what happened to detective dwayne thompson
Thompson looked at his notebook, where he had written down the calls Lord had made on her cellphone. Veteran Dallas police homicide detective Dwayne Thompson is on desk duty pending an internal investigation. Physical evidence can be more baffling than conclusive. Lord explained again and again that while she was in the bathroom, her boyfriend shot himself (they had been fighting, he was drunk). You think they are going to accept this bullshit you are giving me?, For the next hour, Thompson continued to berate Lord, trying to get her to crack. 3. For several seconds, the courtroom was quiet except for Lords muffled sobs. Who do you think you are? When he wasnt solving murders, Thompson restored sports cars and tooled around in a black Corvette convertible. Hed been as tall as Thompson, with a lean, athletic build. Hephzibah Olivia Lord, age 36, sued Dallas homicide detective Dwayne Thompson on civil rights violation theories under 42 U.S.C. I did not kill my boyfriend. These actions are allowed constitutionally under their police powers; however, what can happen during a police interrogation is supposed to follow certain legal requirements and more often than not, they are undertaken while being recorded via video or audio. You did! (For a more complete description of the interrogation, check out Dallas Morning News coverage from the day that the jury was shown the interrogation videotape.). There was no sign that he had struggled with an assailantno bruises or scratches on his skin, no scuffed knuckles. Jaffe told him that Mikey was a good ol boy who liked hunting and fishing. 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. Just because the words were less strong doesnt mean they were any less true.. On May 9, 2010, plaintiff Hephzibah Olivia Lord, 36, who works in mortgaging, was alone with her boyfriend at his home, in Dallas. 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. Thompson, Andie - Thony, Steve > Thompson, Dorothya - Thompson, Elexus > Thompson, Dwanna - Thompson, Dweese > Thompson, Dwayne 1-25 of 112 Contacts Contact Name Every time she tried to answer a question, she said, he cut her off and called her a liar. Lundberg conducted the interview because Thompson had a prior commitment to teach a class at the police academy. And its going to come out.. A team of U.S. marshals found her at her fathers home in Palmdale, about an hour north of Los Angeles, and Lord was held in custody for nine days. Political career [ edit] In 2014, Thompson ran for election to represent District 10 in the Tennessee House of Representatives, but lost to Republican incumbent Steve McManus. But those mistakes do not amount to malice., Tittle, however, wasted no time going on the attack, telling the jury in his opening statement, There is not and was not a shred of credible evidence to suggest that Olivia Lord had anything to do with Michaels death. In his lectures, he often told other officers that to find out why a killing had taken place, it was as important to study the life of the victimvictimology, he called itas it was to study the behavior of the criminal. Yes you did!. She wanted to not only vindicate herself but also make sure the public knew just what Thompson had done to her. Sometimes he would think [a gun] was unloaded and he would swing it around, you know, not trying to hurt anybody, just being stupid. Nevertheless, as far as Thompson was concerned, that did not eliminate her as a suspect. Why did you let my son bleed to death on his own kitchen floor? They began talking about planning a surprise birthday party in a few weeks for one of their friends and flying to Las Vegas later that summer to attend a bachelor party for another. Thompson stormed out of the room and asked Lundberg to see what he could get out of Lord. But, said Lundberg, there was no sign of blood spatter on Burnsides right hand or arm. When the lab report on the gunshot residue was completed, it wasnt much help either. The officer shrugged. People drink all the time who own guns, Thompson said. Dressed in one of his dark suits, Thompson strode toward his seat. Dallas Homicide Detective Dwayne Thompson revisits an empty plot of land where a grizzly double homicide had occurred years prior.Subscribe for more The Firs. She had lost her career because potential employers, when running a background check on her, would always find a reference to her arrest for murder. No, said Lord. She wanted to know why they were there. (Jaffe had been drinking Shiner Bock, and Burnside had been having Red Bull mixed with vodka.) 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. I do believe you killed him. For her part, Lord said that she would gladly give up any money in return for Thompsons being sent to prison. When the paramedics arrived, Burnside had faint vital signs, but he died shortly after reaching the emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital. These laws are especially important when those being questioned are already emotionally reeling from the events themselves like Ms. Lord who first dealt with the discovery of her boyfriends body, calling 911 for help, and that loss then to face questioning by police while vulnerable and upset like Lords being questioned by Thompson as if she had committed a crime for several hours. She had desperately run from room to room trying to get better reception. Sometimes I want to walk inside, thinking he will be there. Thompson stared at a copy of Burnsides drivers license. The trial finally began in a federal courtroom in downtown Dallas this past Januarynearly four years after the shooting. But Detective Thompson couldnt or wouldnt accept that. Tittle said that Thompson allowed a screenplay [of the shooting] in his mind to take over. And thats a dangerous, dangerous thing if youre a homicide detective with the Dallas Police Department., Lord took the stand and was overcome with emotion as she described her love for Burnside. Can you possibly understand how I feel?. 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. After the service, she told Burnsides friends that she hadnt returned any of their calls because she had been overwhelmed with grief. He noticed that there was a chemical odorit smelled like bleach, he would later sayon her clothes. She was so in love with him that she was always able to forgive him when he screwed uplike the night of her birthday, when he got rip-roaring drunk, staggered around the restaurant, and didnt even pay for dinner. One of his tasks was to take boxes of cold-case files out of the death room, where all homicide files are kept, and haul them to a storage area in city hall. Thompson and Lundberg started talking. If I had killed Michael, then doesnt it make sense that I would have walked away after I had gotten no-billed by the grand jury? Thompson, a 21-year veteran of the Police Department, has been a homicide detective since 2006. He was wearing a T-shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals. She had always insisted that she had not fled from the police. The only thing I can tell you that might make any sense to anybody is that when hes drunk, hes very irrational, she said. Thompson asked why there was so little blood on her hands and arms. Shed given her telephone to her aunt, who was screening her calls. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. Lord continued to deny involvement in the death during questioning, saying she was in the bathroom when she heard the shot and called 911. 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. Stars Eric Barnes Monica Cordova Rick Duggan See production, box office & company info Watch on A&E Go to aetv.com More watch options (As he said in one interview for The First 48, Bringing stuff back to life is whats up, Jack.) He taught classes at the Dallas Police Academy, and a private training agency hired him to lead seminars on detective work around the country. 1983 claiming that she was wrongfully arrested for a killing that she did not commit, which landed her in jail for nine days. Shearin ordered Lords cellphone records and received more good news: there was no seven-minute gap in her calls. 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. He had on a dark fedora, a dark suit, a white shirt with a tie, and dress shoes. Still, Thompson had only a theory. 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 then grabbed the bottles of cleaning products from under the sink to wash away the blood and the gunpowder residue, which would account for the chemical odor he thought he had smelled on her. After being honorably discharged, in 1991, while stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he joined the Dallas police. She explained that after she had found Burnside, her calls to 911 kept getting dropped due to a weak signal on her cellphone. Thats the exact type of case that might have been portrayed on The First 48, right? Tittle asked. I wasnt going to leave him, she said, her voice breaking. Both have worked numerous murders and each has been featured on the popular A&E reality television show, Tittle said that Thompson told one of Burnsides friends within 12 hours of the death that he would bet his career that Lord killed Burnside. There was no question in her mind, she said, that she and Burnside would soon get married. A citizen filing a lawsuit for false arrest must prove that the officer acted with malice, which is difficult to do. Who do you fing think you are?. "When I work my cases, I don't have a dog in the fight," said Thompson, a homicide detective since 2006. But as the case made its way through the courts, she maintained her innocenceand claimed Thompson was the one who should go to prison. Between sobs, Lord begged to be taken to Parkland to be with her boyfriend. Thompson, a 21-year veteran of the Police Department, has been a homicide detective since 2006. S8, Ep2 8 Jan. 2009 By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, Jurors hear detectives aggressive interrogation during false arrest civil trial, Dallas-Fort Worth could see severe thunderstorms, large hail, tornadoes Thursday, Author of Texas drag bill says video of him wearing dress was a joke back in school, Judge rules in favor of Michael Irvin in request for expedited evidence in $100M lawsuit, Former DPD chief David Brown returning to North Texas after resigning as Chicagos top cop, Corby Davidson, radio co-host of The Tickets Hardline, has rare benign tumor, Frisco developer Homz raises $50 million to build big apartment communities, New apartment project coming for Allens downtown district, Smoke-filled Spirit Airlines flight from DFW Airport diverted after battery fire, Target plans new store in Oak Cliffs Wynnewood Village, Southwest Airlines ups its caffeine game by introducing in-flight bottled iced coffee, Ray Davis optimistic, anxious about Rangers season amidst tumultuous TV situation, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy addresses philosophical differences between him, Kellen Moore, Oak Cliff apartment project will bring affordable units, skyline view of Dallas, Ross Perot Jr.s Hillwood buys California NASCAR track for estimated $543.7 million. Something did not add up. Yes, the video of him interviewing her is pretty rough, and it looks like he comes across as a bully. Weve been detectives for a long time, and we understand that sometimes things happen and we cant always control the situation, he said. Mikey said, Im not going to cheat on you in Vegas. And if the young man had shot himself, wouldnt the gun have landed closer to his body? She has also enrolled in college for the first time. I wondered about the story Jaffe had told Thompson about finding her in the front yard, desperately saying, I wasnt going to leave him. In fact, she had purchased the airline tickets for herself, her nieces, and her nephew to go to California thirteen days before the arrest warrant had been filed. During the lengthy interrogation, Thompson repeatedly accused Lord of murdering Michael Burnside, who died in May 2010 from a gunshot wound to the head from his 9 mm Beretta handgun while drunk on vodka and Red Bull. He asked her why, after finding Burnside on the floor, she had first called Jaffe but then waited seven minutes before calling 911. Something happened there tonight, and it doesnt make sense., The only thing I can think of is that he was careless sometimes with guns, Jaffe said. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Det. Ive talked to her many, many times, and if she is lying about what happened, shes a hell of an actress, said one friend, Eric Love. . She told her parents that Thompson had brutalized her. As the interview continued, however, Rastegar said that he wasnt certain what he had heard. Tittle next called to the stand a retired Dallas homicide detective named Kim Sanders, who said that Thompsons interrogation of Lord was outlandish and that he left out key evidence in his arrest warrant. When Michael Burnside was found dead in his Dallas home after an argument with his girlfriend, detective Dwayne Thompson decided that the victim's girlfriend, Olivia Lord, had pulled the trigger. The case was then sent to the Internal Affairs division for an administrative review. If the review, which is ongoing as of press time, finds that Thompson violated departmental policies, he could be fired, suspended, or demoted. By then, a couple of those friends had talked to Thompson, and he had made it clear to them just what he thought of Lord: he said he would stake his career on his belief that she had killed him. After the argument was over, Michael stopped being sarcastic and he became quiet and somber. He stabbed the photo of the victim with his index finger. The officer looked at the notes he had jotted down. 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. He told Thompson that his son had had the most positive personality of anyone he had ever met. As he nodded sympathetically, she again talked about how hurt she had been on her birthday. Thompson misrepresented any of the facts that were provided by Witness Rastegar and that there were no signs of a criminal offense. Indeed, the report continued, Thompson did have probable cause to arrest Suspect Lord.. Lord was charged with murder a month after Burnsides death, based on Thompsons affidavit, and spent nine days in jail. Were missing something, he said to her. They can try too hard to make the existing evidence fit their theory as to who is guilty. Its so ridiculous. But she maintained her innocence and claimed Thompson was the one who should go to prison. On August 6 Brown signed the report, and Thompson was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. Believe me, she adored Michael with all of her heart. Prosecutors are also aware that detectives can develop a kind of tunnel vision about a case. Burnside told her that he was under financial stress, having to pay both his mortgage and his income taxes. Mitchell eventually told Shearin that she was willing to dismiss the charges against Lord. The lawsuit also claimed that Thompson had permanently damaged Lords reputation in Dallas and caused her to suffer extreme emotional and mental anguish, including depression, insomnia, nightmares, and constant anxiety of the most extreme nature. Lord was asking for monetary damages, and according to courthouse gossip, Tittle was not willing to settle for less than seven figures. 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. The Dallas Police Department is featured in a national reality TV show on the A&E network called The First 48, (maybe youve seen it if not, watch episodes here) and the detective who interrogated Hephzibah Olivia Lord in a manner that justified Lords civil suit for damages was Dallas Detective Dwayne Thompson, who has been seen frequently on this A&E show. Will detectives be able to catch the killers before they strike again? On the floor was a pool of blood along with bloody towels. He took her to dinner, and the date lasted the entire weekend. When he finished, he left a packet of evidence that hed compiled for the grand jurors to peruse, including the results of two polygraphs that concluded that Lord had not shown deception when she said she had not shot Burnside. Thompson said he had heard that Burnside was making money. 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