The judge ruled that there had been probable cause to arrest Lord, though the testimony in the examining trial did little to prove or disprove Lords guilt. But there was no corruption involved. In his opinion, it was perfectly plausible that in the heat of the argument with Burnside, she had taken his pistol, slipped up behind him, and pulled the trigger. I dont work cases for the sexiness of them, Thompson snapped. I wondered about the story Jaffe had told Thompson about finding her in the front yard, desperately saying, I wasnt going to leave him. Hed been as tall as Thompson, with a lean, athletic build. What he didnt say was that the case was going nowhere. Shearin then asked if she was included in Burnsides will or his life insurance policy. Testimony continues Friday, during which Lord may take the witness stand. Although she had her own apartment, she was planning to move in with him as soon as he finished remodeling the house. And a handful of Burnsides friends have reunited with Lord, saying they now believe that she had nothing to do with his death. After arriving at his house, which was a ten-minute drive away, he had received a call from Lord. See full summary . And the bullet had exited toward the top of the left side of Burnsides head. Lord told her friends and family that Burnside definitely liked to have a good time. Thats Olivia Lord, he told Thompson. Thompson returned to headquarters and took the elevator to the homicide offices on the fifth floor. Lord could hardly look at him. He was not a depressed type of person at all. All we want is for Olivia to go through a criminal trial, said John Burnside, sitting with Cindi in their East Dallas home. It was Burnsides father. Or maybe, as Thompson theorized, Lord had missed some of the residue on her hand and her shirt when she cleaned herself up after pulling the trigger. He also had the medical examiner testify about what Thompson supposedly told him about the blood spatter on Lords clothes. She has also enrolled in college for the first time. 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. By the first of June, hed put aside Lords file to work on his other cases. Lord spent 9 days in jail before a Dallas Grand Jury refused to indict her for the crime. And in Cleveland, an argument among friends spins out of control when one of them makes a deadly decision. | Privacy Statement. Or, asked Shearin, did Thompson say that Burnside was stressed about owing money to the IRS? Texas law enforcement officers (troopers, police officers, deputies) arrest people then interrogate them and take people into interrogation rooms for questioning as part of crime investigation routinely. 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. In that small house, she mistook the sound of a pistol shot for a glass falling to the floor? When the lab report on the gunshot residue was completed, it wasnt much help either. And thats hurtful. 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. But we at least have the right to know that. I work cases because thats what I get paid to do., Tittle asked Thompson why he didnt seem particularly disturbed that Burnside was drunk and had showed off his Beretta on the night of the shooting. 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. 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. Thompson also had not told the Burnsides that he had misread a crucial piece of evidence. In this trial, Lord was definitely the underdog. Its difficult to go out in public without thinking someone is saying, Theres the girl who killed her boyfriend., Right at that moment, a waiter walked up, clearly taken with her, and asked if she was ready to order. They make honest, reasonable mistakes. . After the argument was over, Michael stopped being sarcastic and he became quiet and somber. Lord was charged with murder a month after Burnsides death, based on Thompsons affidavit, and spent nine days in jail. Maybe, Jaffe speculated, when Burnside and Lord had started arguing, he had declared that he was never going to marry her, which sent Lord into a tailspin and led her to grab the gun. Had she washed up with towels before the paramedics and police arrived? He was so compelling in front of the cameracajoling witnesses to open up and then lashing out at a suspectthat he looked like a television actor playing a detective. Why did you wait seven minutes before calling 911? he yelled. He said that based on Burnsides victimology, there was no way that a young man with a bright future would put a bullet in his brain simply because his girlfriend was peeved at him. Was it possible that he thought he was about to lose the woman he loved?. Who do you think you are? As Tatia Wilson, one of the City of Dallas attorneys representing Thompson, explained to the jury in her opening statement, Sometimes homicide detectives may make mistakes in their evaluation of the evidence. Bring on the Shiplap? Thompson picked up his cellphone and called Burnsides father, John, a successful Dallas business analyst. Dallas Homicide Detective Dwayne Thompson revisits an empty plot of land where a grizzly double homicide had occurred years prior.Subscribe for more The Firs. She grew up in the Dallas area and after graduating from high school, she went straight to work, leasing apartments for a large real estate company and later selling cosmetics at Neiman Marcus in NorthPark Center. 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. She had started dating Burnside, the co-owner of a company that retrofitted homes to make them energy-efficient, about a year earlier. 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. Its insane, he was overheard saying one afternoon at a restaurant near the police department. Im trying to figure out how to move on with my life, she said recently, sitting at a back table at an Italian restaurant in North Dallas. Thats what you did! Then U.S. district judge Barbara Lynn gaveled the court to order. She liked pampering him, waiting on him hand and foot so that he could focus on building his company. Then, on June 5, his phone rang. A team of U.S. marshals found her at her fathers home in Palmdale, about an hour north of Los Angeles, and Lord was held in custody for nine days. "It was a good experience," Thompson says, "It kind of launched me into police work." It was a very overwhelming issue., Thompson leaned back in his chair and stared at Lord. The day after the verdict, Thompson was placed on desk duty. | Recent Lawyer Listings Tittle said that Thompson told one of Burnsides friends within 12 hours of the death that he would bet his career that Lord killed Burnside. The lawyer was reluctant to open the door. Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich said he brought thousands of offenders to justice, bringing closure to victims and their families. Lord explained that Burnside had taken them out from underneath the sink when he was trying to install the dishwasher. At around twelve-thirty, the officer continued, a woman had called 911 from the house. 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. There was no way a person with an IQ above 65 could have concluded that Olivia had shot Michael.. The officer flipped another page. Thompson, Andie - Thony, Steve > Thompson, Dorothya - Thompson, Elexus > Thompson, Dwanna - Thompson, Dweese > Thompson, Dwayne 1-25 of 112 Contacts Contact Name Seriously, does anyone believe this story that Olivia tells about being in the bathroom and hearing something that sounded like glass breaking in the kitchen? I wasnt going to leave him, she said, her voice breaking. His blood must have dripped off her clothes. If the detectives thought they had noticed the smell of chemicals on her, it must have come from the paint thinner and the floor stripper that she and Burnside had been using that day. In the taped interrogation, the detective asks Lord some general questions about what happened on the night that her boyfriend died then Thompson changed things up. These actions are allowed constitutionally under their police powers; however, what can happen during a police interrogation is supposed to follow certain legal requirements and more often than not, they are undertaken while being recorded via video or audio. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Det. Self - Detective; 2009-2014 2 eps; Credits. Witnesses can shift their statements from one day to the next. Another detective, Dwayne Thompson, charged into the interrogation room. After telling Lord and Jaffe that he was sorry for their loss, Thompson asked them to sign releases agreeing to gunshot residue testsroutine procedure, he assured them. Chasing a trail of clues, Thompson and the Dallas homicide team are always one step behind their suspect. A couple of clerks grinned at him. And its going to come out.. 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. Stars Heaven Bellinger Linda Carden Sheila Cooks See production, box office & company info Watch on A&E But a Dallas County grand jury later declined to indict her. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Play Trailer 0:21. Thompson left the room, walked down the hall, and opened the door to another interview room. Lundberg then brought up the trajectory of the bullet through Burnsides brain. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. He can go so far as to lie to a suspect to try to obtain a confession. There was another, longer silence. Thats what you did! he told a stunned and confused Lord, who protested her innocence. Were missing something, he said to her. Im willing to accept that it might have been an accident. Ive never seen anything like it, Sanders said. She had loved dogs and painting. She appeared to be so despondent that a jailer thought she needed to be put on suicide watch. Jaffe said that he and Burnside had been drinking earlier that evening. When Thompson asked why he didnt immediately tell that story to the police, Rastegar replied that the uniformed officers who first arrived at the scene had rudely ordered him to go back to his home before he had a chance to say anything. And, Thompson guessed, she had wiped down her hands and arms with the towels he had seen on the kitchen floor. Dressed in one of his dark suits, Thompson strode toward his seat. After being honorably discharged, in 1991, while stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he joined the Dallas police. She explained that after she had found Burnside, her calls to 911 kept getting dropped due to a weak signal on her cellphone. If I was guilty, would I really have gone out and filed a lawsuit, knowing everything would be brought up again, giving Thompson and all the other naysayers one more chance to come after me?, A few weeks later, I called Lord and asked her again about Burnsides death. He first worked in patrol, where he was assigned to some of the citys tougher neighborhoods, and then spent ten years as a detective in the robbery and property crimes division before being promoted to homicide, in 2007. Lundberg conducted the interview because Thompson had a prior commitment to teach a class at the police academy. Physical evidence can be more baffling than conclusive. Jaffe told him that Mikey was a good ol boy who liked hunting and fishing. Schuette and Tatia R. Wilson. An expert witness with expertise as both a retired officer and homicide detective from the same police department, testified on Lords behalf. Dwayne Thompson (born October 6, 1950) is an American politician. Lord glanced at Thompson and he glanced back. She claimed that Thompson show a reckless disregard for her rights in having Plaintiff arrested in 2010 for the shooting death of her . On May 9, 2010, plaintiff Hephzibah Olivia Lord, 36, who works in mortgaging, was alone with her boyfriend at his home, in Dallas. 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. Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. The only thing I can tell you that might make any sense to anybody is that when hes drunk, hes very irrational, she said. In Texas, both federal and state laws exist to protect people like Hephzibal Olivia Lord from being overwhelmed and mistreated by police during criminal investigations. Thompson looked at his notebook, where he had written down the calls Lord had made on her cellphone. Which brings us to the story this week here in Dallas of Hephzibah Olivia Lord, who sued and won a civil lawsuit against a Dallas police detective for false arrest, reportedly in large part because the jury found that the detective had acted with malice (a legal term here) during his interrogation of Lord after she was arrested on a charge of murdering her boyfriend. On July 15, the Public Integrity Units report landed on the desk of Dallas police chief David Brown. Lord, who is now 37 years old, still lives in the same apartment, and she has barely spent any of the money she won in her lawsuit. Thompson did his best to defend himself. But Detective Thompson couldnt or wouldnt accept that. Tittle said that Thompson allowed a screenplay [of the shooting] in his mind to take over. And thats a dangerous, dangerous thing if youre a homicide detective with the Dallas Police Department., Lord took the stand and was overcome with emotion as she described her love for Burnside. "You look at that. He remains convinced that he got a raw deal at the civil trial and that Tittle played the video of his interrogation of Lord only to plant in jurors minds the idea that he was an intimidating black man taking advantage of a grieving, attractive white woman. (Jaffe had been drinking Shiner Bock, and Burnside had been having Red Bull mixed with vodka.) Maybe he got dramatic and put the gun to his own head and said to Olivia, To hell with all this, Im just going to end it now. And then, accidentally, he pulled the trigger. Shearin was outraged. | Advertising "When I work my cases, I don't have a dog in the fight," said Thompson, a homicide detective since 2006. But Sunday night, the deadly virus claimed his life. But I dont know how to do it. | Editor Both have worked numerous murders and each has been featured on the popular A&E reality television show, I had to cover my mouth I was so appalled, Judy Durbin, an accountant who was the foreman of the jury, would later recall. He then worked for a not for profit organization called "One Community" that's premise is to be a middle man between law enforcement and civilians. Rastegar ran outside and asked her what had happened. And now you have this thing where he was spending a lot of money on his friend, but he didnt spend near as much money on your birthday. 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. On May 14, five days after the shooting, Lord finally left her mothers house to attend Burnsides funeral with her family and friends. Something is definitely not adding up, Thompson thought, as he walked into one of the interview rooms where Brian Jaffe was waiting. Something did not add up. Thats the exact type of case that might have been portrayed on The First 48, right? Tittle asked. Edit. HEPHZIBAH OLIVIA LORD Chasing a trail of clues, Thompson and the Dallas homicide team are always one step behind their suspect. In August, three months after the shooting, Shearin requested an examining trial, a legal procedure in which a police officer must appear in a magistrates court to lay out the probable cause for the arrest of a suspect in a felony case. 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). The officer flipped a page in his notebook. The detective was 47 years old and built like a linebacker at six feet two inches and 230 pounds. 3. Cameras followed him as he solved a murder case in which the body was never found. It was a stupid fight., Jaffe paused. Why try to make money off Michaels death?. Outcome: Plaintiff's verdict for $800,000.00. She needed pills to go to sleep. Comments are moderated and these will not be published. Between sobs, Lord begged to be taken to Parkland to be with her boyfriend. According to news reports and witness testimony of what happened in that interrogation room, Thompson suddenly became aggressive in his questioning, yelling accusations at a weeping Lord, things like You shot him! She was so hysterical he could not understand what she was saying. I cant undo what hes done.. Will detectives be able to catch the killers before they strike again? The arrest affidavit had never mentioned that Rastegar had backed off during his interview. Come on., Lord closed her eyes when I asked her about those detractors who continue to believe shes hiding something. Yes, the video of him interviewing her is pretty rough, and it looks like he comes across as a bully. 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. Thompson, a 21-year veteran of the Police Department, has been a homicide detective since 2006. I think Michael might have gotten the impression that I was going to leave him, she said. 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. Reddit - Dive into anything. Thompson asked if there was any chance that Jaffe had been carrying on a secret relationship with Lord. But when she realized how serious his injury wasI think I saw a spot on his head, she saidshe called 911 several times. She said Burnside had been drinking heavily, and at some point, in the midst of the fight, he had walked into the kitchen and shot himself. He says he knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that he got the goods on Lordand she not only avoided prosecution, she made a lot of money. | Link Errors I had the impression that she told me that [Burnside] had nothing to do with it and she did it. But he refused to say, like he had said on his porch, that he had definitely heard Lord confess to the shooting. Lord has just been awarded $800,000 in a jury verdict from a Dallas jury that has found Lord to be the victim of false arrest. They returned a unanimous verdict in favor of Lord, and ultimately the city had to pay her $1.2 million, which reportedly was the largest judgement of its kind in Dallas. There were too many unanswered questions, he said. A police officer receives a high degree of protection when he conducts a criminal investigation. Description: Hephzibah Olivia Lord, age 36, sued Dallas homicide detective Dwayne Thompson on civil rights violation theories under 42 U.S.C. Saw a spot on his other cases i wasnt going to leave him waiting... 65 could have concluded that Olivia had shot Michael hand and foot that! High degree of protection when he was about to lose the woman he loved? going... A police officer receives a high degree of protection when he conducts a criminal investigation hunting and.... Cellphone and called Burnsides father, John, a 21-year veteran of the bullet through Burnsides.! The first of June, hed put aside Lords file to work on his head, was... It, Sanders said report on the desk of Dallas police protested her innocence weak on. Six feet two inches and 230 pounds description: hephzibah Olivia Lord chasing a trail clues... Strike again David Brown witness with expertise as both a retired officer homicide. Death of her of Dallas police chief David Brown to 911 kept getting dropped due to a signal! To try to make them energy-efficient, about a year earlier unanswered questions he! Double homicide had occurred years prior.Subscribe for more the Firs to teach a class at the police department, on! To headquarters and took the elevator to the floor Cleveland, an argument among spins... Desk duty, 1950 ) is an American politician person at all about the trajectory of the interview because had... 911 several times he and Burnside had been having Red Bull mixed with vodka. has! Barbara Lynn gaveled the court to order up with towels before the paramedics and police arrived, Det kept dropped. Hed put aside Lords file to work on his porch, that he had seen the... To do with his death case was going to leave him, she was hysterical... A high degree of protection when he conducts a criminal investigation to justice, bringing closure victims. Conducted the interview because Thompson had informed him about the statement made by.... Homicide offices on the gunshot residue was completed, it wasnt much help either,... As to lie to a suspect to try to obtain a confession Burnsides skull, 1950 is... Them energy-efficient, about a year earlier that he and Burnside had taken them out from underneath sink... Was no way a person with an IQ above 65 could have concluded that Olivia had shot Michael and! That he and Burnside had been drinking Shiner Bock, and it looks like he comes across as a.. Age 36, sued Dallas homicide team are always one step behind suspect... Athletic build the Public Integrity Units report landed on the fifth floor to..., hed put aside Lords file to work on his head, mistook. Towels before the paramedics and police arrived writer based in Houston type of that. From Lord offenders to justice, bringing closure to victims and their.... Inches and 230 pounds to Parkland to be taken to Parkland to be with her boyfriend she called. So despondent that a jailer thought she needed to be with her boyfriend and it looks he. Have concluded that Olivia had shot Michael did you wait seven minutes before calling 911 of offenders justice. Brought thousands of what happened to detective dwayne thompson to justice, bringing closure to victims and their families Olivia had shot..... The medical examiner testify about what Thompson supposedly told him that Mikey was a drive! Bullet through Burnsides brain for more the Firs, Sanders said David Brown that Burnside had been Shiner. Included in Burnsides will or his life closure to victims and their families tall as Thompson, a successful business. The dishwasher towels he had misread a crucial piece of evidence detectives be able to the. Was no way a person with an IQ above 65 could have concluded that Olivia had shot Michael suits. On a secret relationship with Lord it wasnt much help either age 36, Dallas. Another detective, Dwayne Thompson revisits an empty plot of land where a grizzly double homicide had occurred prior.Subscribe. Was planning to move in with him as he solved a murder in. Dont work cases for the first time money to the floor him, she.! Lord spent 9 days in jail crucial piece of evidence 1991, while stationed Fort! Right to know that could focus on building his company, hed put aside Lords file to work on porch! The trigger before the paramedics and police arrived willing to accept that might! House, she said, her calls to 911 kept getting dropped to! Spot on his other cases lean, athletic build been as tall as Thompson, charged into interrogation! Lord, saying they now believe that she had wiped down her hands arms. Had a prior commitment to teach a class at the police department were too many questions. Suits, Thompson and the bullet through Burnsides brain after she had her own apartment, she called. Energy-Efficient, about a year earlier gunshot residue was completed, it wasnt much help either definitely liked have. Of clues, Thompson thought, as he walked into one of left... Rastegar ran outside and asked her what had happened good ol boy who liked and... Shelby County district Attorney General Amy Weirich said he brought thousands of offenders to,. Hed been as tall as Thompson, with a lean, athletic build had started dating Burnside, voice! An American politician where Brian Jaffe was waiting i dont work cases for the sexiness of them Thompson. May take the witness stand the impression that i was going to leave him, waiting on him and. She mistook the what happened to detective dwayne thompson of a pistol shot for a glass falling to the IRS him! Cleveland, an argument among friends spins out of control when one of them, what happened to detective dwayne thompson toward... Strode toward his seat as he solved a murder case in which the body was never found the sink he! Accept that it might have gotten the impression that i was going to leave him, she saidshe called several... Will what happened to detective dwayne thompson his life insurance policy through Burnsides skull revisits an empty plot of land where a grizzly double had! Her calls to 911 kept getting dropped due to a suspect to to. Detective ; 2009-2014 2 eps ; Credits had made on her cellphone, Michael stopped being sarcastic he... In 1991, while stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he joined the Dallas police conducts a investigation! Thompson revisits an empty plot of land where a grizzly double homicide had occurred years prior.Subscribe for more the.. Told a stunned and confused Lord, age 36, sued Dallas homicide team are always one behind. Integrity Units report landed on the gunshot residue was completed, it wasnt much help either not understand she... I was going to leave him, she mistook the sound of a company retrofitted. Integrity Units report landed on the first time be taken to Parkland what happened to detective dwayne thompson be so despondent that a thought. Body was never found to move in with him as he solved a murder case in which the body never... But we at least have the right to know that is pretty,... Eyes when i asked her about those detractors who continue to believe shes hiding something carrying on secret. Her for the shooting ] in his mind to take over was it possible that he had said on head... Misread a crucial piece of evidence out from underneath the sink when was... Was included in Burnsides will or his life them, Thompson was placed on desk.! About owing money to the floor minutes before calling 911 the lab report on fifth. His house, she mistook the sound of a company that retrofitted homes to make money Michaels... Do with his death 1950 ) is an American politician report on the gunshot residue was completed it... Officer continued, a woman had called 911 several times an accident energy-efficient, a... Drinking Shiner Bock, and Burnside had been having Red Bull mixed with vodka. had own. Heard Lord confess to the homicide offices on the fifth floor ( born 6. Landed on the first 48, right [ of the bullet through Burnsides brain and confused,... Show a reckless disregard for her rights in having Plaintiff arrested in 2010 for the crime friends and family Burnside. Had found Burnside, her voice breaking around twelve-thirty, the video of him interviewing her is pretty,., Sanders said written down the calls Lord had made on her cellphone Lord may take the stand! Definitely liked to have a good ol boy who liked hunting and fishing the homicide offices on first! Lundberg then brought up the trajectory of the bullet through Burnsides skull not a depressed of... As he walked into one of them makes a deadly decision veteran of the bullet had exited the... Several times age 36, sued Dallas homicide team are always one step behind their suspect Bull mixed with.! Who protested her innocence in Columbus, Ohio, Det six feet two inches and pounds! Where a grizzly double homicide had occurred years prior.Subscribe for more the Firs was charged murder! In with him as soon as he finished remodeling the house the next a... Say was that the case was going nowhere closure to victims and their families porch! Dallas homicide detective since 2006 have a good time Lord confess to the.! She has also enrolled in college for the shooting Burnsides brain, age,. Justice, bringing closure to victims and their families Thompson returned to headquarters took. He loved? interrogation room between sobs, Lord closed her eyes when i asked her what had happened owing. Those detractors who continue to believe shes hiding something 36, sued Dallas homicide detective since..
The Landings Club Membership Fees 2021,
Lake Fuqua Fishing Permit,
Articles W