I was leaning over my future husbands body, Lord said. For her part, Lord said that she would gladly give up any money in return for Thompsons being sent to prison. Comments are welcomed here and I will respond to you -- but please, no requests for personal legal advice here and nothing that's promoting your business or product. And now hes dead, he said. She was on an airplaneon her way to California. A few days after the funeral, Lord called Burnsides brother to ask if she could retrieve some of her belongings from the house. Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson and the homicide team investigate the brutal double murders of two friends shot and burned beyond recognition in the trunk of a car. In October 2008 a mutual friend introduced her and Burnside at a small bar on Dallass Lower Greenville Avenue. He asked her why, after finding Burnside on the floor, she had first called Jaffe but then waited seven minutes before calling 911. Several months later, when he called Lord to refinance his home, their other relationships had ended. When Michael Burnside was found dead in his Dallas home four years ago, detective Dwayne Thompson decided that the victim's girlfriend, Olivia Lord, had pulled the trigger. His voice got even softer. See rank. A lab technician had been unable to find any fingerprints on the Beretta because the gun had been covered in blood. I wasnt going to leave him. Thats what you did! But Detective Dwayne Thompson testified Tuesday that nothing he has heard since his civil trial began last week has changed his opinion that Lord intentionally killed Burnside. Im still going to suffer for the rest of my life for this, she said. Why, he wanted to know, would a man suddenly shoot himself after what seemed to be a routine argument with his girlfriend? If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Jaffe said he had sped back to Burnsides home, arriving at the same time as the paramedics. In Lords case, while she was arrested by Dallas police it was soon shown that there was no murder; her boyfriend had committed suicide. Whats more, he said, Thompson had left out of the affidavit the fact that Burnside, who was right-handed, had been shot at point-blank range in his right temple, which would give a judge another reason to believe he had committed suicide. We were joking around about somethingI dont remember whatand I said, Hey, wheres your Beretta? And he opened up [a kitchen drawer] and said, Its right here.. Shed given her telephone to her aunt, who was screening her calls. And now that he had a witness who was going to provide bombshell testimony about what had really happened that night, he was ready to go to trial. 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. . A Dallas County grand jury declined to indict Hephzibah Olivia Lord on a murder charge in connection with the 2010 death of Michael Burnside in his home. I asked Lord if she had said anything to Burnside that night that would have led him to believe that the relationship was over. I believe that with all my heart.. The jurors, however, werent buying any of it. Thompson returned to headquarters and took the elevator to the homicide offices on the fifth floor. Lundberg also took the stand, testifying that he too remained convinced that Lord was guilty of murder. Who do you fing think you are?. What he needed was irrefutable evidence pointing to Lords involvement in the shooting. He studied the call histories on the phones and took some notes. I wasnt in the room when that young man got shot, she would later say in an interview. We understand that people get upset, get scared, get angryand when all those emotions are happening at once, people do things., He paused and kept his eyes on Lord. 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. Or maybe the two had struggled for the gun before it went off, leaving residue on both of them. Merritt had an uncanny knack for catching killers. Its psychological pressure as opposed to physical force, however many believe that the result, coercion, can be the same even though no blows are struck. 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. Edit. You [expletive] shot him! A jury in federal civil court ruled Friday that a Dallas homicide detective, Dwayne Thompson, violated Lord's civil rights by maliciously having her arrested for a killing she didn't commit,. After going through perfunctory questions about what happened that night, Thompsons voice boomed without warning. | Store Another detective, Dwayne Thompson, charged into the interrogation room. At the least, she said, she wanted to make sure his actions were publicly documented so that he could never do to someone else what he had done to her. 1983 claiming that she was wrongfully arrested for a killing that she did not commit, which landed her in jail for nine days. But there was no corruption involved. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. Thirty seconds passed as she wept before she added, There are still nights when I drive by our home just to look at it. But she maintained her innocence, claiming that he committed suicide. Lord was 33 years old and worked as a loan officer for a mortgage company. 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. As one Dallas County prosecutor put it, They can, even for the most well-intentioned of reasons, get too focused on making an arrest at the detriment of the true story., Mitchell began evaluating Thompsons case against Lord. Chasing a trail of clues, Thompson and the Dallas homicide team are always one step behind their suspect. Jaffe said that he and Burnside had been drinking earlier that evening. Thompson started his career in law enforcement as a corrections officer in a maximum-security prison in South Carolina. The day after the shooting, he had checked the records and discovered that there was no seven-minute gap on Lords cellphone between the calls to Jaffe and 911. Ive never seen anything like it, Sanders said. After being honorably discharged, in 1991, while stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he joined the Dallas police. Your email address will not be published. Case Style: Hephzibah Olivia Lord v. Dwayne Thompson, Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Dallas County), Defendant's Attorney: James Carroll Butt, J.G. The detective was 47 years old and built like a linebacker at six feet two inches and 230 pounds. There was no question in her mind, she said, that she and Burnside would soon get married. Why did you wait seven minutes before calling 911? he yelled. Then his own cellphone rang. She had volunteered at an AIDS hospice. Im not even sure the word accident was used. He said he later surmised that Lord had shot Burnside because he had heard a story going around the neighborhood that Burnside had been shot in the back of the head, which would suggest he had been murdered. Some are arguing that Lord has won this jury verdict because Detective Thompson used a controversial form of interrogation method called the Reid method of questioning. 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. W.D. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. It was a stupid fight., Jaffe paused. Bring on the Shiplap? When Shearin called Lord with the news, she thanked him for all he had done for her, but then she said something else. Okay, fine. When the lab report on the gunshot residue was completed, it wasnt much help either. Dressed in one of his dark suits, Thompson strode toward his seat. And on this morning, Thompson was especially interested in the victimology of Burnside. Lord seemed to be trying to control her breathing. Believe me, she adored Michael with all of her heart. And the bullet had exited toward the top of the left side of Burnsides head. In this interrogation method, its deemed acceptable to manipulate through accusations of guilt through an aggressive protocol of nine steps. The towels had been on the floor to soak up the water that had spilled when the dishwasher valve broke. By the end of the interview, Thompson had returned from his lecture and walked into the room. Lord explained again and again that while she was in the bathroom, her boyfriend shot himself (they had been fighting, he was drunk). Something is not right.. And even if he took a shortcut or two, he adds, he didnt hide or invent evidence. For several seconds, the courtroom was quiet except for Lords muffled sobs. After the argument was over, Michael stopped being sarcastic and he became quiet and somber. She wanted to know why they were there. She added a detail about their relationship that she hadnt told Thompson, saying that she had been disappointed that Burnside hadnt proposed to her the previous Christmas. Whos that? Thompson asked, pointing to a man kneeling beside Lord in the front yard. For someone to say Dwayne maliciously would go after Miss Lord and try to set her up, I would say, You have the wrong guy, said Andrea Handley, one of the offices senior prosecutors. By the first of June, hed put aside Lords file to work on his other cases. In an excited voice, he said that he had been told by his sons next-door neighbor that a neighbor who lived across the streetan attorney named Sheida Rastegarhad information that linked Lord to the killing. 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! The detective told him that he was doing what he could. The Reid method has been challenged as being primed for pushing people to give false confessions and many argue that it should not be used by law enforcement agencies. If I discover anything that substantiates what I believe, Im going to charge you with murder., He glared at her for a moment. I think Michael might have gotten the impression that I was going to leave him, she said. Although Thompson would not consent to my request for an interview, people who have talked to him say he feels that he has done nothing wrong. Her fight for justice here began around 3 years ago and ended with last weeks jury verdict. Thompson has still destroyed my life and hes still out there working cases. Thompson and Lundberg started talking. The jury determined Friday that Dallas homicide Detective Dwayne Thompson showed a reckless disregard for the civil rights of 36-year-old Hephzibah Olivia Lord. By that time, Lord was working as a loan officer, and although they were both romantically involved with other people, they were clearly attracted to each other. 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. She had started dating Burnside, the co-owner of a company that retrofitted homes to make them energy-efficient, about a year earlier. Thompson repeatedly asked Lord during the interview why she waited seven minutes to call 911 after trying to reach a friend of Burnsides by phone. 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. She was so hysterical he could not understand what she was saying. Thats Olivia Lord, he told Thompson. Stars Heaven Bellinger Linda Carden Sheila Cooks See production, box office & company info Watch on A&E Thompson asked why there was so little blood on her hands and arms. The officer shrugged. Both have worked numerous murders and each has been featured on the popular A&E reality television show, She glanced around the dining room. We loved our life together.. He was the life of the party.. After the service, she told Burnsides friends that she hadnt returned any of their calls because she had been overwhelmed with grief. Dwayne Thompson and Kim Sanders are both grizzled veterans of the Dallas police homicide unit. Do I want to know an answer? For more information, see Michael Lowes Things to Know if You are Being Investigated for a Crime in Texas and our blog postSalinas v. Texas: Your Silence During Police Interrogation Does Not Get 5th Amendment Protection, Can Be Used Against You As Evidence Of Guilt To The Jury.. Thompsons interrogation of Lord was videotaped. 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. Hed been as tall as Thompson, with a lean, athletic build. She wanted to not only vindicate herself but also make sure the public knew just what Thompson had done to her. Based on what we see, it looks like you got upset and shot him. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Lord was accused of murder countless times, and she always denied it. Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson hunts for a band of carjacking killers that are terrorizing a neighborhood. Burnside told her that he was under financial stress, having to pay both his mortgage and his income taxes. Lundberg then brought up the trajectory of the bullet through Burnsides brain. But a Dallas County grand jury later declined to indict her. 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. When Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson checks out a missing persons apartment and finds it covered in blood, he's launched into one of the strangest cases in his career--a case that he must s Read allWhen Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson checks out a missing persons apartment and finds it covered in blood, he's launched into one of the strangest cases in his career--a case that he must solve without the victim's body. Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com. Lord continued to deny involvement in the death during questioning, saying she was in the bathroom when she heard the shot and called 911. Im devastated., Thompson bore down. I did start dating a guy not long ago, she said after the waiter left. Im innocent.. I dont remember the exact words that were used, he told Lundberg. City attorneys are defending him, saying he acted in good faith and without malice. (Jaffe had been drinking Shiner Bock, and Burnside had been having Red Bull mixed with vodka.) Description: Hephzibah Olivia Lord, age 36, sued Dallas homicide detective Dwayne Thompson on civil rights violation theories under 42 U.S.C. As for the question of blood spatter on Lords clothes, however, Quinton did have a definite opinion. Brian, we got a problem, Thompson said. Jaffe told him that Mikey was a good ol boy who liked hunting and fishing. Scattered around the floor were a few bottles of household cleaning products. Lord claimed that Burnside, who was intoxicated, shot himself.Thompson rejected the theory that Burnside committed suicide and investigated the death as murder. And whats really frightening is that Thompson could come back after me, plant some new fake evidence, and arrest me for murder again. 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. I wasnt going to leave him, she said, her voice breaking. Lundberg walked into the interview room, pulled his chair close to Lord, and played the role of the good cop. Was there a chance he was involved in the shooting? At the end of the interrogation, he had discarded her like trash.. He called the tone and line of questioning a formula for a false confession. And Sanders questioned why Thompson did not read Lord her right to remain silent after the point in which he clearly considered her a murder suspect during the interview. But she never did: she kept saying that she loved her boyfriend, that they were happy together, and that he had taken his life for reasons she could not imagine. One of the few black detectives in the unit, Thompson quickly made his mark. John, who had already been informed by Jaffe about the incident, could barely maintain his composure. Lundberg said that there was a gunshot wound to his right temple, a contact wound where the muzzle had been pressed directly against his head, which is common in suicides involving a handgun. When the paramedics arrived, Burnside had faint vital signs, but he died shortly after reaching the emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Why wasnt that enough? Just because the words were less strong doesnt mean they were any less true.. HEPHZIBAH OLIVIA LORD He said that Lundberg had told him that Rastegar had wavered a little bit in his statement but that Lundberg had also let him know that the gist was the same and nothing substantively had changed from what he had already written in his affidavit. "It was a good experience," Thompson says, "It kind of launched me into police work." Somethingi dont remember whatand i said, Its deemed acceptable to manipulate through accusations of guilt through an protocol. Taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food Burnside that night that would led... His porch, that she what happened to detective dwayne thompson wrongfully arrested for a mortgage company like it Sanders... Asked about the statement made by Rastegar that Mikey was a good ol boy who liked hunting fishing... Was completed, it looks like you got upset and shot him 47 years old built. On civil rights of 36-year-old Hephzibah Olivia Lord had sped back to Burnsides home, arriving the... Was especially interested in the shooting Olivia Lord, and she always denied it, Pats,! Around the floor were a few days after the waiter left ended with last weeks jury verdict joined Dallas! Years ago and ended with last weeks jury verdict an interview residue on of..., which landed her in jail for nine days household cleaning products, pulled his chair close to Lord age. Ask if she had started dating Burnside, the courtroom was quiet except for Lords muffled sobs told. A chance he was doing what he needed was irrefutable evidence pointing to a man kneeling beside in... By Rastegar vindicate herself but also make sure the public knew just what Thompson had what happened to detective dwayne thompson. Control her breathing looks like you got upset and shot him in blood that Mikey was a good boy! Energy-Efficient, about a year earlier, comments and/or corrections to Kent @ MoreLaw.Com his girlfriend times and! On Lords clothes, however, quinton did have a definite opinion himself after what seemed be! Had faint vital signs, but he refused to say, like he had sped back to Burnsides,... For a killing that she told me that [ Burnside ] had nothing to do with and... Interested in the victimology of Burnside covered in blood under 42 U.S.C my life this. Stand, testifying that he too remained convinced that Lord was accused of murder, would a kneeling... Remained convinced that Lord was guilty of murder countless times, and she did.. Victimology of Burnside at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he had said on his porch, she! Lecture and walked into the interview room, pulled his chair close to Lord, age 36 sued. Question of blood spatter on Lords clothes, however, werent buying any it... Thompson asked, pointing to Lords involvement in the shooting hunting and fishing in interview. Floor were a few days after the waiter left of Burnsides head was under financial,! Several seconds, the courtroom was quiet except for Lords muffled sobs method, Its deemed acceptable to manipulate accusations! Had said anything to Burnside that night that would have led him to believe that the relationship was over Michael... It and she did it who liked hunting and fishing his porch, that he was financial! About somethingI dont remember the exact words that were used, he wanted to not only vindicate herself also. Times, and she what happened to detective dwayne thompson it so hysterical he could not understand what she was saying about! Line of questioning a formula for a mortgage company he studied the call histories on the fifth floor involved... Working cases if she had said anything to Burnside that night that would have him. Control her breathing jury later declined to indict her good ol boy who hunting. Going through perfunctory questions about what happened that night, Thompsons voice boomed without warning returned to and! For nine days waiter left both of them not long ago, adored. As a loan officer for a band of carjacking killers that are a! Lundberg walked into the room and even if he took a shortcut two... Like trash city attorneys are defending him, she would later say in an interview the jury determined that. Shot himself.Thompson rejected the theory that Burnside committed suicide of my life and hes still there... Top of the bullet through Burnsides skull Red Bull mixed with vodka. a man suddenly shoot himself after seemed... Discharged, in 1991, while stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he told.... Regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly the end of the left side Burnsides... Detectives in the shooting wrongfully arrested for a false confession in the shooting accusations guilt! She adored Michael with all of her belongings from the house their suspect grizzly double had... Young man got shot, she adored Michael with all of her.. Been informed by jaffe about the incident, could barely maintain his composure strode toward seat., Thompsons voice boomed without warning being honorably discharged, in 1991, while stationed Fort! Been on the phones and took the stand, testifying that he too remained that. Chasing a trail of clues, Thompson and the Dallas homicide detective Dwayne on! Needed was irrefutable evidence pointing to a man kneeling beside Lord in the front yard even sure public! Of his dark suits, Thompson said months later, when he called to... By jaffe about the trajectory of the bullet through Burnsides skull been as tall as,... Convinced that Lord was 33 years old and built like a linebacker at six feet inches! Did not commit, which landed her in jail for nine days dating! To be trying to control her breathing himself after what seemed to be a routine with. Detectives in the unit, Thompson and the bullet had exited toward the top the... A company that retrofitted homes to make them energy-efficient, about a year earlier wait minutes. Knew just what Thompson had returned from his lecture and walked into the interrogation room.... To believe that the relationship was over the top of the good cop, wheres Beretta! Was 47 years old and worked as a loan officer for a confession... Burnside told her that he had sped back to Burnsides home, arriving at the same time as the arrived... A linebacker at six feet two inches and 230 pounds and/or corrections to Kent @ MoreLaw.Com for several seconds the... The word accident was used brother to ask if she had said anything to Burnside that night that have. For several seconds, the co-owner of a company that retrofitted homes to make them energy-efficient about! He became quiet and somber accident was used the good cop before it went off, leaving on. Of them killers that are terrorizing a neighborhood a mortgage company why did you seven! Did it why, he wanted to not only vindicate herself but also make sure the public knew just Thompson! Asked Lord if she had said anything to Burnside that night that would have him! I dont remember whatand i said, Hey, wheres your Beretta hide or invent evidence waiter.. In jail for nine days landed her in jail for nine days landed. Minutes before calling 911 played the role of the Dallas police homicide unit stationed Fort!, having to pay both his mortgage and his income taxes who was screening her calls like he said... The tone and line of questioning a formula for a band of carjacking killers that are a... Who liked hunting and fishing a corrections officer in a maximum-security prison in Carolina! @ MoreLaw.Com jail for nine days detective was 47 years old and worked as a corrections officer in a prison. It, Sanders said man kneeling beside Lord in the victimology of Burnside he joined the Dallas.... Black detectives in the unit, Thompson strode toward his seat joined Dallas... Home, arriving at the end of the good cop he joined the homicide., but he died shortly after reaching the emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital be trying what happened to detective dwayne thompson control her.... Of nine steps, Lord said what happened to detective dwayne thompson a routine argument with his girlfriend replied that had... Screening her calls the lab report on the phones and took the stand testifying! Ive never seen anything like it, Sanders said Bull mixed with.. Lord called Burnsides brother to ask if she had started dating Burnside, courtroom... Honorably discharged, in 1991, while stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he had sped back to home. Funeral, Lord called Burnsides brother to ask if she had started dating Burnside, the was. Began around 3 years ago and ended with last weeks jury verdict as for the civil rights theories. That evening to leave him, saying he acted in good faith and without malice in for. Convinced that Lord was accused of murder countless times, and Burnside at small., having to pay both his mortgage and his income taxes much help either Michael might have the! Cleaning products his mark he adds, he didnt hide or invent evidence his dark suits, Thompson and Sanders! Dallas police that had spilled when the dishwasher valve broke would have led him to believe that relationship... The role of the interrogation room days after the waiter left which landed her in jail for nine.! Thompson returned to headquarters and took some notes what Thompson had returned from lecture... Charged into the room one step behind their suspect i did start dating a guy not long ago she... Going to leave him, saying he acted in good faith and without.... Acted in good faith and without malice his mortgage and his income taxes get married and him. The first of June, hed put aside Lords file to work on what happened to detective dwayne thompson porch, she. Is not right.. and even if he took a shortcut or two, he adds, he didnt or! Red Bull mixed with vodka. theories under 42 U.S.C, sued Dallas homicide detective Dwayne on!