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00:00:10,867 --> 00:00:13,367
[narrator] Up next,
the way this fire burned
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has even experts
wondering what happened.
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Fire did not behave
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00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,166
in a manner that
appeared to be typical.
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[narrator] A body is found,
but something
about it
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confounds investigators.
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The position
of his body, to me,
seemed a little unusual
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00:00:27,266 --> 00:00:29,367
from what I'd experienced
in other fatalities.
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[Ashdown] It raised
questions of
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[Ashdown] It raised
questions of
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was he already deceased
from some reason?
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Was there some kind
of a medical situation?
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[narrator] If it's murder,
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how was the victim killed?
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And if this is murder,
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can detectives prove it?
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[theme music playing]
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[narrator] Every fall
in Morgantown, West Virginia,
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home of
West Virginia University,
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football reigns supreme.
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On Monday, November 28, 2005,
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the city was still reveling
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in a recent victory over
the University of Pittsburgh
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in the so-called
"Backyard Brawl,"
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one of the oldest rivalries
in college sports.
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But celebrations
by local firefighters
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But celebrations
by local firefighters
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didn't last long.
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That morning,
they were called to a fire
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in a suburban neighborhood.
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We heard on the radio that
there was a structure fire
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on Killarney Drive
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which was in the north, uh,
section of the city
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in the city of Morgantown.
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[narrator] Firefighters
were met at the scene
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by a man named Bobby Teets.
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He identified himself
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as a friend of a family
that owned the home.
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[Tennant] Bobby Teets
was at the scene.
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I remember him saying,
"If his car is in the garage,
he's there."
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And of course, I had no idea
what he was talking about.
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And of course, I had no idea
what he was talking about.
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At that point, we didn't know
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that there was potentially
somebody, you know,
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a victim in the house.
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[narrator] The person
he was referring to
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was Jimmy Michael,
the homeowner.
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Jimmy's wife Michelle,
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a local nurse practitioner
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who worked at a hospital
a few miles away,
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arrived at the fire
shortly after Bobby Teets.
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Firefighting efforts
were still being made.
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She was actually there
while it was on fire.
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[narrator] The Michaels'
children were at school,
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[narrator] The Michaels'
children were at school,
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but as everyone feared,
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once the fire was out,
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a body was found
inside the house.
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[Ashdown] It was a body
that was very badly burned,
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very little left
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of internal organs
and that sort of thing.
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[narrator] At the scene,
it was impossible
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to make a
definitive identification.
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Meanwhile, fire investigators
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immediately noticed
odd things about this fire.
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[Tennant] Walking through
the first floor, you know,
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a lot of areas,
you'd have never known
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a fire had occurred
in the house.
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a fire had occurred
in the house.
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And that struck me
as kinda unusual.
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Um, I knew that, you know,
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we're gonna be dealing with
something kinda strange here.
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[narrator]
This particular fire,
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at least in its final stages,
burned very hot,
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achieving what
arson investigators
call "flashover,"
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demonstrated in
this training video.
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Flashover is when
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a fire in a room
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becomes a room on fire,
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when everything that isn't
already burning in the room
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when everything that isn't
already burning in the room
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ignites, essentially,
simultaneously.
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[narrator] A fire that
reaches flashover
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generally creates
a lot of damage.
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But that's not
what happened here.
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Fire personnel noticed
that it was really
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one room of the house
that was on fire.
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[narrator] That room
was the master bedroom
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where the body was found.
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It looked as if the victim
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made no effort
to escape the fire.
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[Glatt] What they were
struck with was that
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[Glatt] What they were
struck with was that
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it looked like
he'd just gone to sleep
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and he hadn't made
any effort in a fire
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to try and escape or anything.
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He was in a sleeping position.
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[narrator]
Dental records confirmed
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the victim was
33-year-old Jimmy Michael,
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the father of two
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and step-father of two more.
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Since the position of his body
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indicated he may have died
before the fire started,
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the possibility of murder
loomed large.
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In this case,
it was enough to say,
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"We have a huge red flag."
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"We have a huge red flag."
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We had several red flags.
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[narrator] Jimmy Michael
and his wife Shelly
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had each been married
before they found each other,
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divorced their
respective spouses
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and joined
their families together.
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She had two children
from a prior marriage.
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Um, Jimmy Michael had been
married before,
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had two children
from a prior marriage.
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They had a very normal life,
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just a normal, everyday,
middle-class family here,
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here in Morgantown.
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[narrator] While Jimmy's body
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was sent to be autopsied,
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fire investigators
set about determining
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what started the fire
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what started the fire
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that may or may not
have caused his death.
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There were no positive, um,
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laboratory results
for an accelerant,
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a liquid accelerant
or anything like that.
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There were no
electrical artifacts
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inside the structure
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that showed that the fire
was an electrical fire.
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[narrator] The fire had burned
a hole in the bedroom floor
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which opened up
to the living room below.
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A clothes iron
found in the bedroom
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was initially turned to
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as a possible fire starter.
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as a possible fire starter.
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The iron had to be considered
as a potential ignition source
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because it was found
in a position
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that indicated
it would've been
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in contact with
combustible materials.
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[narrator] But even though
the iron had been turned on,
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it was not
what started the fire.
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[Tennant] The modern iron's
a pretty safe device.
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The base plate that heats up
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will only get to
about 400 degrees.
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Paper ignites at 451 degrees.
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So, you know,
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400 degrees,
it won't even ignite paper.
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400 degrees,
it won't even ignite paper.
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[narrator] Since Jimmy
obviously made no attempt
to escape the fire,
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was it possible
he'd taken his own life
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and wanted to hide his suicide
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by torching the house
with a clothes iron?
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Or was he killed by someone
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who then set the fire?
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With his body so damaged,
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his autopsy provided limited
but vital information.
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[Ashdown] The very interesting
thing about the autopsy
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was that Mr. Michael's, uh,
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was that Mr. Michael's, uh,
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lungs and air passages
were free from soot
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and any evidence
of having inhaled smoke.
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And so it was
apparent from that
to the medical examiner
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that the fire had not been
the cause of his death.
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[narrator] This answered
the question of why
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Jimmy hadn't tried
to escape the fire.
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But the question of
how he died was still open
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and investigators worried
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he'd sustained so much damage
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it would never be answered.
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But just enough remained
for a toxicology test.
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But just enough remained
for a toxicology test.
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The deep, deep
muscle tissue samples
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is what we sent to the lab.
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[narrator] As is normal
in any potential murder,
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investigators first looked at
Jimmy's wife Michelle,
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known as Shelly.
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The 33-year-old
was an attractive, successful
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and well-respected
nurse practitioner.
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The couple had been married
for five years.
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Shelly Michael went to the
University of West Virginia
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Shelly Michael went to the
University of West Virginia
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in Morgantown, in fact,
to study nursing.
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She got on
the cheerleading team.
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Shelly was Jimmy's
perfect woman.
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Some of his friends
told me that
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his dream girl
was a cheerleader.
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[narrator] By all accounts,
it was a happy marriage
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and Shelly had an alibi
for the time of the fire.
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She was seen at work
at the local hospital.
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So now detectives
turned to Bobby Teets who,
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00:08:08,467 --> 00:08:11,367
in what might or might not
have been a coincidence,
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was at the fire scene
even before firefighters.
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was at the fire scene
even before firefighters.
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He was a longtime friend
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of both Shelly
and Jimmy Michael.
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In fact, Bobby worked
for Jimmy's business,
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00:08:21,467 --> 00:08:24,867
providing respiratory
equipment to local hospitals.
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[Mezzanotte] They were
family friends,
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they were kinda best friends.
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They did everything together.
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They were constantly
at each other's houses.
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[narrator] But as detectives
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00:08:33,533 --> 00:08:35,734
continued talking
to Bobby Teets,
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00:08:35,734 --> 00:08:37,533
they found there was
a lot more
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00:08:37,533 --> 00:08:39,533
to his friendship
with the Michael family
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00:08:39,533 --> 00:08:41,100
than originally thought.
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[Ashdown] Well,
before the fire,
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[Ashdown] Well,
before the fire,
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I don't think anyone
would've described it
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as anything
other than a friendship
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00:08:46,867 --> 00:08:48,600
and a business relationship.
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00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,367
It wasn't until after the fire
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00:08:52,367 --> 00:08:54,166
and the death of Jimmy
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00:08:54,166 --> 00:08:57,333
that things began to unravel.
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00:09:18,467 --> 00:09:20,734
[narrator] As detectives
looked to see if Bobby Teets,
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00:09:20,734 --> 00:09:23,533
Jimmy Michael's longtime
friend and employee,
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00:09:23,533 --> 00:09:25,533
had any reason to harm him,
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00:09:25,533 --> 00:09:28,166
they got an
unexpected phone call
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00:09:28,166 --> 00:09:30,734
about Teets
and Jimmy's wife Shelly.
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00:09:30,734 --> 00:09:34,166
Soon detectives,
acting on this tip,
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00:09:34,166 --> 00:09:35,867
came upon this image
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00:09:35,867 --> 00:09:39,367
shot with a security camera
at a Chicago hotel.
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00:09:39,367 --> 00:09:42,867
In it, they saw Shelly Michael
and Bobby Teets
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00:09:42,867 --> 00:09:44,867
checking into the same room.
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00:09:44,867 --> 00:09:46,847
It became apparent
through, uh,
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00:09:46,847 --> 00:09:47,734
It became apparent
through, uh,
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00:09:47,734 --> 00:09:49,867
information that was gathered
by investigators
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00:09:49,867 --> 00:09:53,066
that they had something more
than a business relationship.
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He first denied that he had
any kind of a personal
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00:09:56,166 --> 00:09:59,066
or romantic relationship
with Michelle.
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00:09:59,066 --> 00:10:01,266
[narrator] When confronted
with this image,
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00:10:01,266 --> 00:10:04,100
Bobby Teets could no longer
deny the affair.
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00:10:12,700 --> 00:10:15,000
[narrator] But Bobby Teets
adamantly denied
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00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:16,847
having anything to do with
Jimmy Michael's death.
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00:10:16,847 --> 00:10:18,066
having anything to do with
Jimmy Michael's death.
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00:10:18,066 --> 00:10:21,266
And he had what might
or might not be
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00:10:21,266 --> 00:10:24,367
a plausible explanation
for why he got to the fire
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00:10:24,367 --> 00:10:26,266
even before firefighters.
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00:10:26,266 --> 00:10:29,100
[Glatt] Jimmy delivered
respiratory equipment
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00:10:29,100 --> 00:10:31,600
and Bobby Teets worked for him
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00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,266
and he became alarmed,
you know,
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00:10:33,266 --> 00:10:35,367
that Jimmy hadn't turned up.
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00:10:35,367 --> 00:10:39,266
So when he heard about a fire,
he went there and said,
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00:10:39,266 --> 00:10:41,266
"Well, if Jimmy's car
is in the garage,
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00:10:41,266 --> 00:10:42,900
then he's probably
in the house."
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[narrator] Bobby's affair
with Michelle Michael
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00:10:46,634 --> 00:10:46,847
was a clear motive
for him and for her.
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00:10:46,847 --> 00:10:50,367
was a clear motive
for him and for her.
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00:10:50,367 --> 00:10:52,367
Now detectives asked Michelle
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00:10:52,367 --> 00:10:55,634
the same series of questions
they'd asked Bobby Teets.
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00:11:10,700 --> 00:11:13,166
[narrator] Then Michelle,
just like Bobby Teets,
253
00:11:13,166 --> 00:11:15,166
was confronted
with the evidence.
254
00:11:15,166 --> 00:11:16,847
[Mezzanotte] She did, uh,
admit to the affair
255
00:11:16,847 --> 00:11:19,166
[Mezzanotte] She did, uh,
admit to the affair
256
00:11:19,166 --> 00:11:22,700
after probably 50 or 60 times
on tape saying,
257
00:11:22,700 --> 00:11:24,600
"No, no, no, I never did that.
258
00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,533
I've never done this.
I've never done that."
259
00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:33,367
[narrator] The question now
was establishing
260
00:11:33,367 --> 00:11:37,166
where Michelle Michael was
on the morning of the fire.
261
00:11:37,166 --> 00:11:39,800
She said, "It was a typical
Monday morning."
262
00:11:51,166 --> 00:11:52,634
[narrator]
After getting to work,
263
00:11:52,634 --> 00:11:54,533
Michelle said she never
left the hospital,
264
00:11:54,533 --> 00:11:57,367
but security video,
once again,
265
00:11:57,367 --> 00:11:59,266
contradicted her story.
266
00:11:59,266 --> 00:12:02,266
There are cameras, really,
in every inch
267
00:12:02,266 --> 00:12:04,367
outside that building
and inside that building
268
00:12:04,367 --> 00:12:05,734
and in the parking lots.
269
00:12:05,734 --> 00:12:08,266
Officers the began to confirm
270
00:12:08,266 --> 00:12:12,367
her comings and goings,
um, on that date.
271
00:12:12,367 --> 00:12:16,000
This showed Michelle leaving
the hospital at 8:11 a.m.
272
00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:16,847
and returning at 8:28,
273
00:12:16,847 --> 00:12:18,266
and returning at 8:28,
274
00:12:18,266 --> 00:12:20,467
a total of 17 minutes.
275
00:12:20,467 --> 00:12:23,867
And her house
was only five minutes
from the hospital.
276
00:12:23,867 --> 00:12:26,500
And then her story changed.
277
00:12:26,500 --> 00:12:28,166
It was an ever-changing story
278
00:12:28,166 --> 00:12:30,066
that she represented
to law enforcement.
279
00:12:31,066 --> 00:12:32,867
[narrator] And now that
it became known
280
00:12:32,867 --> 00:12:34,600
that Michelle
was a possible suspect,
281
00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,166
detectives got another tip
282
00:12:37,166 --> 00:12:40,634
from a volunteer fireman
about the morning of the fire.
283
00:12:40,634 --> 00:12:43,867
This is when you kinda
get that good luck, sometimes,
as a police officer.
284
00:12:43,867 --> 00:12:46,266
He was going to
the volunteer fire station
285
00:12:46,266 --> 00:12:46,847
and he just happened
to take a shortcut
286
00:12:46,847 --> 00:12:48,867
and he just happened
to take a shortcut
287
00:12:48,867 --> 00:12:52,166
that put him directly in front
of Shelly Michael's house.
288
00:12:52,166 --> 00:12:53,367
And he said,
289
00:12:53,367 --> 00:12:56,500
"I saw Shelly and her big SUV
290
00:12:56,500 --> 00:13:00,166
back out of the driveway, um,
291
00:13:00,166 --> 00:13:01,800
and then speed off."
292
00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:04,367
[narrator]
This sighting took place
293
00:13:04,367 --> 00:13:06,867
during the 17-minute window
294
00:13:06,867 --> 00:13:10,500
in which Shelly had left
her job at the hospital.
295
00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:12,867
But this only proved
that Shelly was lying
296
00:13:12,867 --> 00:13:15,734
about her whereabouts
on the morning Jimmy died.
297
00:13:15,734 --> 00:13:16,847
It didn't look good,
298
00:13:16,847 --> 00:13:17,266
It didn't look good,
299
00:13:17,266 --> 00:13:19,867
but didn't prove conclusively
300
00:13:19,867 --> 00:13:22,700
that she lit the fire.
301
00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:26,367
To get that proof,
arson investigators
set their own fires,
302
00:13:26,367 --> 00:13:29,367
a series of what are called
"test burns,"
303
00:13:29,367 --> 00:13:32,367
in an attempt to find out
what really happened.
304
00:13:32,367 --> 00:13:34,100
[Summerfield] The best way
to find out
305
00:13:34,100 --> 00:13:36,166
was to do full-scale testing,
306
00:13:36,166 --> 00:13:39,233
furnish it with
comparable furnishings
307
00:13:39,867 --> 00:13:41,600
and comparable carpet,
308
00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:43,266
comparable construction,
309
00:13:43,266 --> 00:13:46,847
and burn it
to see what happens.
310
00:13:46,847 --> 00:13:47,100
and burn it
to see what happens.
311
00:13:58,533 --> 00:14:00,600
[narrator] Investigators
analyzing the fire
312
00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,533
that almost consumed
Jimmy Michael's body
313
00:14:03,533 --> 00:14:06,467
had certain facts
that were not in dispute.
314
00:14:06,467 --> 00:14:08,900
They knew
Jimmy's wife Michelle
315
00:14:08,900 --> 00:14:11,900
lied about where she was
on the morning of the fire,
316
00:14:11,900 --> 00:14:14,533
a fact confirmed by a witness
317
00:14:14,533 --> 00:14:17,367
who saw her at her house
around 8:30.
318
00:14:17,367 --> 00:14:20,734
This was also confirmed
by surveillance video
319
00:14:20,734 --> 00:14:23,000
at the hospital
where Michelle worked.
320
00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,600
She was gone for 17 minutes.
321
00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,294
[Mezzanotte] 17 minutes
was more than enough time
322
00:14:27,294 --> 00:14:28,734
[Mezzanotte] 17 minutes
was more than enough time
323
00:14:28,734 --> 00:14:31,066
to drive to her residence,
324
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,000
go into the residence,
325
00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,867
either set or make sure
the fire was burning.
326
00:14:37,867 --> 00:14:41,100
[narrator]
Fire investigators theorized
that the fire started
327
00:14:41,100 --> 00:14:43,266
during the time Shelly
left the hospital
328
00:14:43,266 --> 00:14:47,266
between 8:11 and 8:28 a.m.
329
00:14:47,266 --> 00:14:50,367
And they knew when
the fire reached flashover
330
00:14:50,367 --> 00:14:53,700
because, by that time,
about 10:30,
331
00:14:53,700 --> 00:14:55,600
they were at the scene.
332
00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,294
But even veteran
arson investigators
had to admit
333
00:14:57,294 --> 00:14:59,266
But even veteran
arson investigators
had to admit
334
00:14:59,266 --> 00:15:02,100
that two hours
was an awfully long time
335
00:15:02,100 --> 00:15:04,166
for an arson fire to burn.
336
00:15:04,166 --> 00:15:08,000
This fire started
around 8:15, 8:30,
337
00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,367
but nobody found it
until 10:27 a.m.
338
00:15:11,367 --> 00:15:13,166
Does this make any sense?
339
00:15:13,166 --> 00:15:16,100
[narrator] The thing is,
fires do make sense.
340
00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:18,533
They burn in
predictable patterns.
341
00:15:18,533 --> 00:15:20,367
With a timeline in hand
342
00:15:20,367 --> 00:15:23,367
and knowing all the materials
in the master bedroom
343
00:15:23,367 --> 00:15:25,000
and its measurements,
344
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,294
analysts decided
to recreate the fire.
345
00:15:27,294 --> 00:15:28,700
analysts decided
to recreate the fire.
346
00:15:28,700 --> 00:15:32,467
[Grove] So, we did rebuild,
uh, the bedroom.
347
00:15:32,467 --> 00:15:34,734
It makes us better witnesses
in terms of understanding,
348
00:15:34,734 --> 00:15:37,166
uh, the science of
what might have happened.
349
00:15:37,166 --> 00:15:40,266
So we had, uh,
a pretty good understanding
350
00:15:40,266 --> 00:15:42,433
of the materials
that were in the space.
351
00:15:43,533 --> 00:15:46,634
[narrator] A critical factor
in this fire recreation
352
00:15:46,634 --> 00:15:49,166
was replicating
the HVAC system,
353
00:15:49,166 --> 00:15:52,367
the heating and cooling system
in the Michael house.
354
00:15:52,367 --> 00:15:56,800
The HVAC would affect
how much oxygen
got in the room.
355
00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:57,294
Also key was the fact that
the door to the bedroom
356
00:15:57,294 --> 00:16:00,066
Also key was the fact that
the door to the bedroom
357
00:16:00,066 --> 00:16:02,100
was closed during the fire.
358
00:16:02,100 --> 00:16:03,734
The fact that
the door was closed
359
00:16:03,734 --> 00:16:05,600
closed the fire off
360
00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,533
from available air
in the rest of the house
361
00:16:08,533 --> 00:16:12,634
and provided a severely
ventilation-limited condition
362
00:16:12,634 --> 00:16:15,000
for the fire to evolve.
363
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,900
[narrator]
Analysts focused mainly
on three of their test burns.
364
00:16:18,900 --> 00:16:20,100
In the first,
365
00:16:20,100 --> 00:16:22,367
the HVAC system was not on.
366
00:16:22,367 --> 00:16:25,166
Predictably, this cut
the oxygen levels
367
00:16:25,166 --> 00:16:27,294
and the fire burned out
fairly quickly.
368
00:16:27,294 --> 00:16:27,867
and the fire burned out
fairly quickly.
369
00:16:27,867 --> 00:16:29,467
In the second test burn,
370
00:16:29,467 --> 00:16:31,800
the HVAC system was on full.
371
00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,000
This made for plenty of oxygen
372
00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,367
and this fire created
a hole in the floor
373
00:16:36,367 --> 00:16:38,634
in well under two hours.
374
00:16:38,634 --> 00:16:40,166
In the third test,
375
00:16:40,166 --> 00:16:42,367
the HVAC system was cycling,
376
00:16:42,367 --> 00:16:44,367
meaning it was on automatic
377
00:16:44,367 --> 00:16:46,533
and turned itself off and on.
378
00:16:46,533 --> 00:16:48,900
This is where the Michaels'
HVAC was set
379
00:16:48,900 --> 00:16:50,367
on the morning of the fire.
380
00:16:50,367 --> 00:16:52,000
In this test,
381
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,533
because the oxygen levels
were fluctuating,
382
00:16:54,533 --> 00:16:57,000
the fire would almost go out
383
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:57,294
and then come back to life.
384
00:16:57,294 --> 00:16:59,100
and then come back to life.
385
00:16:59,100 --> 00:17:00,734
It took over two hours
386
00:17:00,734 --> 00:17:02,900
for this fire to burn
through the floor,
387
00:17:02,900 --> 00:17:04,867
which is exactly what happened
388
00:17:04,867 --> 00:17:07,000
in the actual fire.
389
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:08,266
[Grove] The main variable here
390
00:17:08,266 --> 00:17:10,600
was changing the HVAC
391
00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:12,700
or the flow of air
into the compartment
392
00:17:12,700 --> 00:17:14,166
which is so important
to combustion.
393
00:17:14,166 --> 00:17:15,634
We had cameras
394
00:17:15,634 --> 00:17:17,367
in our structure
in the floor joists,
395
00:17:17,367 --> 00:17:21,000
and at two hours
and 12 minutes after ignition,
396
00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,166
we had, uh, flaming debris
397
00:17:23,166 --> 00:17:25,634
fall onto our burn room below.
398
00:17:28,467 --> 00:17:30,266
[narrator] This proved arson
399
00:17:30,266 --> 00:17:33,266
and Shelly Michael was the
only person seen at the house
400
00:17:33,266 --> 00:17:35,266
before the fire started.
401
00:17:35,266 --> 00:17:36,734
Bobby Teets, her lover
402
00:17:36,734 --> 00:17:38,800
and Jimmy Michael's
business partner,
403
00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,467
had a rock-solid alibi
for the very same time period.
404
00:17:42,467 --> 00:17:44,734
He was never charged
in this case.
405
00:17:45,367 --> 00:17:47,000
The final question,
406
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000
how was Jimmy Michael killed,
407
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,634
was answered once the
toxicology results came in.
408
00:17:52,634 --> 00:17:55,700
He had a drug called
rocuronium in his system.
409
00:17:55,700 --> 00:17:57,294
[Mezzanotte] Rocuronium is
what's known as a paralytic
410
00:17:57,294 --> 00:17:59,900
[Mezzanotte] Rocuronium is
what's known as a paralytic
411
00:17:59,900 --> 00:18:02,100
and it basically
paralyzes your body.
412
00:18:02,100 --> 00:18:04,367
[Ashdown] Michelle Michael
would be able
413
00:18:04,367 --> 00:18:06,367
to get access
to the rocuronium.
414
00:18:06,367 --> 00:18:09,367
She was charged
with first-degree murder
and first-degree arson.
415
00:18:09,367 --> 00:18:11,266
[narrator] The evidence
left no doubt,
416
00:18:11,266 --> 00:18:12,900
even though Shelly
appeared to be
417
00:18:12,900 --> 00:18:15,000
a typical suburban housewife
418
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,467
and had never
committed a crime,
419
00:18:17,467 --> 00:18:20,266
this was cold-blooded,
pre-meditated murder.
420
00:18:20,266 --> 00:18:22,533
Her lawyer described her,
looking in her eyes
421
00:18:22,533 --> 00:18:24,800
as like looking in
Charles Manson's eyes.
422
00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,166
That woman's scary.
423
00:18:27,166 --> 00:18:27,294
One of the themes
that we used during trial
424
00:18:27,294 --> 00:18:30,867
One of the themes
that we used during trial
425
00:18:30,867 --> 00:18:32,266
was love and money.
426
00:18:32,266 --> 00:18:34,467
You know, those are
two motives, often,
427
00:18:34,467 --> 00:18:39,000
that we have separately
or together in a murder trial,
428
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,734
and in this case, we suggested
that it might have been both.
429
00:18:42,734 --> 00:18:45,467
The half-a-million-dollar
insurance policy
430
00:18:45,467 --> 00:18:48,734
was definitely a motivation
for the crime.
431
00:18:48,734 --> 00:18:51,600
And I think that also, maybe,
432
00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:53,266
it would've been the affair
with Bobby Teets,
433
00:18:53,266 --> 00:18:54,900
that might have
been motivation.
434
00:18:55,467 --> 00:18:57,000
[narrator] In 2007,
435
00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:57,294
Michelle Michael
was found guilty
436
00:18:57,294 --> 00:18:58,734
Michelle Michael
was found guilty
437
00:18:58,734 --> 00:19:00,800
of first-degree murder
and arson
438
00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,266
and was sentenced
to life in prison.
439
00:19:03,266 --> 00:19:04,867
After her conviction,
440
00:19:04,867 --> 00:19:07,266
she addressed
Jimmy's family in court.
441
00:19:07,266 --> 00:19:09,367
[Michelle crying] I did not
take Jimmy's life,
442
00:19:09,367 --> 00:19:10,734
I swear to you.
443
00:19:11,367 --> 00:19:12,900
I don't know what happened.
444
00:19:13,533 --> 00:19:14,734
I wish I did.
445
00:19:14,734 --> 00:19:16,533
If you want
to believe I did it
446
00:19:16,533 --> 00:19:18,266
and it helps you heal,
447
00:19:18,266 --> 00:19:21,867
and it helps you have closure,
448
00:19:21,867 --> 00:19:23,166
then please blame me
449
00:19:23,166 --> 00:19:26,100
'cause I don't want you
in pain any more.
450
00:19:26,100 --> 00:19:27,294
[narrator] Prosecutors told
jurors a horrifying story.
451
00:19:27,294 --> 00:19:29,467
[narrator] Prosecutors told
jurors a horrifying story.
452
00:19:29,467 --> 00:19:32,900
They believe Michelle injected
her husband with rocuronium
453
00:19:32,900 --> 00:19:34,467
as he laid sleeping,
454
00:19:34,467 --> 00:19:36,900
paralyzing him
almost instantly.
455
00:19:36,900 --> 00:19:38,900
Then she made
her first mistake.
456
00:19:38,900 --> 00:19:41,000
She thought the iron
would start the fire.
457
00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:42,467
It didn't.
458
00:19:42,467 --> 00:19:44,266
She went to work
expecting to get a call
459
00:19:44,266 --> 00:19:46,100
that her house was on fire.
460
00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:47,467
When that didn't happen,
461
00:19:47,467 --> 00:19:49,100
she made her next mistake.
462
00:19:49,100 --> 00:19:51,467
She left work,
apparently not realizing
463
00:19:51,467 --> 00:19:53,700
there were
surveillance cameras.
464
00:19:53,700 --> 00:19:57,294
Minutes later,
the volunteer fireman
saw her at her house.
465
00:19:57,294 --> 00:19:57,734
Minutes later,
the volunteer fireman
saw her at her house.
466
00:19:57,734 --> 00:20:00,867
Once inside, she made sure
the bedroom was on fire.
467
00:20:00,867 --> 00:20:03,700
And then she committed
her final mistake,
468
00:20:03,700 --> 00:20:05,734
the one that
ultimately preserved
469
00:20:05,734 --> 00:20:07,900
the evidence
that landed her in jail.
470
00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:10,734
She closed the bedroom door.
471
00:20:12,867 --> 00:20:14,800
Nurses are actually trained
472
00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:17,166
that, if you have
a dead patient in the room,
473
00:20:17,166 --> 00:20:18,800
to close the door
474
00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,166
so that you don't
upset the other patients.
475
00:20:21,734 --> 00:20:23,734
With the door being closed,
476
00:20:23,734 --> 00:20:26,467
it consumed the available
oxygen in the room
477
00:20:26,467 --> 00:20:27,294
and it became
ventilation-limited.
478
00:20:27,294 --> 00:20:28,467
and it became
ventilation-limited.
479
00:20:28,467 --> 00:20:31,467
Had she not closed
that bedroom door
on the way out,
480
00:20:31,467 --> 00:20:34,600
the house probably would've
burned to the ground
481
00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:38,000
and the body would probably
have been too badly damaged
482
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,900
for us to be able to determine
483
00:20:39,900 --> 00:20:43,266
that he would've been
injected with rocuronium.
484
00:20:43,266 --> 00:20:46,000
[Ashdown] I guess she thought
she was capable
485
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:50,100
of committing
the perfect crime.
486
00:20:50,100 --> 00:20:53,066
She should've left
the door open in the bedroom.
487
00:20:55,367 --> 00:20:56,734
That might have helped her.