1 00:00:10,867 --> 00:00:13,367 [narrator] Up next, the way this fire burned 2 00:00:13,367 --> 00:00:16,266 has even experts wondering what happened. 3 00:00:16,266 --> 00:00:18,000 Fire did not behave 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,166 in a manner that appeared to be typical. 5 00:00:20,166 --> 00:00:22,600 [narrator] A body is found, but something about it 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:24,700 confounds investigators. 7 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:27,266 The position of his body, to me, seemed a little unusual 8 00:00:27,266 --> 00:00:29,367 from what I'd experienced in other fatalities. 9 00:00:29,367 --> 00:00:30,000 [Ashdown] It raised questions of 10 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:31,367 [Ashdown] It raised questions of 11 00:00:31,367 --> 00:00:34,166 was he already deceased from some reason? 12 00:00:34,166 --> 00:00:36,700 Was there some kind of a medical situation? 13 00:00:36,700 --> 00:00:38,166 [narrator] If it's murder, 14 00:00:38,166 --> 00:00:39,867 how was the victim killed? 15 00:00:39,867 --> 00:00:41,600 And if this is murder, 16 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,433 can detectives prove it? 17 00:00:45,734 --> 00:00:47,066 [theme music playing] 18 00:01:05,100 --> 00:01:08,266 [narrator] Every fall in Morgantown, West Virginia, 19 00:01:08,266 --> 00:01:10,700 home of West Virginia University, 20 00:01:10,700 --> 00:01:12,734 football reigns supreme. 21 00:01:12,734 --> 00:01:15,867 On Monday, November 28, 2005, 22 00:01:15,867 --> 00:01:17,634 the city was still reveling 23 00:01:17,634 --> 00:01:20,600 in a recent victory over the University of Pittsburgh 24 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,367 in the so-called "Backyard Brawl," 25 00:01:23,367 --> 00:01:26,467 one of the oldest rivalries in college sports. 26 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,000 But celebrations by local firefighters 27 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:30,467 But celebrations by local firefighters 28 00:01:30,467 --> 00:01:32,066 didn't last long. 29 00:01:32,066 --> 00:01:34,367 That morning, they were called to a fire 30 00:01:34,367 --> 00:01:36,266 in a suburban neighborhood. 31 00:01:36,266 --> 00:01:38,867 We heard on the radio that there was a structure fire 32 00:01:38,867 --> 00:01:40,467 on Killarney Drive 33 00:01:40,467 --> 00:01:43,266 which was in the north, uh, section of the city 34 00:01:43,266 --> 00:01:44,967 in the city of Morgantown. 35 00:01:44,967 --> 00:01:47,100 [narrator] Firefighters were met at the scene 36 00:01:47,100 --> 00:01:49,100 by a man named Bobby Teets. 37 00:01:49,100 --> 00:01:51,100 He identified himself 38 00:01:51,100 --> 00:01:53,066 as a friend of a family that owned the home. 39 00:01:53,066 --> 00:01:55,367 [Tennant] Bobby Teets was at the scene. 40 00:01:55,367 --> 00:01:59,367 I remember him saying, "If his car is in the garage, he's there." 41 00:01:59,367 --> 00:02:00,000 And of course, I had no idea what he was talking about. 42 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,266 And of course, I had no idea what he was talking about. 43 00:02:02,266 --> 00:02:03,734 At that point, we didn't know 44 00:02:03,734 --> 00:02:05,533 that there was potentially somebody, you know, 45 00:02:05,533 --> 00:02:06,800 a victim in the house. 46 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,533 [narrator] The person he was referring to 47 00:02:09,533 --> 00:02:12,000 was Jimmy Michael, the homeowner. 48 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:13,967 Jimmy's wife Michelle, 49 00:02:13,967 --> 00:02:15,500 a local nurse practitioner 50 00:02:15,500 --> 00:02:18,000 who worked at a hospital a few miles away, 51 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,700 arrived at the fire shortly after Bobby Teets. 52 00:02:21,700 --> 00:02:23,634 Firefighting efforts were still being made. 53 00:02:23,634 --> 00:02:25,433 She was actually there while it was on fire. 54 00:02:28,266 --> 00:02:30,000 [narrator] The Michaels' children were at school, 55 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:30,533 [narrator] The Michaels' children were at school, 56 00:02:30,533 --> 00:02:32,367 but as everyone feared, 57 00:02:32,367 --> 00:02:34,166 once the fire was out, 58 00:02:34,166 --> 00:02:36,367 a body was found inside the house. 59 00:02:36,367 --> 00:02:40,100 [Ashdown] It was a body that was very badly burned, 60 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:41,600 very little left 61 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,367 of internal organs and that sort of thing. 62 00:02:44,367 --> 00:02:46,166 [narrator] At the scene, it was impossible 63 00:02:46,166 --> 00:02:48,867 to make a definitive identification. 64 00:02:48,867 --> 00:02:51,100 Meanwhile, fire investigators 65 00:02:51,100 --> 00:02:54,467 immediately noticed odd things about this fire. 66 00:02:54,467 --> 00:02:56,500 [Tennant] Walking through the first floor, you know, 67 00:02:56,500 --> 00:02:58,367 a lot of areas, you'd have never known 68 00:02:58,367 --> 00:03:00,000 a fire had occurred in the house. 69 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:00,266 a fire had occurred in the house. 70 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,467 And that struck me as kinda unusual. 71 00:03:03,467 --> 00:03:05,166 Um, I knew that, you know, 72 00:03:05,166 --> 00:03:08,367 we're gonna be dealing with something kinda strange here. 73 00:03:09,100 --> 00:03:10,734 [narrator] This particular fire, 74 00:03:10,734 --> 00:03:14,467 at least in its final stages, burned very hot, 75 00:03:14,467 --> 00:03:18,500 achieving what arson investigators call "flashover," 76 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:20,734 demonstrated in this training video. 77 00:03:20,734 --> 00:03:23,734 Flashover is when 78 00:03:23,734 --> 00:03:25,467 a fire in a room 79 00:03:25,467 --> 00:03:27,333 becomes a room on fire, 80 00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:30,000 when everything that isn't already burning in the room 81 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,467 when everything that isn't already burning in the room 82 00:03:32,467 --> 00:03:35,634 ignites, essentially, simultaneously. 83 00:03:35,634 --> 00:03:37,867 [narrator] A fire that reaches flashover 84 00:03:37,867 --> 00:03:40,700 generally creates a lot of damage. 85 00:03:40,700 --> 00:03:43,867 But that's not what happened here. 86 00:03:43,867 --> 00:03:46,700 Fire personnel noticed that it was really 87 00:03:46,700 --> 00:03:49,433 one room of the house that was on fire. 88 00:03:50,367 --> 00:03:52,533 [narrator] That room was the master bedroom 89 00:03:52,533 --> 00:03:54,367 where the body was found. 90 00:03:54,367 --> 00:03:55,967 It looked as if the victim 91 00:03:55,967 --> 00:03:58,100 made no effort to escape the fire. 92 00:03:58,100 --> 00:04:00,000 [Glatt] What they were struck with was that 93 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:00,367 [Glatt] What they were struck with was that 94 00:04:00,367 --> 00:04:02,734 it looked like he'd just gone to sleep 95 00:04:02,734 --> 00:04:06,000 and he hadn't made any effort in a fire 96 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:07,734 to try and escape or anything. 97 00:04:07,734 --> 00:04:10,100 He was in a sleeping position. 98 00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:11,533 [narrator] Dental records confirmed 99 00:04:11,533 --> 00:04:14,467 the victim was 33-year-old Jimmy Michael, 100 00:04:14,467 --> 00:04:16,000 the father of two 101 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,166 and step-father of two more. 102 00:04:18,166 --> 00:04:20,166 Since the position of his body 103 00:04:20,166 --> 00:04:23,467 indicated he may have died before the fire started, 104 00:04:23,467 --> 00:04:26,734 the possibility of murder loomed large. 105 00:04:26,734 --> 00:04:29,500 In this case, it was enough to say, 106 00:04:29,500 --> 00:04:30,000 "We have a huge red flag." 107 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,100 "We have a huge red flag." 108 00:04:31,634 --> 00:04:32,900 We had several red flags. 109 00:04:43,867 --> 00:04:45,700 [narrator] Jimmy Michael and his wife Shelly 110 00:04:45,700 --> 00:04:48,266 had each been married before they found each other, 111 00:04:48,266 --> 00:04:50,367 divorced their respective spouses 112 00:04:50,367 --> 00:04:52,634 and joined their families together. 113 00:04:52,634 --> 00:04:55,600 She had two children from a prior marriage. 114 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:57,800 Um, Jimmy Michael had been married before, 115 00:04:57,800 --> 00:04:59,800 had two children from a prior marriage. 116 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,367 They had a very normal life, 117 00:05:01,367 --> 00:05:05,000 just a normal, everyday, middle-class family here, 118 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:06,100 here in Morgantown. 119 00:05:06,100 --> 00:05:07,634 [narrator] While Jimmy's body 120 00:05:07,634 --> 00:05:09,266 was sent to be autopsied, 121 00:05:09,266 --> 00:05:11,867 fire investigators set about determining 122 00:05:11,867 --> 00:05:12,323 what started the fire 123 00:05:12,323 --> 00:05:13,533 what started the fire 124 00:05:13,533 --> 00:05:16,867 that may or may not have caused his death. 125 00:05:16,867 --> 00:05:20,000 There were no positive, um, 126 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,700 laboratory results for an accelerant, 127 00:05:22,700 --> 00:05:24,734 a liquid accelerant or anything like that. 128 00:05:24,734 --> 00:05:26,634 There were no electrical artifacts 129 00:05:26,634 --> 00:05:28,700 inside the structure 130 00:05:28,700 --> 00:05:32,266 that showed that the fire was an electrical fire. 131 00:05:32,266 --> 00:05:35,166 [narrator] The fire had burned a hole in the bedroom floor 132 00:05:35,166 --> 00:05:37,734 which opened up to the living room below. 133 00:05:37,734 --> 00:05:40,000 A clothes iron found in the bedroom 134 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:41,600 was initially turned to 135 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:42,323 as a possible fire starter. 136 00:05:42,323 --> 00:05:43,867 as a possible fire starter. 137 00:05:43,867 --> 00:05:46,734 The iron had to be considered as a potential ignition source 138 00:05:46,734 --> 00:05:49,367 because it was found in a position 139 00:05:49,367 --> 00:05:50,800 that indicated it would've been 140 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,600 in contact with combustible materials. 141 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,600 [narrator] But even though the iron had been turned on, 142 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,734 it was not what started the fire. 143 00:05:59,734 --> 00:06:02,100 [Tennant] The modern iron's a pretty safe device. 144 00:06:02,100 --> 00:06:03,734 The base plate that heats up 145 00:06:03,734 --> 00:06:06,367 will only get to about 400 degrees. 146 00:06:06,367 --> 00:06:09,367 Paper ignites at 451 degrees. 147 00:06:09,367 --> 00:06:11,367 So, you know, 148 00:06:11,367 --> 00:06:12,323 400 degrees, it won't even ignite paper. 149 00:06:12,323 --> 00:06:13,800 400 degrees, it won't even ignite paper. 150 00:06:17,100 --> 00:06:20,600 [narrator] Since Jimmy obviously made no attempt to escape the fire, 151 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,000 was it possible he'd taken his own life 152 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,734 and wanted to hide his suicide 153 00:06:24,734 --> 00:06:26,734 by torching the house with a clothes iron? 154 00:06:26,734 --> 00:06:29,100 Or was he killed by someone 155 00:06:29,100 --> 00:06:30,700 who then set the fire? 156 00:06:30,700 --> 00:06:32,467 With his body so damaged, 157 00:06:32,467 --> 00:06:37,100 his autopsy provided limited but vital information. 158 00:06:37,100 --> 00:06:39,367 [Ashdown] The very interesting thing about the autopsy 159 00:06:39,367 --> 00:06:42,323 was that Mr. Michael's, uh, 160 00:06:42,323 --> 00:06:42,867 was that Mr. Michael's, uh, 161 00:06:42,867 --> 00:06:45,700 lungs and air passages were free from soot 162 00:06:45,700 --> 00:06:49,634 and any evidence of having inhaled smoke. 163 00:06:49,634 --> 00:06:53,533 And so it was apparent from that to the medical examiner 164 00:06:53,533 --> 00:06:56,600 that the fire had not been the cause of his death. 165 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:58,634 [narrator] This answered the question of why 166 00:06:58,634 --> 00:07:01,533 Jimmy hadn't tried to escape the fire. 167 00:07:01,533 --> 00:07:04,867 But the question of how he died was still open 168 00:07:04,867 --> 00:07:06,734 and investigators worried 169 00:07:06,734 --> 00:07:09,000 he'd sustained so much damage 170 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:10,900 it would never be answered. 171 00:07:10,900 --> 00:07:12,323 But just enough remained for a toxicology test. 172 00:07:12,323 --> 00:07:14,100 But just enough remained for a toxicology test. 173 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:16,867 The deep, deep muscle tissue samples 174 00:07:16,867 --> 00:07:19,233 is what we sent to the lab. 175 00:07:22,467 --> 00:07:25,266 [narrator] As is normal in any potential murder, 176 00:07:25,266 --> 00:07:28,100 investigators first looked at Jimmy's wife Michelle, 177 00:07:28,100 --> 00:07:30,367 known as Shelly. 178 00:07:30,367 --> 00:07:34,100 The 33-year-old was an attractive, successful 179 00:07:34,100 --> 00:07:36,467 and well-respected nurse practitioner. 180 00:07:36,467 --> 00:07:39,100 The couple had been married for five years. 181 00:07:39,100 --> 00:07:42,323 Shelly Michael went to the University of West Virginia 182 00:07:42,323 --> 00:07:42,467 Shelly Michael went to the University of West Virginia 183 00:07:42,467 --> 00:07:45,800 in Morgantown, in fact, to study nursing. 184 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:48,467 She got on the cheerleading team. 185 00:07:48,467 --> 00:07:50,734 Shelly was Jimmy's perfect woman. 186 00:07:50,734 --> 00:07:53,100 Some of his friends told me that 187 00:07:53,100 --> 00:07:55,166 his dream girl was a cheerleader. 188 00:07:55,166 --> 00:07:57,900 [narrator] By all accounts, it was a happy marriage 189 00:07:57,900 --> 00:08:01,000 and Shelly had an alibi for the time of the fire. 190 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,533 She was seen at work at the local hospital. 191 00:08:05,367 --> 00:08:08,467 So now detectives turned to Bobby Teets who, 192 00:08:08,467 --> 00:08:11,367 in what might or might not have been a coincidence, 193 00:08:11,367 --> 00:08:12,323 was at the fire scene even before firefighters. 194 00:08:12,323 --> 00:08:14,533 was at the fire scene even before firefighters. 195 00:08:14,533 --> 00:08:16,533 He was a longtime friend 196 00:08:16,533 --> 00:08:18,800 of both Shelly and Jimmy Michael. 197 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,467 In fact, Bobby worked for Jimmy's business, 198 00:08:21,467 --> 00:08:24,867 providing respiratory equipment to local hospitals. 199 00:08:24,867 --> 00:08:26,367 [Mezzanotte] They were family friends, 200 00:08:26,367 --> 00:08:28,467 they were kinda best friends. 201 00:08:28,467 --> 00:08:30,000 They did everything together. 202 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,100 They were constantly at each other's houses. 203 00:08:32,100 --> 00:08:33,533 [narrator] But as detectives 204 00:08:33,533 --> 00:08:35,734 continued talking to Bobby Teets, 205 00:08:35,734 --> 00:08:37,533 they found there was a lot more 206 00:08:37,533 --> 00:08:39,533 to his friendship with the Michael family 207 00:08:39,533 --> 00:08:41,100 than originally thought. 208 00:08:41,100 --> 00:08:42,323 [Ashdown] Well, before the fire, 209 00:08:42,323 --> 00:08:42,533 [Ashdown] Well, before the fire, 210 00:08:42,533 --> 00:08:44,367 I don't think anyone would've described it 211 00:08:44,367 --> 00:08:46,867 as anything other than a friendship 212 00:08:46,867 --> 00:08:48,600 and a business relationship. 213 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,367 It wasn't until after the fire 214 00:08:52,367 --> 00:08:54,166 and the death of Jimmy 215 00:08:54,166 --> 00:08:57,333 that things began to unravel. 216 00:09:18,467 --> 00:09:20,734 [narrator] As detectives looked to see if Bobby Teets, 217 00:09:20,734 --> 00:09:23,533 Jimmy Michael's longtime friend and employee, 218 00:09:23,533 --> 00:09:25,533 had any reason to harm him, 219 00:09:25,533 --> 00:09:28,166 they got an unexpected phone call 220 00:09:28,166 --> 00:09:30,734 about Teets and Jimmy's wife Shelly. 221 00:09:30,734 --> 00:09:34,166 Soon detectives, acting on this tip, 222 00:09:34,166 --> 00:09:35,867 came upon this image 223 00:09:35,867 --> 00:09:39,367 shot with a security camera at a Chicago hotel. 224 00:09:39,367 --> 00:09:42,867 In it, they saw Shelly Michael and Bobby Teets 225 00:09:42,867 --> 00:09:44,867 checking into the same room. 226 00:09:44,867 --> 00:09:46,847 It became apparent through, uh, 227 00:09:46,847 --> 00:09:47,734 It became apparent through, uh, 228 00:09:47,734 --> 00:09:49,867 information that was gathered by investigators 229 00:09:49,867 --> 00:09:53,066 that they had something more than a business relationship. 230 00:09:53,066 --> 00:09:56,166 He first denied that he had any kind of a personal 231 00:09:56,166 --> 00:09:59,066 or romantic relationship with Michelle. 232 00:09:59,066 --> 00:10:01,266 [narrator] When confronted with this image, 233 00:10:01,266 --> 00:10:04,100 Bobby Teets could no longer deny the affair. 234 00:10:12,700 --> 00:10:15,000 [narrator] But Bobby Teets adamantly denied 235 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:16,847 having anything to do with Jimmy Michael's death. 236 00:10:16,847 --> 00:10:18,066 having anything to do with Jimmy Michael's death. 237 00:10:18,066 --> 00:10:21,266 And he had what might or might not be 238 00:10:21,266 --> 00:10:24,367 a plausible explanation for why he got to the fire 239 00:10:24,367 --> 00:10:26,266 even before firefighters. 240 00:10:26,266 --> 00:10:29,100 [Glatt] Jimmy delivered respiratory equipment 241 00:10:29,100 --> 00:10:31,600 and Bobby Teets worked for him 242 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,266 and he became alarmed, you know, 243 00:10:33,266 --> 00:10:35,367 that Jimmy hadn't turned up. 244 00:10:35,367 --> 00:10:39,266 So when he heard about a fire, he went there and said, 245 00:10:39,266 --> 00:10:41,266 "Well, if Jimmy's car is in the garage, 246 00:10:41,266 --> 00:10:42,900 then he's probably in the house." 247 00:10:44,467 --> 00:10:46,634 [narrator] Bobby's affair with Michelle Michael 248 00:10:46,634 --> 00:10:46,847 was a clear motive for him and for her. 249 00:10:46,847 --> 00:10:50,367 was a clear motive for him and for her. 250 00:10:50,367 --> 00:10:52,367 Now detectives asked Michelle 251 00:10:52,367 --> 00:10:55,634 the same series of questions they'd asked Bobby Teets. 252 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.