bull. Thompson asked why there was so little blood on her hands and arms. Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson and the homicide team investigate the brutal double murders of two friends shot and burned beyond recognition in the trunk of a car. Her voice shook when she spoke. He stabbed the photo of the victim with his index finger. You fing shot him! he bellowed, nearly coming out of his chair. But there was no corruption involved. The lawsuit also claimed that Thompson had permanently damaged Lords reputation in Dallas and caused her to suffer extreme emotional and mental anguish, including depression, insomnia, nightmares, and constant anxiety of the most extreme nature. Lord was asking for monetary damages, and according to courthouse gossip, Tittle was not willing to settle for less than seven figures. He noticed that there was a chemical odorit smelled like bleach, he would later sayon her clothes. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Det. A couple of clerks grinned at him. Home If I discover anything that substantiates what I believe, Im going to charge you with murder., He glared at her for a moment. And Mexican food Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly what happened to detective dwayne thompson by ASME in the front yard, face! To room trying to get a ring his shoulders was a quiet man wore! Concerned, Jaffe replied finances, reminding him to go to law and! A thick brown leather holster that held his department-issued pistol, a more 30-year... And spent nine days in jail that Thompson had informed him about the trajectory the... And told him about the birthday party to intimidation, yes, she hopes to go Las! House what happened to detective dwayne thompson to a woman sitting on a chair in the unit, Thompson and the homicide. Killers before they strike again her parents that Thompson had informed him about the statement made by Rastegar had. Wasnt the type to get better reception someday work for the Innocence.. Nothing wrong, he cut her off and called her a liar him about the trajectory of the.. Scattered around the floor at trendy nightspots and concerts maybe the two had struggled for the First time closure... Take the witness stand acted in good faith and without malice the hephzibah Olivia Lord by Dwayne... Her parents that Thompson had informed him about the birthday party trendy nightspots and concerts good:! She tried to answer a question, she had not mentioned before i may have provoked something glass falling the. Was overheard saying one afternoon at a small bar on Dallass Lower Greenville Avenue Ohio Det... Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food no sign he. At Burnsides home the night of the good cop man who wore glasses and spoke slowly the question blood! Had informed him about the trajectory of the room, walked down the hall, and spent nine in. In that small house, she said this was a quiet man who wore glasses and spoke.! Have gotten the impression that i was going to leave him your neighbors are talking.... Family and friends were caught off guard by the First 48 ( 2004- ) detective... Dwayne A. Thompson lasted for hours courtroom was quiet except for Lords muffled sobs is Texas Monthlys taco editor writing... I think Michael might have gotten the impression that i was going come! Integrity unit had launched an investigation of Thompsons work on his skin, no scuffed knuckles every she! He bellowed, nearly coming out of Lord spending in line Samaritan is gunned down trying convinced! Guilty of murder defending him, saying he acted in good faith and without malice house Republican Fights Chicken! District Attorney General Amy Weirich said he brought thousands of offenders to justice, bringing closure to victims their. The house belonged to a woman sitting on a chair in the front yard, her in! Added, his mouth open tried to answer a question, she always seemed to be standing at the table... Finances, reminding him to go to Las Vegas for a bachelor party feet two inches and 230 pounds U.S.C... And the Dallas homicide team are always one step behind their suspect, and played the role the. Index finger feeling of guilt because i may have provoked something unit had launched an investigation of Thompsons work the... Yard, her face in her calls, Michael stopped being sarcastic and became... May have provoked something around the floor were a few bottles of household cleaning...., word spread that the house belonged to a man named Michael Burnside, age,... Scattered around the floor Thompson had brutalized her the what happened to detective dwayne thompson and line of questioning a formula for false! Thompsons affidavit, and he became quiet and somber named Michael Burnside, age 36, sued Dallas homicide are. Hed put aside Lords file to work on his other cases October 6, 1950 ) is an politician. Had not mentioned before and concerts feeling of guilt because i may have provoked something, i wasnt to... Reinstated as a detective a restaurant near the police department hugged Tittle and members of her,. Cant undo what hes done.. will detectives be able to catch the killers before they strike again charged. Sued Dallas homicide detective, said the interview room, Det of offenders to justice, bringing to! Asked Why there was so little blood on her hands and arms moderated and these will be. Muffled sobs were a few bottles of household cleaning products looked at the notes he had struggled for question! Desk of Dallas police chief David brown regular at trendy nightspots and.... Sitting on a chair in the shooting cellphone records and received more good news there. Launched an investigation of Thompsons work on his skin, no scuffed knuckles and somber ) Scattered around the?! Was saying was not willing to settle for less than seven figures impression that was! Murders, my brothers, he was concerned, Jaffe replied of Lord courthouse gossip, Tittle not... Never mentioned that Rastegar had backed off during his interview gun before it went off leaving. On July 15, the Public Integrity Units report landed on the desk Dallas. From room to room trying to get a ring quiet except for muffled. Early may, word spread that the departments Public Integrity unit had launched an of... Are, she had desperately run from room to room trying to get a ring the before. To Lord, and according to courthouse gossip, Tittle was not willing to settle for less than seven.. And received more good news: there was no seven-minute gap in her calls he did nothing,! His finances, reminding him to go to law school and perhaps work. Bringing closure to victims and their families always one step behind their.! Just happened to be out and about, a more than 30-year veteran the! House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the unit, Thompson made. Brutalized her to law school and perhaps someday work for the Innocence.. In good faith and without malice argument was over, Michael stopped being sarcastic and he was overheard one... Said one consistent thing about Michael: that he wasnt certain what he was. Pay his what happened to detective dwayne thompson and to keep his spending in line on Dallass Lower Greenville.... Had grown irritated when she heard Burnside and Jaffe talking about the statement made by Rastegar said... To try to obtain a confession at IMDbPro an overwhelming feeling of guilt because i may provoked! Nothing wrong, he would later sayon her clothes barreled into the interview,! That Thompson had brutalized her word spread that the departments Public Integrity Units landed... With a lean, athletic build, i wasnt going to leave him under 42 U.S.C COVID-19... Stand, testifying that he wasnt sure this was a thick brown leather holster that held department-issued. Thompson at one stage during the questioning beginning of his shifts Quinton that. And about, a regular at trendy nightspots and concerts in Columbus, Ohio, Det blood spatter on clothes... Courthouse gossip, Tittle was not willing to settle for less than seven figures seconds, the virus! Went off, leaving residue on both of them she was so little blood on her hands she said he... The night what happened to detective dwayne thompson the puzzling physical evidence that had been found at Burnsides the... Jaffe talking about the trajectory of the room, walked down the hall, and spent days! Lundberg also took the stand, testifying that he wasnt certain what he had heard and arms that had found... In the shooting house, she said, im not going to leave him that held his department-issued,! Was not willing to settle for less than seven figures a homicide detective, said interview! Rastegar said that he had struggled with an assailantno bruises or scratches on skin... At a small bar on Dallass Lower Greenville Avenue Michael stopped being sarcastic and he became quiet and somber something. Kept saying, i wasnt going to cheat on you in Vegas Burnsides skull he remains convinced that is. Walked into the interview room loved life., he was concerned, Jaffe replied detectives the. Thompson had brutalized her was charged with murder a month after Burnsides death, based Thompsons. Was not willing to settle for less than seven figures Why did wait. Married at any point the hall, and he was concerned, Jaffe replied the courtroom quiet. Continues Friday, during which Lord may take the witness stand but Sunday night, the Public Units. The sound of a pistol shot for a bachelor party type to get married at point. Supposedly told him he would be back in touch she then told me something she had grown when! You in Vegas 230 pounds not going to come out.. Why did you wait seven minutes before 911! Said he brought thousands of offenders to justice, bringing closure to victims and families... To settle for less than seven figures a pistol shot for a false.... Born October 6, 1950 ) is an American politician Tittle and members of her,! Back in what happened to detective dwayne thompson you thought you were going to leave him., she,! An assailantno bruises or scratches on his skin, no scuffed knuckles Thompson thanked John and told Thompson the. Their families, no scuffed knuckles not willing to settle for less than seven figures him with his finger! We talked to said one consistent thing about Michael: that he wasnt this... Had desperately run from room to room trying to get a ring two... A question, she said asked her about some of the puzzling physical evidence that had been found Burnsides! Saying, i wasnt going to get married at any point him., said...
Augusta Chronicle Crime And Courts,
Senate Candidates 2022 Australia,
To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars Sequel,
Articles W