1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:11,079 Speaker 2: A New Orleans homicide detective the modern day at Q 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 2: Poirot slews the worst of the worst. Now hold on 4 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 2: right there, Number one, very high crime city, New Orleans, 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 2: the big easy. So are some murders worse than other murders? 6 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: How bad can it be? This guy has the answer 7 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: to that. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I 8 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: want to thank you for being with us. 9 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 3: Detective James Fife began his career with the New Orleans 10 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 3: Police Department as a patrol officer before advancing to detective 11 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 3: in the fall of twenty twenty one. Since his promotion, 12 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 3: he has successfully solved over twenty four consecutive cases, showcasing 13 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 3: his dedication and skilled. 14 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: It's not just dedication, it's not just hard hours. 15 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 2: To close twenty four consecutive homicides in a row that 16 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 2: takes serious slew thing. 17 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: Who is this guy? Listen? 18 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,279 Speaker 4: James Fife leaves his Massachusetts security screening job to follow 19 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 4: his dreams of becoming a cop. New Orleans catches five's 20 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 4: eye actually circulating help wanted posters amid a hiring slump. 21 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 4: Fife begins as a patrol officer in Algiers and works 22 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 4: his way up the Fourth District Task Force into property crimes. 23 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 4: After time on the Violent Crime Abatement Investigation Team, Fife 24 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 4: finally gets a shot in the homicide division, just as 25 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 4: Nola sees a huge spike in violent crime. 26 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: And joining us. 27 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: Now homicide Detective James five. Detective five, thank you for 28 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 2: being with. 29 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 5: Us, Thanks for having me. 30 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: It's an honor, Detective five. 31 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 2: Twenty four consecutive homicides, that's extremely rare. Do you recall 32 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 2: the first homicide investigated with New Orleans? 33 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 5: Of course, yeah, case like that stays with you. 34 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 6: I mean each of them really, but your first case, 35 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 6: you know, you're you're analyzing every little step, and for 36 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 6: sure that's not something you forget. It was in September 37 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 6: of twenty twenty one. My first case was a shooting 38 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 6: of three individuals on two Lane Avenue outside of a 39 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 6: bar at the location, which was successfully cleared. 40 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 2: Detective five, what do you recall of that first homicide investigation? 41 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 6: Basically every little detail, you know, it's microanalyzing everything I 42 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 6: was doing under you know, management of more veteran officers, 43 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 6: making sure you don't take any missteps, because that the 44 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 6: mistakes are high and on your first case that pressure 45 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 6: really sinks in. 46 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: So that was a triple shooting outside of a bar, 47 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 2: I assume at night. I have found in my own 48 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 2: investigations it's really hard to pin down bar goers to 49 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 2: get a statement out of them. 50 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: How did you do it? 51 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 6: Yeah, Well, in this case, the witness testimony, you know, 52 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 6: provided some sequencing of events, but it was mostly video 53 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 6: footage and it sort of one thing led to another, 54 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 6: and it was one of those cases that unraveled really well, 55 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 6: got some momentum. But our shooter was masked at the time, 56 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 6: so it wasn't even as though we needed a witness 57 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 6: to point to an individual and say that's the guy. 58 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: It was a masked shooter. 59 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 6: Yes, sort of a I mean a hit you could 60 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 6: call it. But it seemed pretty pretty planned and partially 61 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 6: organized on the part of the perpetrator. 62 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 2: Now, when you say it seemed planned, how do you 63 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 2: know the difference between your routine bar shooting and a 64 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 2: planned hit. 65 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: See, that's just like you five. 66 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 2: You toss it off as your first homicide. When I 67 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 2: find out now it was a planned execution. 68 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: What happened? 69 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 7: Yeah? 70 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 6: And I don't mean to ever sound flipping about any 71 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 6: of the cases. I talk about I think one of 72 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 6: the side. 73 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: Effects that you're modest. I mean it in that way 74 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 2: you never take credit for all of your work. You 75 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 2: make it sound like I didn't have that much to 76 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 2: do with it. It solved itself. 77 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: But no, you solved it. 78 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 2: I didn't know the first case was a planned assassination 79 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 2: and execution. 80 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: What happened. 81 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 6: Yeah, And not to digress, but real quick, sometimes it 82 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 6: can feel a little like insensitive to sort of celebrate 83 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 6: any success in this field, because even when you've done 84 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 6: your job well, the worst has already happened and somebody 85 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 6: has died, So to take like a victory lap sometimes 86 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 6: feels a little tone deaf. But you do have to 87 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 6: allow yourself to appreciate the wins when you get them. 88 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 6: But getting to this incident, when you watch the video footage, 89 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 6: and again it's still in phases of trial, so I 90 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 6: can't really speak into too much detail, but the method 91 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 6: approach of the incident itself shows that this is not 92 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 6: a spontaneous thing. This is definitely, you know, just the 93 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 6: dawning of a mask in the use of like a 94 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 6: draco firearm, you know, sort of implies that this is 95 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 6: something with some level of organization beforehand. 96 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 2: To those that are not familiar with a Draco firearm, 97 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 2: could you explain. 98 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 6: Oh, yeah, it's so, it's it's it looks like an 99 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 6: assault rifle, but technically it's an automatic pistol. But it's 100 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 6: very much in favor. Or it's a chic weapon. I 101 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 6: guess at least it was a few years ago among 102 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 6: some of the youth. But it has like a wood grip. 103 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 6: It's a very distinctive looking. 104 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 1: Weapon, you know. 105 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 2: To me, it looks like a Draco looks like a 106 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 2: saw off shotgun with a fancy handle, because the butt's 107 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 2: not that long. 108 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: Is it? 109 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 5: Yeah? 110 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 6: I think you know, it could be argued that it's 111 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 6: favored because it's it's concealable for a big weapon. It's 112 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 6: still something you can kind of stuff into a jacket 113 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 6: or down your pants if need be. But yeah, it 114 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 6: could easily be mistaken for something else, like a saw 115 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 6: off shotgun or what. 116 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 2: I understand that you left Massachusetts security screening to follow 117 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 2: your dream of because make a homicide detective. When in 118 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: life did you decide I want to solve murders. 119 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 6: Oh that's a tough one. Not exactly sure, Like when 120 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 6: when that switch flipped. But for sure my parents were 121 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 6: teachers and social workers, so I've always had like a 122 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 6: public service drive. But I think maybe I needed a 123 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 6: little bit more excitement to what I chose to do. 124 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 6: So wanted policing from sort of since high school, you know, 125 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 6: much to my parents' dismay at the time. 126 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 5: But chase that down. 127 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,239 Speaker 6: Those jobs back in you know, the early two thousands 128 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 6: a little harder to come by, especially. 129 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 5: In New England. 130 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,799 Speaker 6: But if you do believe in, you know, that mission 131 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:44,679 Speaker 6: driven work, I think you're you need to be willing 132 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 6: to move where you're needed. 133 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: At that time. Did you have a family, No not. 134 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 6: I was not married, no children at that time yet, 135 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 6: so it was a bit easier to pick up and 136 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 6: move across the country to to chase something like this. 137 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: What were you doing in your security screening job? 138 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 6: I worked for a federal contract company that was doing 139 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 6: background checks for people that needed security clearances like top 140 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 6: secret security clearance or. 141 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 5: What have you. 142 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: Guys, listen to this. 143 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 4: While many detectives only handle about five homicide cases a year, 144 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 4: Fife is assigned to nearly forty cases over three years 145 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 4: because he keeps clearing them. Since twenty twenty two, Fife 146 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 4: closes twenty four consecutive cases. He is assigned to his 147 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 4: coworkers keeping track on a whiteboard they've dubbed the Fifometer. 148 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 4: Fife's work helps the homicide division bring its clearance rate 149 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 4: from forty percent and twenty twenty two to above seventy 150 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 4: six percent today. 151 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 2: I know you're probably too humble to comment on the 152 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 2: Fife meter of tally that people keep within within your 153 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 2: office at Homicide. I never, never, while I was prosecuting 154 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 2: counton wins, if you can call them that, and I 155 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 2: think it's hard to get but you were alluding to 156 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 2: it earlier, Detective five, when you sawve a homicide, or 157 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 2: when I would prosecute a homicide and the jury would 158 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 2: return a guilty verdict, I didn't really feel any joy 159 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 2: or celebration. I didn't go out and have a night 160 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 2: on the town. I turn around, you know, feeling half 161 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 2: dead myself after weeks of trial, and there would be 162 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 2: the victim's family just completely rung out, just having endured 163 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 2: so much. And it's not like solving the homicide or 164 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 2: getting the guilty verdict fixes things. I think victims' families 165 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 2: think that's going to fix everything, and it doesn't, and 166 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 2: I never felt I didn't feel like doing it, But 167 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 2: in retrospect, I don't think it's. 168 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: Appropriate to go out and celebrate. 169 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 2: When when the victim's family just moves onto their next 170 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 2: step of grieving. 171 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: I agree with you. 172 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's exactly right. 173 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 6: You know, sometimes at its worst, this job just feels 174 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 6: like we're kind of mitigating the damage that's already been done, 175 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 6: trying to provide some sort of reliefs to the family. 176 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 6: But you're right, when it's all said and done, the 177 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 6: dust settles, you know that loved one's still gone and 178 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 6: there's nothing we can do to undo that. I guess 179 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 6: it's just about general public safety, making sure somebody who's 180 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 6: able and willing to do that can't do it again, 181 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 6: among other things. 182 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 2: You know, I think we've well, not we, not you 183 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 2: and I, but I think the world has seen too 184 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 2: many crime shows on TV because. 185 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: It's not like that at all. 186 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 2: You go to a murder saying I've seen a rookie 187 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 2: cop start vomiting from the smell of a dead body 188 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 2: hadn't even gone into the scene yet, because it really 189 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 2: is enough to make you throw up. But when you 190 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 2: get in there, it's a lot grimier and dirtier and 191 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 2: stickier than any TV show that I know of has. 192 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: Ever portrayed what it's really like. 193 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 2: And you know, on the movies, that's all fake blood, 194 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 2: it's all fake. And anybody that's been in the homicide 195 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 2: business knows what it's really like. And the celebrations they 196 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 2: have in movies and TV when a case is solved, 197 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 2: I don't get it. Could you explain what a homicide 198 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 2: scene is really like? I try, but I don't think 199 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 2: I convey it very well. 200 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 6: Yeah, of course, you know, just getting back to what 201 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 6: you said earlier, I should say there are moments of 202 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 6: like excitement and adrenaline rush in this job that are 203 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 6: truly fun, like cracking mysteries, right, But at its core, 204 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 6: homicide detective, the work we do is kind of profoundly 205 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 6: grim and sad at times, and it takes a good 206 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 6: deal of like emotional intelligence and endurance to sort of balance, 207 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 6: you know, handling these cases with the sensitivity and the 208 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 6: gravity that they deserve, but also not letting it haunt 209 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 6: your dreams every night. You know, because you do this 210 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 6: job long enough, there are a lot of unsolved cases 211 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 6: that continue to follow you. But that said, these cases 212 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 6: The crime scenes themselves are hugely varying in what they 213 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 6: look like and the issues that are opposed by each one. 214 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,719 Speaker 6: But in addition to the actual active homicide scenes, we 215 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 6: respond to any unclassified death, so just a deceased person 216 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 6: and we don't really know what happened to them. We 217 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 6: go out and provide support to the district units on that, 218 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 6: and some of those, as well as some of our homicides, 219 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 6: can be pretty pretty grizzly, especially when it's you know, 220 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 6: something that hasn't been addressed for several days, someone's been 221 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 6: sitting in a spot, and you get pretty used to 222 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 6: so I guess encountering and stomaching the detective five. 223 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: You men. 224 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 2: These cases, Your case is creeping into your dreams, and 225 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 2: I remember that very well. You eat, drink, breathe, live 226 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 2: a case. And I don't know how other trial lawyers 227 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 2: do it. I couldn't go out to dinner. I couldn't 228 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 2: do anything during a trial or preparation for a trial, 229 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 2: because you have one shot, you have one swing that trial, 230 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 2: and if you don't do it all, try it all, 231 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 2: give it two hundred percent, you'll never get to do 232 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 2: it again. There's no do over for the state, And yeah, 233 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 2: I would dream about my cases a lot, and even now, 234 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 2: still all these years later, still dream about some of them. 235 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 1: Five. 236 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, I can relate to that for sure. And again 237 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 5: I think it's a balance. 238 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:03,720 Speaker 6: If you're going to do like what we do or 239 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 6: have done for a long and a period of time, 240 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 6: you need to strike that balance between compartmentalizing work and 241 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 6: your home life, but not getting so checked out or 242 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 6: cynical to the point where you know people can can 243 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 6: tell and they're like, oh, this detective doesn't care and 244 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 6: you're not as invested as you ought to be. But yeah, 245 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,319 Speaker 6: especially early on, you know, I'm up at night thinking 246 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 6: about what I could have missed or just that case 247 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 6: that I haven't solved. 248 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 5: For sure. 249 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 2: When you say you're up at night thinking about what 250 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 2: you could have missed, you know, like a lot of people, 251 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 2: they leave the house and go, oh, did I turn 252 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 2: off the coffee pot or did I close the garage door? 253 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: What are the kind of things that go through your mind. 254 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 2: At not you know, like, oh, my stars, did I 255 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 2: fill in the blank? 256 00:13:58,200 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 5: Yeah? For sure? 257 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 6: Did I handle that interview the right way? Could it 258 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 6: have been this other thing? And when you find the 259 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 6: time a lot of it's sort of a juggling act. 260 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 6: But you do circle back to you know, your twenty 261 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 6: twenty one, twenty twenty two cases in my case and 262 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 6: you know, give give them another look, see if there's 263 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 6: anything else I could do. But when you do have 264 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 6: a city with you know, sort of ongoing case load, 265 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 6: it can be hard to sort of jump back and 266 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 6: find time to do that. 267 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 5: We also have a very effective cold case unit. 268 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 6: Here in NPD, which provides some support for that, but 269 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 6: there's nothing like the initial detective that handled the case 270 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 6: to know the ins and outs and what might have 271 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 6: slipped through the cracks. I think anybody who's been a 272 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 6: homicide detective knows that there is a degree of luck, right, 273 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 6: but followed up by hard work to be opportunistic about 274 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 6: the lucky breaks you are given. 275 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 4: Detective Fife has cleared twenty four cases in a row 276 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 4: stretching back to December twenty twenty two. 277 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 6: That's a lot in a row that have some kind 278 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 6: of at least short term resolution. You know, they'll have 279 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 6: to proceed through court. A clearance is you know, at 280 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 6: the detective level, what we're always trying to shoot for. 281 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 3: Throughout his time with the NOPD, and Detective Fife has 282 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 3: played a key role in reducing crime across New Orleans. 283 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 3: His efforts have directly contributed to a dramatic increase in 284 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 3: the city's homicide clearance rate, which has risen from forty 285 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 3: percent to an impressive seventy five percent. 286 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 2: Joining us is veteran homicide detective Detective Fife, who was 287 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 2: now racked up twenty four consecutive solves Detective five. 288 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: Have these cases gone to trial yet? 289 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 5: Many not? 290 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 6: And it's generous when you say veteran detective. I've been 291 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 6: doing homicide work for just four years now, so a 292 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 6: lot of those cases are still haven't been adjudicated. It 293 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 6: takes several years in many cases for these to actually 294 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 6: go through your child. 295 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 2: I would say that twenty four consecutive homicide investigations correct qualifies. 296 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: You as a veteran. 297 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 2: It's like saying I've only been in Vietnam for four years, 298 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 2: you're a veteran. 299 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: How did you pick New Orleans? 300 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 6: My girlfriend at the time now wife, had moved down 301 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 6: here and I followed just for a visit and saw 302 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 6: the hiring posters for NOPD and thought I'd just give 303 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 6: it a shot, and yeah, it worked. 304 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 5: Out pretty well for me. 305 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: Let's talk about the Second Line shooting. 306 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 4: Listen, it seems almost all of New Orleans has turned 307 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 4: out for the nine times Social Aid and Pleasure Club's 308 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 4: annual Second Line, a parade featuring brass bands and dancers. 309 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 4: Dressed to the nines. Thousands of revelers scramble for safety 310 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 4: when gunfire rings out Injuring eight, Just forty five minutes later, 311 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 4: a mile down the parade route, another shooting, this time 312 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 4: killing two. The victims are identified as nephew Rashaan Carter 313 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 4: twenty one and uncle Malachi Jackson, nineteen. 314 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 7: You know, we can't say that because they were forty 315 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 7: five minutes apart, and different kind of approach of how 316 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 7: the shooting was, so we don't know could be, but 317 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 7: right now don't know that. 318 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 2: That is New Orleans PD Commissioner speaking. And that's where 319 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 2: my friends at WDSU the so called Second Line shooting. 320 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: What is the annual Second Line Parade? 321 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:17,880 Speaker 1: Five? 322 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 6: Yeah, So New Orleans is a city, right is very 323 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 6: proud of and kind of protective of their very unique 324 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 6: cultural traditions, right, one of which our Second Line parades, 325 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:32,160 Speaker 6: which are sort of these big on foot processionals where 326 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 6: people can jump in and just march to music and 327 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 6: just generally socialized a lot of fun. Highly recommends if 328 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 6: anybody's visiting you come check these out. But because this 329 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 6: shooting occurred well to actually two separate incidents, but because 330 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 6: my shooting, the homicide that you mentioned occurred during one 331 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 6: of these events, had a lot of extra scrutiny upon it. 332 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 6: Besides the fact that two individuals were deceased, which is terrible, 333 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 6: this also could have had way more victims when you 334 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 6: see that the crowd's present, and I think the public 335 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 6: had a very strong interest in making sure that this 336 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 6: was dealt with very quickly so that people could feel 337 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 6: safe at these second line events again, which again is 338 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 6: one of the things that make our city great and unique. 339 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 2: Another thing regarding a shooting in a large group like 340 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:23,360 Speaker 2: at a festival or a parade, and has its own 341 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:28,879 Speaker 2: set of difficulties in finding the shooter. How did you 342 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 2: find the shooter? Was there just one shooter or more? 343 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 6: Yeah, in my incident there was one shooter, And you're right, 344 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 6: hugely chaotic scenes generally, you know everybody is watching and 345 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 6: it's broad daylight. But because there's so many people involved, 346 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 6: it can be difficult for anyone to sequence exactly what 347 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 6: happened or who was responsible. So we had to get 348 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 6: at it a different way in this case. And again 349 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 6: this is one of those cases that's still in court, 350 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:57,119 Speaker 6: so it's not something I can get too into the 351 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 6: nitty gritty, But it again got its own moment them 352 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 6: and one thing led to another and we were able 353 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:04,920 Speaker 6: to make two arrests related to the homicide. 354 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 2: Part of Detective five is refusing to comment on the 355 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 2: facts of the case so as not to tank the investigation. I, however, 356 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 2: can comment on the facts. 357 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 1: Listen. 358 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 4: Investigators learn of an ongoing feud between Westwego and Marrero 359 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 4: where Shawn and Malachi's neighborhood. Surveillance footage and phone records 360 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 4: placed Curtis Gray on the Almanaster Bridge at the time 361 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 4: of the shootings, and recovered shell casings matchic gun registered 362 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 4: to his mother. There is enough evidence to charge Gray 363 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 4: with Rashawn and Malachi's murders, and his mother, Ashley Gray, 364 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:42,919 Speaker 4: is charged as an accessory for trying to dispose of 365 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 4: the gun and fabricate an alibi for her son. 366 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 2: Crime stories with Nancy Gray. 367 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: You know, a Detective five. 368 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 2: It's sometimes for some people to blame a mother who 369 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:06,959 Speaker 2: is trying to help her defendant son. So let's step 370 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 2: away from the exact case and talk about that bond 371 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 2: in general. Very often prosecutors and cops are attacked for 372 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 2: pursuing a mother or father. 373 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: Who's trying to protect their child. 374 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 2: But on the other side of the pendulum is the 375 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 2: victim and the victim's mother and father. So when you 376 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 2: get a mother, for instance, trying to get rid of 377 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 2: evidence to clear. 378 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: The son, you got to go after them. 379 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 2: And sometimes that's a hard thing to do, to go 380 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:41,400 Speaker 2: after somebody's mother. 381 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:46,159 Speaker 6: Yeah, for sure, and understandably the motive for that is 382 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 6: something a lot of parents can relate to. But I 383 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 6: think you know, as a parent, we all have a 384 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 6: point at which you know, you need to draw a 385 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 6: line and say, no, I am not supporting my child 386 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 6: if xyz. And there needs to be community buy in 387 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 6: for a lot of these homicides. When you have you know, 388 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 6: whole groups or families sort of circling and protecting defendants 389 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 6: in some of these cases, it can be hugely problematic. 390 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 6: So you need community buy in and everyone to be 391 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 6: invested and concerned about the outcomes of these investigations. 392 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:15,360 Speaker 1: I think. 393 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 6: Our District attorney Jason Williams addressed this issue very well 394 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 6: regarding this case specifically in a press conference where you 395 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:24,439 Speaker 6: know enough is enough at some point, and if you 396 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:28,719 Speaker 6: provide aid to shelter or seek to obfuscate an investigation, 397 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 6: even for a loved one, you are potentially culpable. 398 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:37,439 Speaker 2: Detective five. Of course, as you know, the state, the 399 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:42,919 Speaker 2: prosecution never has to prove motive. The state is not 400 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 2: expected to get into the mind of a murder defendant 401 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 2: and poke around like you're in Granny's attic and find 402 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 2: the motive. However, when you go to trial, very often 403 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 2: the jury will want a motive. Here's a good example 404 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 2: the Alexi Murdog double murder trial that went down in 405 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 2: South Carolina. 406 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 1: His wife and son were murdered. 407 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 2: And I'm sure that jurors may have wondered, well, why 408 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 2: would a dad murder the wife and the son. I mean, 409 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 2: we see domestic homicides all the time, or spouse kill spouse, 410 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 2: but the wife and the son. The state did not 411 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 2: have to prove the motive, but they did. An upcoming 412 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:33,679 Speaker 2: divorce would have called for financial legal discovery, and Alexi 413 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 2: Murdog's multimillion dollar con on his clients, his family, his wife, 414 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 2: and many others. His law partners would have been found out. 415 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 2: So his answer, kill them both. Here's another example, Brian Coburger. 416 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,680 Speaker 2: I'm sure you're familiar with the quadruple homicide in Idaho 417 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:58,679 Speaker 2: where the defendant, Brian Coburger, had no ostensible connection, no 418 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 2: link to the victims. 419 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: So what would be the motive? 420 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 2: That would have been a hurdle for the state. The 421 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:08,399 Speaker 2: defense could have argued, he doesn't even know these people, 422 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 2: why would you believe he came in in the middle 423 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 2: of the night and kill them slaughtered them. Well, as 424 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 2: it turned out, he was a criminology student and was 425 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 2: obsessed with murder and what it would feel like and 426 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:23,919 Speaker 2: what would go through the mind of the killer. 427 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,640 Speaker 1: He wanted to feel it, and he did. 428 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 2: And I'm very interested in your second line homicide case 429 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 2: because no one knew that there was a feud going on, 430 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 2: and the defense could have argued, hey, they pulled my 431 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 2: guy off a bridge, and now they're trying to pin 432 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 2: this on him. You would never have known what was 433 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 2: behind it. You had to get to the feud, the motive. 434 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 2: How difficult is it for you to ferret out a 435 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 2: motive in your cases, Detective Fife. 436 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 6: Yeah, it's a good question, and for sure you were 437 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 6: right to characterize motive not always being available to us. 438 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 6: It can be seen sometimes as like a bonus and 439 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,639 Speaker 6: our investigations. But if the facts of the incident speak 440 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,919 Speaker 6: for themselves, and if it's clear that this person did it, 441 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:16,760 Speaker 6: then a lot of times we don't need to know 442 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 6: what was going on in their heads, as you said, 443 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 6: but sometimes you get clues to it conversations the person's 444 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 6: had with other people. We get a lot of help 445 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 6: from social media, sometimes phone record history and such. And 446 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 6: in this case, the second Line incident, there was some 447 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 6: contextual stuff that we unraveled digitally that sort of did 448 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 6: back up what we have been hearing on the street, 449 00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 6: as it were. 450 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 2: And again, if I don't want to push you on 451 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 2: any facts sensitive to the case, because that case is penning, 452 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 2: and if you were to comment on it any of 453 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:51,920 Speaker 2: those facts, that could be a problem, and I don't 454 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 2: want you to have a problem. Let's move on to 455 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,639 Speaker 2: another case, but one of your cases. But before that, 456 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,639 Speaker 2: I want to go back to the five meter, the 457 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 2: tally that is on big whiteboard that other people with 458 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:09,679 Speaker 2: a homicide unit are keeping on your cases. You're not 459 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,359 Speaker 2: worried that, Mike, Jinx. You let me guess you're not superstitious. 460 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 6: Well so, just as a point of clarification, that whiteboard 461 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 6: exists in our public affairs office and not in homicide 462 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 6: per se. But yeah, there's a lot of superstition in 463 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,879 Speaker 6: the field policing in general, but in homicide in particular. 464 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 6: We talk a lot about the homicide gods and what 465 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 6: you've done to anger them and which resulted in this 466 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 6: terrible case you've. 467 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 5: Been given sometimes. 468 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 6: But yeah, again I need to take the opportunity to 469 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:44,000 Speaker 6: praise my homicide unit. 470 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 5: In general. 471 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,359 Speaker 6: We have I think an eighty percent clearance rate this year, 472 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 6: which is very high as I understand it nationally. But 473 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 6: we're looking for any source of like enthusiasm or motivation 474 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 6: a lot of the times, very supportive of one another 475 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 6: successes and reaching out to try and provide help whenever 476 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:07,359 Speaker 6: somebody seems to be faltering and you know, keeping track 477 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 6: of a clearance streak. Yeah, that that might be seen 478 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 6: as a potential jinx. But again I guess it can 479 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 6: be something that you know, provides some enthusiasm and motivation. 480 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: You know, I have found that like baseball players. 481 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 2: I was extremely superstitious during every trial, and I would 482 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 2: stick to certain behavior, stick to certain rituals before I 483 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 2: would go to trial every single trial. Now, I don't 484 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:44,360 Speaker 2: know if it's too personal, but do you have superstitions 485 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 2: that you follow in your investigations? 486 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:51,399 Speaker 6: I don't. I guess some kind of boring in that regard. 487 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 6: I'm not a very superstitious person. 488 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:54,200 Speaker 5: I do. 489 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 6: I find that the best cure for any anxiety about 490 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 6: a case to just can't like dive into the material itself. 491 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 6: If you spend hours going over something before you have 492 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 6: to appear in court, that can kind of calm me down. 493 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:13,199 Speaker 6: Nothing's worse than just going into something feeling unprepared. But 494 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:15,160 Speaker 6: beyond that, you know, no, there's no there's. 495 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: No real worst feeling unprepared. 496 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 2: Oh two never, never have you ever watched someone work 497 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:24,120 Speaker 2: that's unprepared. 498 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 1: It's the worst you just see. It's like a slow 499 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: motion train wreck. 500 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:30,879 Speaker 6: Yeah, you need to be master of your your own case, 501 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 6: to sort of be be the single best source of 502 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 6: that narrative and everything that was done, have an answer 503 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:40,920 Speaker 6: for everything. For sure, we all get caught off guard. 504 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 6: But I guess you want to try and you know, 505 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,919 Speaker 6: mitigate that and just be the guy who knows everything 506 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 6: about this incident that can be done. 507 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:52,399 Speaker 1: Which leads me to the thon view case. Well I 508 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:59,080 Speaker 1: shall though, Oh no, are you my sale? That's no 509 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,680 Speaker 1: way good. 510 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 2: She's gonna be a liar. 511 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 4: In the final hours of twenty twenty four, Ton Vu 512 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 4: tends her supermarket, a pillar of the Nola Vietnamese community 513 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 4: since she opened thirty years ago, but three customers are 514 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 4: seeking more than groceries. Ton held at gunpoint while the 515 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 4: thieves emptied the register and pocket cigarettes. When Ton fights back, 516 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:24,920 Speaker 4: she's shot and left for dead. Her killers quickly brought 517 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 4: to justice. Angenou, Henny Davis, Adrian Harris, and Nathaniel Carpenter 518 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 4: all charged in the fatal robbery, Carpenter confessing to the crime. 519 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 2: That original sound from our friends at Fox eight Detective five, 520 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 2: what happened to than View? 521 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 5: Yeah, that was a tough case. 522 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 2: Again. 523 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 6: We try not to qualify any of our murders, you know, 524 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 6: none are any better or worse than any others. But 525 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 6: ms Vu was sort of a fixture of the Vietnamese 526 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 6: community in the New Orleans East area and was a 527 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 6: longtime owner of a convenience store at that area that 528 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 6: had stood the test of time. Other businesses opened and closed. 529 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:03,200 Speaker 6: That store has has been around for as long as 530 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 6: many people can remember it. And this is sort of 531 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 6: just one of those senseless, you know, botched robberies as 532 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 6: we understand it. Again, this is another one that is 533 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 6: still in court proceedings. But you had the right of it, 534 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 6: as you explained that there were three people charged with. 535 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 2: Us, Detective five, I don't like what you just said. 536 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 2: You refer to the murder of than Vu as a 537 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 2: botched robbery. I don't like that terminology going forward, because 538 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 2: somehow it lessens the degree of intent to have a 539 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 2: group of men enter a grocery store and confront an unarmed, 540 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 2: defenseless female and in order to rob her and she 541 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 2: got shot. 542 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: Like what, the gun just went off on its own. 543 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: That was big accident. I botched that bs. That is 544 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:05,960 Speaker 1: an intentional murder. 545 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 2: Under the law, the time for formation of intent can 546 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 2: be as brief as a twinkling of a moment, the 547 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:17,200 Speaker 2: blink of an eye, much less in time it takes 548 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 2: to raise the gun and pull the trigger. 549 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: That was intentional. 550 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:29,960 Speaker 2: And I take umbrage at anyone describing as, oh, it 551 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 2: was a botched robbery. 552 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 1: She's dead wrong. They pulled the trigger. 553 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 6: Right, and it's no less terrible the context or the 554 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 6: motive behind it. But that's just I suppose, in the business, 555 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 6: one of the ways in which we would describe a 556 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 6: certain type of incident. But you're right that you know 557 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:53,239 Speaker 6: that just as culpable as any other homicide, whether it 558 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 6: was a robbery or somebody that you just loathed and 559 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 6: wanted to put out of this world, just as bad. 560 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: Hey five, you know what hurts me? 561 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 2: On top of dealing with crime victims, in my line 562 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 2: of business, it was always a violent felony either homicide, 563 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:17,840 Speaker 2: family left behind, rape victims, childless station victims are some victims, 564 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 2: but it made it worse. 565 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 1: For me when. 566 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 2: The victim would come from a part of our world 567 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 2: that is not really represented as. 568 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: It should be. 569 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 2: It could be a minority, it could be a woman, 570 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 2: an infant in this case, the Asian community, many of 571 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 2: them not advocated for as strongly as for other people, right, 572 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 2: And so it kind of heaps insult to injury, pain 573 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 2: on pain. When I saw nun vu Von's husband speaking 574 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 2: and he said I saw the blood on her head, 575 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 2: I told myself, there's no way she can still be alive. 576 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:20,280 Speaker 2: They must sometimes feel like no one cares about them. 577 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:26,560 Speaker 2: Do you ever hear that from minorities or women? 578 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 6: Yeah, for sure. I mean the data is out there. 579 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 6: There are certain demographics that are affected more by violent crime, 580 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 6: and those groups are it's really important to make inroads 581 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:41,880 Speaker 6: with them and sort of establish some trust. And that 582 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 6: can be hard when you know, certain groups don't feel 583 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 6: like they've had the support of police or the colinal 584 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 6: justice system in general in the past. So you have 585 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 6: to sort of find a way to show somebody you 586 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:57,360 Speaker 6: do care and you are invested and look, I'm here 587 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:01,240 Speaker 6: to help, not to hinder, you know, not just write 588 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 6: people off, because maybe that's what they've been getting up 589 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 6: until now. 590 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 1: Did they defive? 591 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 2: The vast, vast majority of victims that I represented in 592 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 2: felony court were women, children, and minorities, and they felt 593 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 2: like nobody cared about them. 594 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:24,320 Speaker 1: And that nobody would fight for. 595 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:27,479 Speaker 2: Them, and that nobody cared about their cases. So on 596 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 2: top of trying to investigate and prosecute the case, I 597 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 2: felt this burden of trying to convince them that someone 598 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:41,280 Speaker 2: did care. That's a big burden that you are now 599 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 2: carrying and I want to talk about another case that 600 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 2: you handle, which is dear to my heart, the case 601 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 2: of Raven Francis. 602 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 4: I missed my mama a lot. 603 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 7: She's pretty funny. 604 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 1: She was a nice person. She loved us very much. 605 00:33:57,080 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 1: She would do anything for us, and she will always 606 00:33:59,080 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 1: be with me. 607 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,479 Speaker 4: Raven Francis, a mom of four, enjoys one of her 608 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 4: first nights out since welcoming her youngest six months ago. 609 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 4: Raven and friends head to the Shamrock, but an argument 610 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 4: breaks out with another group and the friends try to 611 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,600 Speaker 4: escape in their car. As they pull out, gunfire erupts. 612 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 4: Raven's sister is just grazed, but Raven is shot in 613 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 4: the head, bleeding profusely, and the resulting panic, the driver 614 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 4: clips a fire hydrant, flipping the car. By the time 615 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 4: first responders can get everyone out, Raven is gone. 616 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 1: That was from my friends at Fox eight Crime Stories 617 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 1: with Nancy Grace. 618 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 2: I think another issue and I want to find out 619 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 2: how you deal with at five or the tangental murder victims, 620 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:56,280 Speaker 2: the collateral victims of murder, like Raven's ten year old 621 00:34:56,440 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 2: little boy. I mean, okay, when the twins were born, 622 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 2: they were extremely premature in my children, and I would 623 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:07,480 Speaker 2: pray every night, Lord, please just help us out of 624 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 2: the hospital. 625 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 1: Please help us out of the hospital. Okay, we got 626 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:10,240 Speaker 1: out of the hospital. 627 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:13,600 Speaker 2: Then it went to Lord, please let me get them stabilized. 628 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:17,239 Speaker 2: Let me get them eating lucy weigh two pounds five 629 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:18,920 Speaker 2: two pounds, as small as a kit. 630 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:19,839 Speaker 1: All right. 631 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:22,640 Speaker 2: Then we get to one, you know, like, Lord, please 632 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:24,960 Speaker 2: help me get help me get them into school. Just 633 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:27,239 Speaker 2: let me live long enough now is let me get 634 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 2: them through high school. There it's going to be college. 635 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:31,160 Speaker 2: Let me get them, help me, help them find their 636 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 2: I mean, it never ends so for a mother to 637 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:38,120 Speaker 2: be wrenched away from her children, and this little boy 638 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 2: just ten years old. I mean, when you get in 639 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 2: your car and you leave the crime scene. There were 640 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 2: times I'd have to pull over on the side of 641 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:50,880 Speaker 2: the road and just sit there and try to process 642 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:54,800 Speaker 2: all the suffering one bullet caused. 643 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:56,719 Speaker 1: How do you deal with that? 644 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:02,600 Speaker 6: Yeah? Sure, there's almost a little bit of like survivor's 645 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:05,480 Speaker 6: guilt in this job sometimes if you let yourself really 646 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:07,840 Speaker 6: think about it, like what right do I have to 647 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 6: be unaffected. 648 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 5: By violence like this? 649 00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 6: You know, when you go home and if you have kids, 650 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:14,759 Speaker 6: like hug your kid after something like this and just 651 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:21,880 Speaker 6: you know, feel it. But yeah, you're right that so 652 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 6: many are affected by these murders beyond just a victim. 653 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 6: And that doesn't really always clear immediately, but as you 654 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 6: start talking to family, you establish that relationship, it really 655 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:34,759 Speaker 6: becomes evident. And then you know, these cases take years 656 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:36,759 Speaker 6: in court. Sometimes I'll show up to court and I'll 657 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:39,800 Speaker 6: see a kid that's grown up, like hugely in the interim, 658 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 6: and it, like you said, it really just hits you 659 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 6: that this timeline that this child is going to live, 660 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:46,360 Speaker 6: you know, their whole life and grow up in all 661 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 6: these milestones without a parent. It's hard to stomach, especially 662 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 6: once you have kids of your own. 663 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:55,479 Speaker 2: We were just showing photos of Raven Francis, a mom 664 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:58,960 Speaker 2: of four renched away from four children. 665 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 1: And then there is a teen girl, Leah Perry. 666 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,520 Speaker 4: Leah Perry, seventeen, is the latest victim in a string 667 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 4: of drive by shootings. Leah, mom to five month old Peyton, 668 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:13,960 Speaker 4: was clearly not the shooter's intended target. Surveillance footage shows 669 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,960 Speaker 4: a newer model Infinity with no plate in dark tint, 670 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 4: pull up to the teen and fire several shots. Detective 671 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:23,240 Speaker 4: Fife digs up more video of the alleged driver wearing 672 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,920 Speaker 4: a distinct pair of striped red pants. The same exact 673 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:30,280 Speaker 4: pair Kenn Salisbury posts photos in with a gun tucked 674 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 4: in the waistband. Salisbury, already behind bars for two other shootings, 675 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:36,720 Speaker 4: charged with an additional count of murder. 676 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:39,080 Speaker 1: So five, I'm not going to ask you to comment 677 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:40,920 Speaker 1: on the facts of the case. I'll do it. 678 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:46,840 Speaker 2: Idiot, idiot, So he's posting online the red striped pants 679 00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:48,640 Speaker 2: with a gun stuck down the pants. 680 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:50,919 Speaker 1: I had a guy that wore a. 681 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:57,000 Speaker 2: Red leather ensemble the night he gunned somebody down dead. 682 00:37:57,040 --> 00:37:57,920 Speaker 1: He was a dope lord. 683 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:03,440 Speaker 2: He came to court some idiot, another idiot, there's so 684 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:04,440 Speaker 2: many to pick from. 685 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:08,920 Speaker 1: Gave him a bond. Five. What did he wear on 686 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:13,360 Speaker 1: day one of court? The red ensemble. I was so happy. 687 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:17,440 Speaker 2: I stood behind him and like was literally pointing to 688 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:24,720 Speaker 2: him in front of the jury. So sometimes they throw 689 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 2: you a bone. Heaven just drops a fact in your 690 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:31,359 Speaker 2: lap for you to run with those red striped pants. 691 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 1: I'm sure that's something you'll never forget. Five. 692 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,919 Speaker 2: I know you have to leave the studio and get 693 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:43,400 Speaker 2: back to the streets, but I want to understand how. 694 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 1: You deal with a crushing case load. 695 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:49,799 Speaker 2: I remember I had been on trial for about three 696 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:54,359 Speaker 2: weeks straight, and I would take all my evidence, all 697 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:55,360 Speaker 2: my files with me. 698 00:38:56,200 --> 00:39:00,080 Speaker 1: I would carry them around on rollers. 699 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:03,160 Speaker 2: And those giants postal white plastic boxes that sit around 700 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:06,239 Speaker 2: the courthouse and the mail people leave and stack them 701 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:08,800 Speaker 2: up and take them back and forth to my car 702 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:11,200 Speaker 2: after court because I didn't want to leave them anywhere 703 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:13,719 Speaker 2: for them to be tampered with. Long story short, I 704 00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:16,320 Speaker 2: wasn't back in my office for about two weeks. 705 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:20,040 Speaker 1: I just go straight to the courtroom. That said. 706 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:22,800 Speaker 2: When I got back to my office there was still 707 00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:24,839 Speaker 2: a jug of milk in there that I had left 708 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:32,080 Speaker 2: there two weeks before. Uneaten Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and every 709 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:37,040 Speaker 2: other day the Indictment Division Record the court records would 710 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:40,799 Speaker 2: bring in new files while I was on trial, and 711 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:44,280 Speaker 2: the stag I had gotten so tall on my desk 712 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:48,359 Speaker 2: it had fallen over like an accordion and started going 713 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:49,640 Speaker 2: down the side of my desk. 714 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:53,400 Speaker 1: When I walked back in, I'm like, how am I 715 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:54,200 Speaker 1: going to keep up? 716 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:58,600 Speaker 2: And then I realized I couldn't, So I just took 717 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:02,480 Speaker 2: the next homicide CA and started working, because that's the 718 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:05,279 Speaker 2: only thing I need to do after I threw away 719 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 2: the milk and the Krispy Kreams. 720 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:11,279 Speaker 1: But how do you deal with a crushing caseload? 721 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:17,839 Speaker 6: Yeah, I can totally relate to that, and it's, you know, 722 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:20,000 Speaker 6: the caseload itself. You're right to is just focus on 723 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,000 Speaker 6: the task at hand and then sort of juggle some 724 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:24,520 Speaker 6: time and bounce back to other cases when you can. 725 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:28,720 Speaker 6: But beyond that, it's you know, when you don't solve 726 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:32,160 Speaker 6: these they continue to follow you and they haunt you, 727 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:37,200 Speaker 6: and the families parents of those cases will call, you know, 728 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:40,080 Speaker 6: sometimes weekly for an update, and you have to tell 729 00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:44,200 Speaker 6: them this parent every week for years that there are 730 00:40:44,239 --> 00:40:46,759 Speaker 6: no updates on the case, I'm sorry, and that can 731 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 6: that sort of collects and it's like more of a 732 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,400 Speaker 6: burden on your shoulders every year you do this job. 733 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:57,359 Speaker 6: So it's about not giving in to apathy's cynicism or 734 00:40:57,400 --> 00:40:59,480 Speaker 6: just treating it like it's an assembly line, you know, 735 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:03,120 Speaker 6: try to maintain that whatever optimism you can and not 736 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:05,520 Speaker 6: come up with any dramatic conclusions about the nature of 737 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:06,279 Speaker 6: mankind or. 738 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:07,040 Speaker 5: Anything like that. 739 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:10,839 Speaker 6: And then beyond that, everybody has their organizational tricks. You 740 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:13,920 Speaker 6: have to really know how you work and what makes 741 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:16,719 Speaker 6: you effective as an investigator, what your weak points might be, 742 00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 6: and just try to tread with water and hope for 743 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:22,760 Speaker 6: a time when the murder rate is down. 744 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:26,120 Speaker 2: You know, it's interesting to me five well, so many things, 745 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:30,879 Speaker 2: but we always hear about police conspiracies. For instance, that 746 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 2: Lapdate framed OJ Simpson. 747 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:34,920 Speaker 1: That's a really good example. 748 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:42,600 Speaker 2: And my experience, I was inundated, like a tidal wave 749 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:44,839 Speaker 2: after wave after wave. 750 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:45,600 Speaker 1: Of new cases. 751 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:50,360 Speaker 2: I didn't have time to even think about framing somebody. 752 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:54,359 Speaker 2: I could hardly keep my nose above water handling all 753 00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:58,440 Speaker 2: the cases I was given. Right, what do you what 754 00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:01,640 Speaker 2: is your reaction? And yeah, I know they're dirty cops. 755 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:06,319 Speaker 2: I know that they're there. But all the theories that, 756 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:08,960 Speaker 2: for instance, there's a theory right now that Brian Coberger 757 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:09,680 Speaker 2: was fryed. 758 00:42:10,480 --> 00:42:13,839 Speaker 1: Really he just played guilty. I don't get it. 759 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:17,880 Speaker 2: What's your response when everyone points back on the police. 760 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:22,760 Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean I think not with that, not totally 761 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:26,120 Speaker 6: without justification to be suspicious of the criminal justice system. 762 00:42:26,239 --> 00:42:28,799 Speaker 6: Sometimes if you go back and look at our history, yeah, 763 00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:32,840 Speaker 6: there are plenty of incidents of you know, egregious actions 764 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:37,959 Speaker 6: by many of our you know, DA's police. But that said, 765 00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:40,560 Speaker 6: one of the frustrating things about this line of work 766 00:42:40,719 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 6: is that the systems often seen as like this monolithic thing, 767 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:47,880 Speaker 6: like you know, they're There are so many different departments, 768 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:52,279 Speaker 6: all with varying levels of oversight and different relationships to 769 00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:57,719 Speaker 6: their communities that it feels sometimes unfair if something happens 770 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:01,640 Speaker 6: in you know, Oklahoma, and then the community here in 771 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 6: New Orleans now loses trust in police. And it's a 772 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:07,920 Speaker 6: hard thing to sort of to pitch to the people 773 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:09,080 Speaker 6: that know we're different. 774 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:10,719 Speaker 5: Because you know we're not. 775 00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:15,239 Speaker 6: Then I'm a person, We're owned department, Please trust us. 776 00:43:15,239 --> 00:43:18,600 Speaker 6: But when police are all in uniform and sort of 777 00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:21,960 Speaker 6: seeing as the same thing, yeah, those a lot of 778 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:25,200 Speaker 6: those scandals sort of follow all departments in the country. 779 00:43:25,239 --> 00:43:26,880 Speaker 6: It's sort of like we were all in this together 780 00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:28,520 Speaker 6: as police. Don't screw it up for the rest of 781 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:29,800 Speaker 6: us by doing something awful. 782 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:30,879 Speaker 1: You know. 783 00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:37,439 Speaker 2: Five, When I heard about all the specials about you 784 00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:41,920 Speaker 2: and your solve rates so far knock on web product, 785 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:46,520 Speaker 2: I didn't know what to expect. I'm glad to know 786 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:51,719 Speaker 2: that you're not a show horse. You are a workhorse, 787 00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:56,640 Speaker 2: and I'm very proud. 788 00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:02,360 Speaker 1: That you are humble. I notice you never take credit, 789 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:03,840 Speaker 1: and you're right. 790 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:08,120 Speaker 2: You wouldn't be where you are if it wasn't for 791 00:44:08,200 --> 00:44:09,600 Speaker 2: what they are doing. 792 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:11,760 Speaker 1: It's a team. 793 00:44:12,239 --> 00:44:14,880 Speaker 2: I would never have won a single case if it 794 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:18,720 Speaker 2: weren't for my investigator, Earnest, trudging out in the cold 795 00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:22,279 Speaker 2: and the rain, sometimes of snow, going through crack houses 796 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:25,080 Speaker 2: and whorehouses and strip bars. 797 00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:28,000 Speaker 1: And you name it, trying to find witnesses. 798 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:31,520 Speaker 2: Combing through a shooting scene for any ballistics left behind 799 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:34,840 Speaker 2: up at one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock. 800 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:35,040 Speaker 1: In the morning. 801 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:41,120 Speaker 2: I could never have done it without him, right, So 802 00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:47,160 Speaker 2: I really appreciate you saying that it's your unit, and 803 00:44:47,239 --> 00:44:49,360 Speaker 2: you just happen to be in the chair right now 804 00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:55,840 Speaker 2: talking about these cases. I wish you the very very best, 805 00:44:56,200 --> 00:45:01,920 Speaker 2: and you're ongoing struggle against the violent crime and one 806 00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:06,680 Speaker 2: of my favorite cities, New Orleans. God bless you and 807 00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:09,239 Speaker 2: stay safe to take to Fife. And thank you for 808 00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:09,840 Speaker 2: your time. 809 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:12,080 Speaker 5: Yeah, thank you so much for having me. It's been 810 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:12,600 Speaker 5: a pleasure. 811 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:18,160 Speaker 2: We stop now and we remember an American hero, Sergeant 812 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:22,560 Speaker 2: Thomas DuRane el Reno, PD, Oklahoma, killed in the line 813 00:45:22,640 --> 00:45:27,200 Speaker 2: of duty after fourteen years leaving behind a grieving wife 814 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:33,120 Speaker 2: and children with no dad. American hero Sergeant Thomas Durant 815 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:37,839 Speaker 2: Nancy Grace signing off