No BS Newshour Episode #396
Missing: Hitman Hearns
(12:46) Legendary Detroit boxer Tommy ‘Hitman’ Hearns lost his estate to the taxman.
He is also missing.
(0:04) His daughter is demanding he be produced immediately.
(26:48) Mario Willis murdered Detroit firefighter Walt Harris in 2008 in an arson-for-profit scheme.
Now he’s trying to get out of prison.
So why hasn’t anyone wanted to talk to the prosecutor that put him behind bars?
We do.
(37:29) That prosecutor, Bob Stevens, joins us today.
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TRANSCRIPT:
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Ladies and gentlemen,
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Tommy Hearns was once the greatest prize fighter in
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the world.
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I don’t want to even argue about that.
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Today, his family worries.
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Where in the world has the champ gone?
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Tommy Hearns,
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it seems,
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is missing.
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Hearns, 67 years old,
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saw his Southfield estate foreclosed upon in April
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due to unpaid property taxes.
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The estate was then auctioned off to an investment
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company in September.
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Hearns was served eviction papers and told to get out
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by November.
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The problem is that Hearns isn’t aware of most of this,
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according to his daughter,
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Natasha Hearns Barnes.
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She’s right there.
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We’ll be talking with her.
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She’s not doing well,
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that right?
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He’s not doing well,
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that’s what you’re telling me.
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Yeah.
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That you tell him something one day and he understands
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what you’re saying,
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and then the next day he forgot what you told him.
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Yes.
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My lady.
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We’re going to fix this.
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Let me give the people the rest of the information.
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For the past number of years,
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according to Natasha,
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Hernz’s affairs have been handled by Tommy’s son,
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also named Thomas Hernz.
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She says her half-brother has spirited their father
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away to some unknown location.
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My brother did that.
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means my mother’s missing.
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Attempts to reach the younger Hearns proved fruitless.
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Phone calls and knocks on doors at affiliated addresses
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went unanswered.
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Natasha showed me recent photographs.
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We’ll show you that video after the open.
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Chronicling the squalid conditions her father was living
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in before he disappeared.
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The refrigerator was nearly empty except for some bottled
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water and stale pizza slices.
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The basement was coated in mold.
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Natasha took me to the Champs Forum home.
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You grew up there,
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didn’t you?
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Yes, I did.
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You told me that and I was like,
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damn.
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Yes.
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I appreciate what you’re doing here.
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We’re going to get to this.
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Let me finish informing them what we’re talking about.
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Due to cracked and dirty windows,
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I could see the ceilings were collapsing and many
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of Herns’s possessions had been abandoned.
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His daughter filed for guardianship.
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I give you those papers back?
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Yes.
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Okay, good.
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citing mental deficiency,
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physical disability,
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and concern that her father’s property would vanish
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without proper management,
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which it has.
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But the Oakland County Probate Court,
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itself embroiled in scandal and incompetence,
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failed to protect the boxing legend.
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The court rejected her application via e-mail,
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not via phone call,
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not reaching out to help the champ or help his daughter
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help him.
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What they did was they rejected her application by
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e-mail due to a missing zip code.
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Serious.
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This is just so fucked up.
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Tommy Hearns,
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who grew up in Detroit,
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won world titles in five weight classes,
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making history as the first prize fighter to accomplish
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that feat.
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His bouts with Sugar Ray Leonard,
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Marvin Hagler,
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and Roberto Duran are remembered as some of the greatest
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and most savage fights ever.
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Hearn’s blinding speed and raw power earned him the
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sobriquet’s Hitman and Motor City Cobra.
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Probably the most famous athlete ever from the great
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territory of Michigan,
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maybe Joe Lewis,
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maybe Magic Johnson,
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but I don’t know.
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To me, it’s Tommy Hearns.
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Over the course of his 30-year career,
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Hearns earned more than $40 million in prize money,
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not adjusted for inflation.
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That’s about what,
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80 million today?
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I said, man,
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but relatives hangers-on and poor investments sap
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herns of his wealth.
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In 2010, he was forced to auction off his robes,
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his gloves,
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his classic car to satisfy a $450,000 federal tax
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lien.
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The champ attended that auction and watched as his
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life was sold to the highest bidder.
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But he still had the 8,700 square foot estate in Southfield
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where you grew up,
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sitting on two acres surrounded by woods.
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The mortgage was paid in full in 2020.
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So what happened?
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How did Tommy lose his home that he owned outright?
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Well, a deep dive into property records show that the
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elderly and dissipated Tommy Hearns was apparently
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an unwitting victim of fraud.
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In early January of 2014,
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a second mortgage was filed against Hearns’s home,
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which was worth more than $1,000,000 at the time.
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Less than 10 months later,
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that same mortgage,
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the second one,
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was foreclosed upon.
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The amount of that mortgage?
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Just 90 grand.
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Now, here we go.
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A company called C&S Management filed a claim to the
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home because of that mortgage.
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The man who controls C&S Management is also the man
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who issued that mortgage.
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He then foreclosed upon that mortgage and that same
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guy even drafted the business paperwork on Tommy Hearn’s
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behalf.
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So who’s this guy?
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His name’s Jack Wolf.
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Wolf is currently serving time in the state pen for
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forging dead people’s signatures,
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creating fake deeds and property documents to steal
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people’s homes.
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Following the 2014 mortgage foreclosure,
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there were a flurry of transactions between Wolfe’s
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Shell Corporations and the Hearns Estate with no apparent
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purpose other than to squeeze equity from the home.
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The last transaction involving a Wolfe’s Shell Company
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and Hearns’s Southfield home was in October 2019,
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in which the younger Tommy Hearns was deeded a percentage
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of his father’s home.
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The scams Wolf perpetrated against Hearns and many,
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many other elderly people came to an end in 2020 when
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Wolf was busted by television reporter Rob Wolczek
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of Fox 2 News,
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a friend of mine and a very decent man.
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That same year,
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that same year that Wolczek busted this puke,
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the true mortgage issuer,
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Citibank,
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discharged the loan to Hearns,
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making him the outright owner.
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That’s also the last year property taxes were paid
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for on Tommy’s estate.
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Somebody got bored paying taxes.
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There is a ray of hope in all of this,
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Natasha.
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The county auctioned up your dad’s home for $226,000,
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but the tax arrearage was only $100,000.
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By law, your dad is entitled to the remaining proceeds,
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which will be about $126,000.
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According to property records that I looked at and
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I looked long,
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long.
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I feel like your dad’s my uncle.
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I loved him so much as a kid.
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I just admired him,
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you know,
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and I’m you gave me his state ID and stuff.
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And now how life turns,
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I’ve got Tommy Hearns looking up at me and we’re going
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to help.
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According to property records,
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it does not appear that 126,000 was ever collected.
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However, the legal time window to collect that money
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has closed.
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But according to a probate lawyer who has offered to
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represent your father’s interests,
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pro bono,
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there is a chance he could at least collect that money.
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At most, he might be able to get his home back,
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sell it for fair market value,
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pay the tax,
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man, and then have the rest to live out his life with
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some dignity.
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But the problem is,
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Tommy Hearns has gone missing.
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Where are you,
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champ?
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We’re here and we want to help you.
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Live from downtown Detroit,
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it’s the No Bullshit News Hour with my main man,
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Charlene LaDa and Karen Dumas.
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Assistant breaking this.
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Double bullshit.
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Double bullshit.
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All right,
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I told you last week and I’m telling you this week,
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Public Adjusters Midwest,
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the insurance company,
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oh, listen to this,
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because of that house,
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listen to this,
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Natasha, Herns Barnes,
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Tommy Herns’
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daughter.
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The insurance company has an adjuster when you make
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a claim, right?
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Why don’t you,
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why are you standing there with your ass in your hands
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and whatever the guy’s offering,
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you’re taking?
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You need an insurance lawyer.
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That’s what Public Adjusters Midwest called PAM.
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The insurance company sends their guide,
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gives it the once over.
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You need someone to counter it.
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Public Adjusters Midwest,
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they’re like your insurance lawyer for water and fire
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claims on residential and commercial properties.
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And man, does that property need it over there.
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This is how it works.
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They handle the entire claims process,
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repping your interest.
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They get you more money and they can provide a contractor
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who will do the work at a 10%
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discount.
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So if they get 10%
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and your contract
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Because at 90%,
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it doesn’t cost you anything.
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You get more money.
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That’s the way it works.
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Don’t say the wrong thing and ruin your claim.
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On the worst day of your life,
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the best thing to do is call Pam first.
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If you’re in the middle of a claim,
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Pam guarantees to get you more money.
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It doesn’t hurt to call him.
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Get an opinion.
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You’re not locked in.
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You’re not signing a contract.
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They’ll do all the work and get you more money.
258
00:09:19,280 –> 00:09:21,120
The website is callpamfirst,
259
00:09:21,280 –> 00:09:29,360
CALLPAMFIRST.com or 855-975-2020.
260
00:09:30,600 –> 00:09:32,240
And because they love us so much,
261
00:09:32,240 –> 00:09:33,280
you know,
262
00:09:33,280 –> 00:09:34,560
because we’re so awesome over here,
263
00:09:34,560 –> 00:09:35,600
the No Bullshit News Hour.
264
00:09:36,400 –> 00:09:38,160
I talked to Rob over there and look,
265
00:09:38,880 –> 00:09:41,120
855-975-2020.
266
00:09:42,240 –> 00:09:44,320
He’ll check your insurance policy for free.
267
00:09:44,880 –> 00:09:45,960
Like, do you have what you need?
268
00:09:46,000 –> 00:09:47,440
Remember, he’s not an insurance company,
269
00:09:47,440 –> 00:09:48,560
so he’s not selling you anything.
270
00:09:48,960 –> 00:09:50,240
Just do you have what you need,
271
00:09:50,720 –> 00:09:51,040
right?
272
00:09:52,080 –> 00:09:52,600
I went over it,
273
00:09:52,600 –> 00:09:53,200
he taught me some stuff.
274
00:09:53,200 –> 00:09:54,080
Now, also,
275
00:09:55,360 –> 00:09:57,200
made in Detroit.com.
276
00:09:57,200 –> 00:09:58,800
Do you know about made in Detroit.com?
277
00:09:58,880 –> 00:09:59,200
I do.
278
00:09:59,440 –> 00:10:01,440
Yeah, the shirts and you got the gear?
279
00:10:02,240 –> 00:10:04,000
You go to made in Detroit.com and you get it.
280
00:10:04,160 –> 00:10:04,600
I have a shirt.
281
00:10:04,960 –> 00:10:05,280
You do?
282
00:10:05,280 –> 00:10:05,720
What do you got?
283
00:10:05,720 –> 00:10:06,160
Which one?
284
00:10:06,320 –> 00:10:08,560
It’s just the black shirt and it’s the made in Detroit.
285
00:10:08,560 –> 00:10:09,440
It’s the circle one?
286
00:10:09,880 –> 00:10:10,640
Oh, they got all kinds of cool.
287
00:10:11,200 –> 00:10:12,760
You haven’t been on the website lately,
288
00:10:12,760 –> 00:10:13,080
have you?
289
00:10:13,280 –> 00:10:13,480
No.
290
00:10:13,680 –> 00:10:18,240
Because you haven’t seen the special Made in Detroit,
291
00:10:18,320 –> 00:10:20,080
no bullshit News Hour.
292
00:10:20,480 –> 00:10:20,880
Look at that,
293
00:10:20,880 –> 00:10:21,240
look at that.
294
00:10:21,920 –> 00:10:22,680
Said Made in Detroit,
295
00:10:22,720 –> 00:10:24,000
100% cotton.
296
00:10:24,720 –> 00:10:26,160
You go to MadeInDetroit.com,
297
00:10:26,160 –> 00:10:27,760
you get the holiday special only.
298
00:10:27,760 –> 00:10:29,600
It’s only run until Christmas.
299
00:10:30,320 –> 00:10:33,360
And all the money going to go to some kids we’re going
300
00:10:33,360 –> 00:10:34,400
to try to help out in life,
301
00:10:34,400 –> 00:10:34,560
right?
302
00:10:34,800 –> 00:10:36,200
But you don’t have to.
303
00:10:36,200 –> 00:10:37,280
I’m going to give this to you.
304
00:10:37,520 –> 00:10:37,920
Thank you.
305
00:10:38,800 –> 00:10:39,440
You’re welcome.
306
00:10:40,120 –> 00:10:40,720
Go and put it on.
307
00:10:43,120 –> 00:10:43,640
Drape it over.
308
00:10:43,640 –> 00:10:45,560
Looks good.
309
00:10:45,640 –> 00:10:46,640
There you go.
310
00:10:47,040 –> 00:10:47,520
It is.
311
00:10:47,680 –> 00:10:48,640
I look pretty good in there.
312
00:10:49,080 –> 00:10:50,560
It’s a little bit of an old photo,
313
00:10:52,080 –> 00:10:52,480
right?
314
00:10:53,600 –> 00:10:54,080
Right, Kim,
315
00:10:54,080 –> 00:10:57,040
but at least I’m not dying my hair to polish black.
316
00:10:58,400 –> 00:10:59,040
Oh, these guys.
317
00:10:59,080 –> 00:11:02,120
You look young and youthful.
318
00:11:02,720 –> 00:11:05,520
I shoveled all my snow today for my workout.
319
00:11:06,520 –> 00:11:08,720
No, it’s going to melt.
320
00:11:08,720 –> 00:11:09,440
Did you do your snow yet?
321
00:11:09,440 –> 00:11:09,600
No.
322
00:11:10,800 –> 00:11:12,480
It’s like 10 pounds a shovel full.
323
00:11:12,640 –> 00:11:13,440
It’s that kind of stuff.
324
00:11:14,720 –> 00:11:14,880
Yeah.
325
00:11:15,200 –> 00:11:16,000
My knee went out.
326
00:11:16,320 –> 00:11:16,800
You all right?
327
00:11:17,440 –> 00:11:18,560
Better than Tommy Herron’s.
328
00:11:18,560 –> 00:11:18,960
There you go.
329
00:11:19,040 –> 00:11:19,680
Apparently.
330
00:11:20,400 –> 00:11:21,480
All right,
331
00:11:21,480 –> 00:11:22,960
let’s roll Luke here.
332
00:11:23,360 –> 00:11:24,240
Luke Nowacki.
333
00:11:24,760 –> 00:11:27,040
Should have this memorized.
334
00:11:27,040 –> 00:11:27,640
It’s in my phone.
335
00:11:27,640 –> 00:11:32,560
248-663-4748 for sound financial advice.
336
00:11:32,800 –> 00:11:33,320
Is this the?
337
00:11:34,880 –> 00:11:35,440
Hole in one.
338
00:11:35,520 –> 00:11:37,120
It’s a hole in one,
339
00:11:37,120 –> 00:11:37,760
$50,000 if you hit it.
340
00:11:39,600 –> 00:11:40,800
Luke Nowacki,
341
00:11:40,880 –> 00:11:43,280
Financial Wealth Management.
342
00:11:43,840 –> 00:11:45,760
What is 50 grand after tax?
343
00:11:49,120 –> 00:11:51,160
37,750.
344
00:11:51,160 –> 00:11:52,160
What about state tax?
345
00:11:52,640 –> 00:11:53,120
Yeah, that’s,
346
00:11:53,640 –> 00:11:55,120
I’m throwing both in there.
347
00:11:55,600 –> 00:11:56,640
What about sales tax?
348
00:11:56,800 –> 00:11:57,600
There’s no sales tax.
349
00:11:57,600 –> 00:11:58,400
Well, you’re buying the beer.
350
00:11:58,400 –> 00:11:58,800
It’s income.
351
00:11:58,880 –> 00:11:59,600
You’ll buy the beer.
352
00:12:00,000 –> 00:12:00,800
We write that off.
353
00:12:02,000 –> 00:12:02,720
Luke Nowacki,
354
00:12:03,760 –> 00:12:05,600
Financial Wealth Management.
355
00:12:06,640 –> 00:12:09,200
248-663-4748.
356
00:12:09,200 –> 00:12:10,960
He’s one of the nicest,
357
00:12:10,960 –> 00:12:12,120
most giving men I know.
358
00:12:12,120 –> 00:12:13,280
He is, yeah.
359
00:12:13,360 –> 00:12:14,440
but he ain’t no push around,
360
00:12:14,440 –> 00:12:14,720
man.
361
00:12:15,120 –> 00:12:17,840
That’s a combination of a badass and a sweetheart.
362
00:12:18,400 –> 00:12:21,120
You know, I’m really happy to be affiliated with him.
363
00:12:21,760 –> 00:12:25,600
Okay, so I’m glad you’re here.
364
00:12:25,840 –> 00:12:26,960
You kind of didn’t want to
365
00:12:27,720 –> 00:12:30,000
on Front Street and we went and made a video of your
366
00:12:30,000 –> 00:12:30,400
dad’s place.
367
00:12:30,400 –> 00:12:30,640
You’re like,
368
00:12:30,640 –> 00:12:31,440
don’t put me on the,
369
00:12:31,440 –> 00:12:33,200
don’t put me on film.
370
00:12:33,200 –> 00:12:33,760
So we didn’t,
371
00:12:33,760 –> 00:12:34,320
but you’re here.
372
00:12:34,320 –> 00:12:35,360
So I’m so glad.
373
00:12:36,600 –> 00:12:40,720
Let’s take a look at what’s left of Tommy’s facts.
374
00:12:40,720 –> 00:12:41,800
Don’t belong to him anymore.
375
00:12:41,800 –> 00:12:44,000
He’s just hanging up big right hand.
376
00:12:44,400 –> 00:12:44,640
That’s it.
377
00:12:50,640 –> 00:12:53,240
Tommy Hearns was once the greatest prize fighter in
378
00:12:53,240 –> 00:12:53,920
the world.
379
00:12:54,560 –> 00:12:56,000
The mystery today is
380
00:12:56,520 –> 00:12:58,160
Where in the world is the champ?
381
00:12:59,520 –> 00:13:00,320
It’s Tommy Hearns’
382
00:13:00,320 –> 00:13:00,720
house.
383
00:13:01,440 –> 00:13:02,680
But Tommy Hearns ain’t in it.
384
00:13:02,960 –> 00:13:05,040
Looks like someone might have stolen his identity.
385
00:13:07,520 –> 00:13:08,400
Champ, you in there?
386
00:13:08,880 –> 00:13:09,640
He’s been evicted.
387
00:13:09,640 –> 00:13:10,200
He’s broke,
388
00:13:10,200 –> 00:13:11,200
his daughter tells me.
389
00:13:12,160 –> 00:13:13,440
No real place to live.
390
00:13:14,320 –> 00:13:15,680
2019.
391
00:13:16,120 –> 00:13:18,240
It looks like somebody forged his signature,
392
00:13:18,480 –> 00:13:20,480
signed it over to a Murky LLC,
393
00:13:20,640 –> 00:13:23,320
and then signed over to another Murky LLC,
394
00:13:23,320 –> 00:13:26,760
and the Murky LLC guy is in prison for forging people’s
395
00:13:26,760 –> 00:13:29,040
signatures and stealing their mansions.
396
00:13:29,360 –> 00:13:30,080
Poor champ.
397
00:13:31,840 –> 00:13:33,280
Tommy’s stuff’s still in there,
398
00:13:34,000 –> 00:13:34,880
but Tommy in…
399
00:13:36,800 –> 00:13:37,360
Man.
400
00:13:39,220 –> 00:13:40,380
Robbed him of his dignity.
401
00:13:40,700 –> 00:13:41,500
Here’s the pool.
402
00:13:43,580 –> 00:13:43,700
Wow.
403
00:13:44,780 –> 00:13:47,500
His 10s and 10s and 10s of millions of dollars from
404
00:13:48,060 –> 00:13:49,420
all those classic pride fights.
405
00:13:50,380 –> 00:13:51,100
It’s gone.
406
00:13:54,180 –> 00:13:55,900
His man’s been sold out from under him.
407
00:13:57,020 –> 00:13:58,060
He’s unaware of it.
408
00:13:59,420 –> 00:14:00,940
Took a lot of blows at ahead.
409
00:14:01,500 –> 00:14:02,020
Where are you,
410
00:14:02,020 –> 00:14:02,180
champ?
411
00:14:02,180 –> 00:14:05,660
We want to help.
412
00:14:06,660 –> 00:14:07,580
A lot of people love you.
413
00:14:08,220 –> 00:14:08,780
God, that’s sad.
414
00:14:12,860 –> 00:14:14,020
It must be tough to look at here,
415
00:14:14,020 –> 00:14:15,100
talking to this mic here.
416
00:14:15,500 –> 00:14:16,540
Yes, definitely.
417
00:14:16,860 –> 00:14:17,420
You grew up in there.
418
00:14:17,420 –> 00:14:18,660
That was a big pool.
419
00:14:18,660 –> 00:14:18,780
Yes.
420
00:14:18,780 –> 00:14:20,300
Do you remember swimming in it?
421
00:14:20,460 –> 00:14:20,820
I do.
422
00:14:21,980 –> 00:14:22,540
It’s deep.
423
00:14:22,740 –> 00:14:23,060
It is.
424
00:14:23,580 –> 00:14:24,940
But it’s all collapsed.
425
00:14:25,980 –> 00:14:27,260
So he was living in that?
426
00:14:29,020 –> 00:14:30,180
Was he living in that home?
427
00:14:30,220 –> 00:14:30,580
Yes.
428
00:14:31,180 –> 00:14:31,900
Till recently?
429
00:14:32,060 –> 00:14:32,380
Yes.
430
00:14:32,780 –> 00:14:33,980
Okay, why didn’t you get him out?
431
00:14:34,860 –> 00:14:35,540
I tried.
432
00:14:36,220 –> 00:14:37,420
I could see by the paperwork.
433
00:14:38,220 –> 00:14:39,460
But it’s difficult.
434
00:14:39,460 –> 00:14:41,660
So like, where is he?
435
00:14:43,180 –> 00:14:44,940
I don’t know where he’s at now.
436
00:14:47,340 –> 00:14:48,460
Have you reached out to,
437
00:14:48,460 –> 00:14:50,540
you have a couple of brothers,
438
00:14:50,540 –> 00:14:50,780
right?
439
00:14:51,100 –> 00:14:51,660
Yes, I do.
440
00:14:52,060 –> 00:14:55,500
Did you reach out to your brother that has been handling
441
00:14:55,900 –> 00:14:56,780
the affairs?
442
00:14:57,020 –> 00:14:57,420
Yes.
443
00:14:58,060 –> 00:14:58,780
Did you talk to him?
444
00:14:59,340 –> 00:14:59,580
No.
445
00:14:59,580 –> 00:15:01,740
He ain’t called you back?
446
00:15:02,060 –> 00:15:02,340
No.
447
00:15:03,500 –> 00:15:06,940
And I went to locations where I think he may have be.
448
00:15:07,260 –> 00:15:08,060
He’s not there.
449
00:15:09,580 –> 00:15:10,820
Is he in Vegas maybe?
450
00:15:10,820 –> 00:15:12,660
I have no idea.
451
00:15:12,660 –> 00:15:14,380
I don’t know where my father is.
452
00:15:14,620 –> 00:15:17,980
Because I was looking at social media and he’ll be
453
00:15:17,980 –> 00:15:19,660
flown to New York or Vegas,
454
00:15:19,980 –> 00:15:20,220
right?
455
00:15:20,220 –> 00:15:21,420
Like Muhammad Ali was.
456
00:15:21,420 –> 00:15:23,620
They’ll roll him out and they’ll sign a few autographs.
457
00:15:23,620 –> 00:15:25,820
And apparently that’s supposed to be the food money,
458
00:15:25,820 –> 00:15:27,020
but there’s no food in the fridge.
459
00:15:32,140 –> 00:15:33,940
I got a lawyer worth looking into it.
460
00:15:33,940 –> 00:15:35,340
What else do you want?
461
00:15:35,500 –> 00:15:38,300
Look, I know the good people of Michigan.
462
00:15:40,220 –> 00:15:41,340
And I know this lawyer.
463
00:15:41,340 –> 00:15:44,060
And of course,
464
00:15:46,300 –> 00:15:47,580
we want to set up a fund.
465
00:15:48,940 –> 00:15:51,780
I don’t know why I got such a tidy a dab,
466
00:15:51,780 –> 00:15:52,860
but I just do.
467
00:15:53,180 –> 00:15:54,940
And he’s family.
468
00:15:55,420 –> 00:15:56,300
And in no way,
469
00:15:56,620 –> 00:15:57,820
this is going to be the end of his life.
470
00:15:58,300 –> 00:15:59,660
So of course,
471
00:15:59,660 –> 00:16:00,940
we’re going to set up a fund.
472
00:16:03,420 –> 00:16:06,340
But what good would that do since everything else got
473
00:16:06,340 –> 00:16:07,260
taken from the man?
474
00:16:07,900 –> 00:16:09,140
So if we do a fund,
475
00:16:09,140 –> 00:16:10,140
how do we protect it?
476
00:16:11,020 –> 00:16:14,380
First, he needs a guardian.
477
00:16:16,580 –> 00:16:17,900
And you’re having trouble getting that done?
478
00:16:18,340 –> 00:16:20,340
Yes, I applied several times.
479
00:16:20,820 –> 00:16:21,380
What happened?
480
00:16:22,780 –> 00:16:26,220
The paperwork kept getting rejected and sent back for
481
00:16:26,540 –> 00:16:27,580
small errors.
482
00:16:28,220 –> 00:16:30,140
And I stated it was an emergency.
483
00:16:30,900 –> 00:16:32,020
And nobody physically called you?
484
00:16:32,020 –> 00:16:32,180
No.
485
00:16:32,180 –> 00:16:34,460
What the fuck is…
486
00:16:37,260 –> 00:16:39,380
Yeah, I actually know this.
487
00:16:39,380 –> 00:16:40,460
I just wanted people to hear it.
488
00:16:40,460 –> 00:16:42,860
What’s going on at the Oakland County probate courthouse?
489
00:16:43,580 –> 00:16:45,740
We’ve had this trouble with Nestle.
490
00:16:45,900 –> 00:16:48,660
We’ve had this trouble with the nursing homes and COVID.
491
00:16:48,780 –> 00:16:50,300
Mark, are you noticing a pattern?
492
00:16:51,100 –> 00:16:52,740
Yeah, a lot of ineptitude,
493
00:16:52,740 –> 00:16:53,580
if not fraud.
494
00:16:53,660 –> 00:16:56,860
A lot of old people are being abused and this…
495
00:16:57,660 –> 00:17:00,540
layers of bureaucracy we have to protect them don’t
496
00:17:00,540 –> 00:17:01,260
work.
497
00:17:02,620 –> 00:17:04,940
Okay, so I’m going to put you in touch with that lawyer.
498
00:17:06,620 –> 00:17:07,580
Try to get this done,
499
00:17:07,580 –> 00:17:07,980
okay?
500
00:17:08,220 –> 00:17:09,260
It’s a mess.
501
00:17:10,300 –> 00:17:12,380
When was the last time you saw your dad?
502
00:17:13,900 –> 00:17:15,820
It was the day after Thanksgiving.
503
00:17:17,260 –> 00:17:17,980
At the house?
504
00:17:18,540 –> 00:17:21,100
No, it was at a family member’s home.
505
00:17:22,060 –> 00:17:23,980
Because those eviction papers,
506
00:17:25,100 –> 00:17:25,580
this,
507
00:17:26,220 –> 00:17:28,540
new investment company out of Florida who bought it,
508
00:17:28,860 –> 00:17:31,140
sending the eviction papers to be out November 25th,
509
00:17:31,140 –> 00:17:32,140
if I’m not mistaken,
510
00:17:32,140 –> 00:17:32,340
right?
511
00:17:32,660 –> 00:17:32,940
Correct.
512
00:17:33,140 –> 00:17:37,180
Which I don’t think is legal either because they bought
513
00:17:37,180 –> 00:17:40,220
it in September and your dad’s got six months and
514
00:17:40,220 –> 00:17:41,820
the court’s got to order the eviction.
515
00:17:42,540 –> 00:17:43,340
Yeah, that’s fishy.
516
00:17:43,340 –> 00:17:44,380
Not that the place is,
517
00:17:44,540 –> 00:17:45,580
you shouldn’t be living in it.
518
00:17:46,300 –> 00:17:47,220
Oh, it’s, you know,
519
00:17:47,220 –> 00:17:48,140
you show me the photos,
520
00:17:48,380 –> 00:17:50,020
all that black mold in the basement,
521
00:17:50,140 –> 00:17:50,940
that’ll kill you.
522
00:17:51,260 –> 00:17:51,420
Yes.
523
00:17:52,660 –> 00:17:54,700
But you didn’t know where he had been staying.
524
00:17:54,700 –> 00:17:55,860
You saw him at a family member’s house.
525
00:17:55,860 –> 00:17:57,260
That is correct.
526
00:17:57,860 –> 00:18:01,340
And nobody will answer where he is and where he’s been
527
00:18:01,340 –> 00:18:01,740
staying.
528
00:18:02,300 –> 00:18:05,660
Well, no one knows because you have to go through my
529
00:18:05,660 –> 00:18:06,380
sibling.
530
00:18:07,780 –> 00:18:09,260
And he’s the only gatekeeper.
531
00:18:09,660 –> 00:18:12,380
You know, is he in good health or whatnot?
532
00:18:12,940 –> 00:18:15,340
It’s your brother’s got his tentacles around him,
533
00:18:15,340 –> 00:18:15,660
right?
534
00:18:15,660 –> 00:18:16,380
And then, you know,
535
00:18:16,380 –> 00:18:18,780
it doesn’t share dad time kind of thing.
536
00:18:19,740 –> 00:18:20,340
That is correct.
537
00:18:20,340 –> 00:18:21,500
Because I’m calling Tommy’s,
538
00:18:22,060 –> 00:18:22,940
lifelong pals,
539
00:18:22,940 –> 00:18:23,660
the hangers on.
540
00:18:23,820 –> 00:18:25,340
I ain’t getting no phone call back either.
541
00:18:25,420 –> 00:18:26,220
Where’s the champ?
542
00:18:26,700 –> 00:18:29,500
Like, I’m not even going to say your name,
543
00:18:29,500 –> 00:18:29,980
dude.
544
00:18:31,900 –> 00:18:35,180
But there’s money sitting there for the champ’s well-being.
545
00:18:36,140 –> 00:18:37,900
Produce them so we can get it.
546
00:18:39,980 –> 00:18:41,020
After $40 million,
547
00:18:41,060 –> 00:18:43,020
126 ain’t really much,
548
00:18:43,140 –> 00:18:44,380
but it’s better than 0,
549
00:18:45,500 –> 00:18:45,900
right?
550
00:18:46,220 –> 00:18:46,940
And this being,
551
00:18:47,180 –> 00:18:47,900
you know,
552
00:18:48,620 –> 00:18:51,540
Somebody not as renowned and beloved as your father,
553
00:18:51,540 –> 00:18:52,460
just a regular person,
554
00:18:52,860 –> 00:18:54,220
Oakland County probate,
555
00:18:55,340 –> 00:18:55,580
right?
556
00:18:55,980 –> 00:18:58,620
They’re not going to give you your 126 back.
557
00:18:58,780 –> 00:18:59,900
They’re not going to give it to you,
558
00:19:01,100 –> 00:19:01,340
right?
559
00:19:01,340 –> 00:19:02,220
But it’s Tommy Hearn,
560
00:19:02,220 –> 00:19:03,020
so you’re gonna.
561
00:19:03,260 –> 00:19:03,420
Yeah.
562
00:19:04,220 –> 00:19:05,500
When you saw him,
563
00:19:05,500 –> 00:19:07,580
I mean, you enjoyed being around family.
564
00:19:07,700 –> 00:19:08,540
He enjoyed seeing you.
565
00:19:08,540 –> 00:19:09,740
He enjoyed seeing everybody.
566
00:19:09,900 –> 00:19:10,460
Definitely.
567
00:19:11,460 –> 00:19:12,860
And now, I mean,
568
00:19:13,540 –> 00:19:14,540
It goes without saying,
569
00:19:14,540 –> 00:19:17,060
I think he would want to be around the family as much
570
00:19:17,060 –> 00:19:19,260
as he would want money to take care of himself.
571
00:19:19,420 –> 00:19:19,660
Yes.
572
00:19:19,980 –> 00:19:21,980
Yeah, it’s just obvious.
573
00:19:22,060 –> 00:19:23,220
So what is it you want?
574
00:19:23,660 –> 00:19:26,460
Because very brave of you to do this and confirm all
575
00:19:26,460 –> 00:19:26,860
of this.
576
00:19:26,980 –> 00:19:27,500
What is it?
577
00:19:28,300 –> 00:19:28,860
What is it?
578
00:19:29,020 –> 00:19:30,140
Everybody listen to me,
579
00:19:30,140 –> 00:19:30,660
Mark.
580
00:19:31,660 –> 00:19:33,340
What do you want so we can get it done?
581
00:19:35,980 –> 00:19:36,780
Most importantly,
582
00:19:36,780 –> 00:19:38,060
I want to see my father,
583
00:19:38,460 –> 00:19:39,500
not just see him.
584
00:19:40,460 –> 00:19:42,620
See him on a consistent basis.
585
00:19:43,180 –> 00:19:44,780
I want to know that he’s okay.
586
00:19:44,780 –> 00:19:51,180
I want him to be able to live life without being at
587
00:19:51,180 –> 00:19:55,820
someone else’s will.
588
00:19:58,140 –> 00:20:01,860
I want him to be the Thomas Hearns that the city knows
589
00:20:01,860 –> 00:20:02,380
and loves.
590
00:20:02,380 –> 00:20:03,900
He’s used to going out,
591
00:20:04,140 –> 00:20:04,460
you know,
592
00:20:04,460 –> 00:20:05,580
seeing friends,
593
00:20:05,740 –> 00:20:08,220
seeing the citizens of Detroit,
594
00:20:08,380 –> 00:20:09,580
being with his family,
595
00:20:09,580 –> 00:20:10,780
calling us.
596
00:20:11,660 –> 00:20:12,860
That’s what I want for him.
597
00:20:12,860 –> 00:20:15,100
I want him to live life on his own terms.
598
00:20:15,980 –> 00:20:18,780
You want to be a get up and have a nice cup of cocoa
599
00:20:18,780 –> 00:20:21,620
on Christmas and he’s in a clean bathrobe and,
600
00:20:21,900 –> 00:20:22,380
you know,
601
00:20:24,060 –> 00:20:25,100
he has no phone.
602
00:20:25,500 –> 00:20:26,620
No, he doesn’t have a phone.
603
00:20:26,620 –> 00:20:27,580
So, you know,
604
00:20:27,580 –> 00:20:29,300
that’s another barrier that I’m facing.
605
00:20:29,300 –> 00:20:32,700
I’m not able to call my father whenever I want to.
606
00:20:34,780 –> 00:20:35,180
Yeah.
607
00:20:36,980 –> 00:20:38,780
When was the last time he had a phone?
608
00:20:38,780 –> 00:20:41,100
Is this a recent development or does he just not?
609
00:20:41,260 –> 00:20:42,540
About six months ago.
610
00:20:42,700 –> 00:20:43,260
Really?
611
00:20:46,620 –> 00:20:46,860
Yeah.
612
00:20:47,660 –> 00:20:48,580
Just makes me think.
613
00:20:48,580 –> 00:20:52,540
I just have a little personal moment.
614
00:20:52,540 –> 00:20:55,180
I want to thank my brother Bill and his family and
615
00:20:55,180 –> 00:20:57,580
his nephew Jake for taking such beautiful care of
616
00:20:57,580 –> 00:20:59,660
my mom and her later years.
617
00:20:59,980 –> 00:21:01,500
I trust him implicitly.
618
00:21:01,660 –> 00:21:02,860
I can get a hold of her.
619
00:21:04,060 –> 00:21:04,540
You know?
620
00:21:06,260 –> 00:21:07,660
Okay, we’re going to do everything we can.
621
00:21:09,260 –> 00:21:11,260
Like we’re not accusing anybody of anything.
622
00:21:11,900 –> 00:21:13,660
It’s just where’s the champ?
623
00:21:14,860 –> 00:21:16,060
Where does he live?
624
00:21:16,900 –> 00:21:17,780
What’s he eating?
625
00:21:19,340 –> 00:21:19,740
Right?
626
00:21:19,980 –> 00:21:20,140
Yeah.
627
00:21:20,380 –> 00:21:22,540
Get him a phone so he can communicate with his family.
628
00:21:23,340 –> 00:21:24,380
Yeah, it was great.
629
00:21:24,380 –> 00:21:27,260
Like watching you watch that opening of the video and
630
00:21:27,260 –> 00:21:29,580
you’re looking at your dad like he was so handsome.
631
00:21:29,900 –> 00:21:30,860
You’re so right.
632
00:21:31,780 –> 00:21:32,740
I mean, you know what I mean?
633
00:21:34,300 –> 00:21:35,340
But it’s a that’s a funny thing.
634
00:21:35,580 –> 00:21:36,940
I bet you I could knock your dad out now.
635
00:21:37,580 –> 00:21:39,100
I mean, you know,
636
00:21:39,180 –> 00:21:40,900
life is long.
637
00:21:41,100 –> 00:21:44,220
OK, so he was like he was 30 and I was 20 and beat
638
00:21:44,220 –> 00:21:45,260
my fucking ass,
639
00:21:45,740 –> 00:21:46,060
right?
640
00:21:46,060 –> 00:21:48,980
But I bet you I can beat Rick Mahorn in a game of horse.
641
00:21:48,980 –> 00:21:50,220
Oh, I don’t know about that.
642
00:21:50,220 –> 00:21:51,140
You guys might have been great,
643
00:21:51,140 –> 00:21:53,420
but you got to be 60 sometime if you’re lucky.
644
00:21:54,660 –> 00:21:55,180
Come on, Rick,
645
00:21:55,260 –> 00:21:55,980
game of horse.
646
00:21:56,540 –> 00:21:58,180
I challenged Dave Bing to a game of horse.
647
00:21:58,180 –> 00:21:58,780
He wouldn’t do it.
648
00:21:58,980 –> 00:21:59,980
He said, how about tennis?
649
00:21:59,980 –> 00:22:01,740
I go, I don’t play tennis.
650
00:22:01,740 –> 00:22:02,140
Tennis.
651
00:22:03,820 –> 00:22:04,340
Tennis.
652
00:22:04,340 –> 00:22:06,660
Oh man.
653
00:22:06,820 –> 00:22:07,780
I went to public school.
654
00:22:07,780 –> 00:22:12,300
I wish I would have played tennis when I was younger
655
00:22:12,300 –> 00:22:14,420
because that’s a it’s a good old man’s game.
656
00:22:14,420 –> 00:22:16,020
Well, now it’s all pickleball.
657
00:22:16,020 –> 00:22:16,940
It’s pickleball.
658
00:22:17,180 –> 00:22:18,220
Stupid as pickleball.
659
00:22:18,220 –> 00:22:19,260
To that point,
660
00:22:19,260 –> 00:22:21,300
how was your dad’s physical health?
661
00:22:23,980 –> 00:22:24,700
Physical health.
662
00:22:25,980 –> 00:22:29,500
He was recuperating from a surgery.
663
00:22:29,820 –> 00:22:32,060
I know that he was in physical therapy and he still
664
00:22:32,060 –> 00:22:33,580
needed to continue that.
665
00:22:33,740 –> 00:22:34,460
So he was a,
666
00:22:34,940 –> 00:22:36,300
it was a work in progress.
667
00:22:37,740 –> 00:22:38,700
Oh, he’s all beat up.
668
00:22:39,580 –> 00:22:41,020
You know, last time I saw him,
669
00:22:41,060 –> 00:22:41,420
I’m like,
670
00:22:42,540 –> 00:22:43,580
I mean, 30 years,
671
00:22:43,580 –> 00:22:45,340
the guy fought for 30 years.
672
00:22:45,340 –> 00:22:46,940
He’s 65 wins.
673
00:22:46,940 –> 00:22:48,860
He’s 5 weight classes,
674
00:22:48,860 –> 00:22:50,140
7 world titles,
675
00:22:50,460 –> 00:22:50,700
right?
676
00:22:50,940 –> 00:22:52,700
So I saw him and it was like,
677
00:22:52,700 –> 00:22:54,300
oh, is the bridge of his nose is all
678
00:22:54,860 –> 00:22:55,460
Smashed in,
679
00:22:55,460 –> 00:22:55,980
you know what I mean?
680
00:22:55,980 –> 00:22:59,340
I’m like, he took all that serious abuse in his career
681
00:22:59,340 –> 00:23:00,140
for sure,
682
00:23:02,060 –> 00:23:04,060
So I’m sure his joints hurt.
683
00:23:04,580 –> 00:23:05,420
Do his joints hurt?
684
00:23:06,220 –> 00:23:06,820
Not that I’m aware of.
685
00:23:06,820 –> 00:23:07,740
What about his neck?
686
00:23:09,260 –> 00:23:09,820
Really?
687
00:23:10,860 –> 00:23:11,900
That’s probably all muscle.
688
00:23:11,980 –> 00:23:12,860
I’m a pussy.
689
00:23:13,180 –> 00:23:14,060
My neck hurts.
690
00:23:14,940 –> 00:23:15,700
My knee goes out.
691
00:23:15,700 –> 00:23:16,860
I’m shoveling the snow today.
692
00:23:16,860 –> 00:23:18,300
My neck hurts when I wake up.
693
00:23:18,380 –> 00:23:19,580
What about your second chin?
694
00:23:19,860 –> 00:23:20,380
Yeah, well,
695
00:23:20,620 –> 00:23:21,980
that and my 3rd and 4th.
696
00:23:23,260 –> 00:23:23,860
They all hurt.
697
00:23:24,140 –> 00:23:24,940
Everything hurts.
698
00:23:25,820 –> 00:23:26,300
Okay.
699
00:23:26,300 –> 00:23:28,300
So that’s the news.
700
00:23:28,700 –> 00:23:29,740
We’ll stay on it.
701
00:23:30,140 –> 00:23:30,540
Right.
702
00:23:30,700 –> 00:23:32,700
Hopefully it’ll be done amicably.
703
00:23:33,500 –> 00:23:35,660
We don’t want any hard feelings.
704
00:23:35,660 –> 00:23:35,900
We just.
705
00:23:37,020 –> 00:23:37,420
Right.
706
00:23:37,980 –> 00:23:39,660
So it’s pretty simple.
707
00:23:39,660 –> 00:23:40,460
You want to see your dad.
708
00:23:40,620 –> 00:23:40,860
Yes.
709
00:23:41,660 –> 00:23:42,620
You want to talk to your dad.
710
00:23:42,940 –> 00:23:43,460
Why is that?
711
00:23:43,460 –> 00:23:44,780
She wants her dad to live with her.
712
00:23:44,860 –> 00:23:45,180
Yeah.
713
00:23:45,180 –> 00:23:46,140
Why is that so hard?
714
00:23:47,580 –> 00:23:48,220
I don’t know.
715
00:23:49,100 –> 00:23:49,660
Because.
716
00:23:50,420 –> 00:23:51,500
I’m just going to leave it at that.
717
00:23:51,500 –> 00:23:54,580
I leave it to the people’s imaginations because he’s
718
00:23:54,580 –> 00:23:55,660
still Tommy Hearns.
719
00:23:56,460 –> 00:23:59,340
He’s still worth something monetarily,
720
00:23:59,340 –> 00:24:02,380
but more so as a human being,
721
00:24:02,380 –> 00:24:03,260
he’s worth everything.
722
00:24:03,260 –> 00:24:03,500
Yeah.
723
00:24:04,700 –> 00:24:06,380
Natasha, you see him as your dad.
724
00:24:06,540 –> 00:24:07,820
It could be anybody’s dad.
725
00:24:07,820 –> 00:24:07,980
Yeah.
726
00:24:11,340 –> 00:24:14,460
You know what I was saying was like,
727
00:24:16,460 –> 00:24:17,220
before we came on,
728
00:24:17,220 –> 00:24:17,580
I’m like,
729
00:24:17,580 –> 00:24:17,900
you know,
730
00:24:17,900 –> 00:24:18,780
Natasha, like,
731
00:24:19,380 –> 00:24:20,700
When I was 35 years old,
732
00:24:20,700 –> 00:24:20,940
I’m like,
733
00:24:21,340 –> 00:24:22,740
oh, yeah,
734
00:24:22,740 –> 00:24:23,540
it’s a great story,
735
00:24:23,540 –> 00:24:24,300
old Tommy Hearns,
736
00:24:24,300 –> 00:24:24,540
you know.
737
00:24:24,700 –> 00:24:27,860
But I’m a couple months from 60 now and I’m like,
738
00:24:29,740 –> 00:24:31,980
maybe I want a good outcome.
739
00:24:32,540 –> 00:24:38,380
I want my career to affect some positivity.
740
00:24:38,700 –> 00:24:43,260
So maybe that way I get into heaven on a C minus.
741
00:24:43,500 –> 00:24:44,020
You know what I mean?
742
00:24:44,020 –> 00:24:44,860
A little pass fail.
743
00:24:44,980 –> 00:24:47,260
There got to be a minimum grade and I’m trying to get
744
00:24:47,260 –> 00:24:47,420
there.
745
00:24:48,060 –> 00:24:49,220
Maybe that’s selfish too.
746
00:24:49,340 –> 00:24:50,300
I think you’ll get there.
747
00:24:51,980 –> 00:24:52,340
All right,
748
00:24:52,340 –> 00:24:56,420
let’s there’s something else that is I want you to
749
00:24:56,420 –> 00:24:56,980
hang in here,
750
00:24:56,980 –> 00:24:57,340
right?
751
00:24:58,140 –> 00:25:00,060
Just a memory of another guy.
752
00:25:00,060 –> 00:25:01,580
It’s just getting done wrong.
753
00:25:02,060 –> 00:25:02,860
My friend,
754
00:25:03,340 –> 00:25:05,740
deceased firefighter Walt Harris.
755
00:25:06,940 –> 00:25:09,500
He’s in the very last chapter of this book,
756
00:25:09,500 –> 00:25:11,980
Detroit, American Autopsy that I wrote.
757
00:25:11,980 –> 00:25:12,700
And it’s
758
00:25:13,340 –> 00:25:16,220
popped back in and it is pissing me off.
759
00:25:16,780 –> 00:25:17,100
All right,
760
00:25:17,100 –> 00:25:20,220
so let’s hear it from American Coney Island and I
761
00:25:20,220 –> 00:25:24,060
want you to watch this XG service group carefully.
762
00:25:24,460 –> 00:25:26,900
I’m Grace Karos and I’m third generation of American
763
00:25:26,940 –> 00:25:27,580
Coney Island.
764
00:25:27,980 –> 00:25:29,740
People say Detroit’s a comeback city.
765
00:25:29,740 –> 00:25:30,540
I say where you’ve been.
766
00:25:30,540 –> 00:25:32,220
We’ve been here for over 100 years.
767
00:25:32,620 –> 00:25:35,500
My family’s been here on the same corner serving our
768
00:25:35,500 –> 00:25:38,340
famous proprietary American Coney Island hot dog.
769
00:25:39,020 –> 00:25:39,740
So like always,
770
00:25:39,740 –> 00:25:40,780
we’re keeping things fresh,
771
00:25:41,020 –> 00:25:42,300
updated and new.
772
00:25:44,540 –> 00:25:46,300
We’d love to have you come downtown and visit us,
773
00:25:46,460 –> 00:25:47,180
but if you can’t,
774
00:25:47,260 –> 00:25:49,500
you can always go to AmericanConeyIsland.com,
775
00:25:49,580 –> 00:25:50,380
order a Coney kit,
776
00:25:50,380 –> 00:25:52,140
get it delivered fresh right to your door.
777
00:25:53,020 –> 00:25:54,140
Well, you know when it rains,
778
00:25:54,140 –> 00:25:55,020
the power goes out,
779
00:25:55,020 –> 00:25:56,300
and when the power goes out,
780
00:25:56,300 –> 00:25:57,300
the internet goes out.
781
00:25:57,300 –> 00:25:58,300
When the internet goes out,
782
00:25:58,300 –> 00:26:01,500
I call my friend Matt and Bernie at XG Service Group.
783
00:26:01,660 –> 00:26:03,500
Look at Bernie here on his hands and knees,
784
00:26:03,740 –> 00:26:05,020
giving it everything he’s got.
785
00:26:05,580 –> 00:26:06,860
Look at that man crack.
786
00:26:07,100 –> 00:26:07,980
So busy.
787
00:26:08,620 –> 00:26:09,660
He forgot to wear a belt.
788
00:26:09,660 –> 00:26:11,740
There’s Matt right there getting the board together.
789
00:26:11,740 –> 00:26:14,460
That’s 734-245-4100.
790
00:26:14,460 –> 00:26:17,300
If you need Matt and Bernie to come take care of your
791
00:26:17,300 –> 00:26:18,220
voice over internet,
792
00:26:18,460 –> 00:26:19,660
your security cameras,
793
00:26:19,820 –> 00:26:21,420
off-campus access control,
794
00:26:21,660 –> 00:26:24,060
Wi-Fi and cameras for homes and business,
795
00:26:24,060 –> 00:26:25,180
they’ll design it for you.
796
00:26:25,500 –> 00:26:26,260
got restaurants,
797
00:26:26,260 –> 00:26:27,460
they do drive-thru systems,
798
00:26:27,460 –> 00:26:29,180
railroad cameras for public safety.
799
00:26:29,420 –> 00:26:32,700
Total wireless camera systems for your home and business.
800
00:26:32,940 –> 00:26:33,420
Yeah, that’s right.
801
00:26:33,420 –> 00:26:37,100
Call XG Services at 734-245-4100.
802
00:26:40,100 –> 00:26:40,780
Okay, now,
803
00:26:43,740 –> 00:26:50,420
a rich kid hired a poor guy to burn a house so he
804
00:26:50,420 –> 00:26:51,620
could get out of his mortgage.
805
00:26:51,620 –> 00:26:54,180
He attempted to collect the insurance from the mortgage
806
00:26:54,180 –> 00:26:54,540
company.
807
00:26:54,540 –> 00:26:58,780
His wife attempted to get the escrow money back.
808
00:26:59,660 –> 00:27:02,380
They pinged his cell phone at the scene of the fire.
809
00:27:03,660 –> 00:27:05,820
They got his truck on videotape.
810
00:27:06,780 –> 00:27:09,580
He got convicted to do 40 to 60 years,
811
00:27:10,100 –> 00:27:11,420
and because his parents are rich,
812
00:27:11,420 –> 00:27:11,940
they’re concocted.
813
00:27:13,052 –> 00:27:15,212
shit to try to get him out.
814
00:27:15,692 –> 00:27:16,252
All the while,
815
00:27:16,252 –> 00:27:17,372
my friend Walt Harris,
816
00:27:17,372 –> 00:27:19,692
the firefighter who showed up to put that fire out,
817
00:27:19,692 –> 00:27:21,452
the house collapsed on him and he died.
818
00:27:22,252 –> 00:27:25,932
Okay, this guy named Mario Willis is a convicted murderer.
819
00:27:26,412 –> 00:27:28,012
So I’m in no legal jeopardy here.
820
00:27:28,092 –> 00:27:29,132
You’re a murderer,
821
00:27:29,132 –> 00:27:29,452
dude.
822
00:27:30,092 –> 00:27:33,052
And now you’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars
823
00:27:33,052 –> 00:27:35,532
on fancy lawyers to confuse the issue.
824
00:27:37,372 –> 00:27:37,852
You know what?
825
00:27:39,812 –> 00:27:40,252
I’m going to see.
826
00:27:40,972 –> 00:27:42,172
The guy that put him in prison,
827
00:27:42,652 –> 00:27:46,252
the Wayne County assistant prosecutor,
828
00:27:47,292 –> 00:27:48,092
Bob Stevens,
829
00:27:49,052 –> 00:27:50,172
he’s the murder guy.
830
00:27:50,452 –> 00:27:51,612
Any big murder case,
831
00:27:51,612 –> 00:27:52,092
he did it.
832
00:27:52,092 –> 00:27:54,332
That means this is Detroit.
833
00:27:55,092 –> 00:27:56,932
When you’re the murder prosecutor,
834
00:27:56,932 –> 00:27:58,332
you’re somebody big,
835
00:27:58,332 –> 00:27:58,652
right?
836
00:27:59,452 –> 00:28:00,652
Nobody bothered to call him.
837
00:28:00,892 –> 00:28:02,892
No media, no nobody.
838
00:28:04,972 –> 00:28:05,612
I called him.
839
00:28:05,612 –> 00:28:06,612
I got the transcripts.
840
00:28:06,612 –> 00:28:07,212
I went through it.
841
00:28:07,212 –> 00:28:09,212
I went through all the appellate shit.
842
00:28:09,852 –> 00:28:11,532
This guy’s been going to the Court of Appeals.
843
00:28:11,692 –> 00:28:12,572
Court of Appeals say,
844
00:28:12,732 –> 00:28:13,772
get the fuck out of here.
845
00:28:13,852 –> 00:28:14,412
All of a sudden,
846
00:28:14,492 –> 00:28:16,132
now he’s back in Wayne County Court,
847
00:28:16,492 –> 00:28:17,052
Circuit Court.
848
00:28:17,052 –> 00:28:17,692
What the fuck?
849
00:28:17,692 –> 00:28:18,732
I’m going to call him.
850
00:28:18,732 –> 00:28:19,452
How many courts,
851
00:28:19,452 –> 00:28:19,772
right?
852
00:28:19,772 –> 00:28:20,092
Didn’t he?
853
00:28:20,492 –> 00:28:22,012
Because it’s been appealed a few times.
854
00:28:23,052 –> 00:28:23,532
Yes.
855
00:28:23,572 –> 00:28:24,612
I mean, he’s exhausted all of them.
856
00:28:24,612 –> 00:28:27,132
Let me call murder lawyer Bob.
857
00:28:32,892 –> 00:28:34,572
These ladies are hooked on social media.
858
00:28:35,292 –> 00:28:36,892
Hi, is this murder lawyer Bob?
859
00:28:38,892 –> 00:28:39,252
Mr.
860
00:28:39,252 –> 00:28:40,012
LaDuff, how are you,
861
00:28:40,012 –> 00:28:40,132
sir?
862
00:28:40,292 –> 00:28:40,652
What’s good?
863
00:28:40,652 –> 00:28:41,292
You’re on the air,
864
00:28:41,292 –> 00:28:41,532
bro.
865
00:28:41,532 –> 00:28:43,692
I don’t know if you want to be or not,
866
00:28:43,692 –> 00:28:45,732
but I’m putting you on the air and I need to discuss
867
00:28:45,732 –> 00:28:46,612
this Walt Harris case.
868
00:28:46,612 –> 00:28:47,292
Is that cool?
869
00:28:48,452 –> 00:28:48,892
That’s fine.
870
00:28:48,972 –> 00:28:49,572
Okay, great.
871
00:28:49,572 –> 00:28:52,732
I think I figured I’d be hearing from you at some point.
872
00:28:54,012 –> 00:28:58,732
Well, I there’s only besides you,
873
00:28:58,732 –> 00:28:59,852
the prosecutor,
874
00:29:00,332 –> 00:29:02,572
the defense attorney,
875
00:29:02,572 –> 00:29:03,692
the judge and the jury.
876
00:29:03,692 –> 00:29:04,732
I think there’s only
877
00:29:05,212 –> 00:29:09,852
three people alive anymore that sat in that courtroom
878
00:29:10,092 –> 00:29:12,012
every day 17 years ago.
879
00:29:12,252 –> 00:29:13,212
It was Willis,
880
00:29:13,452 –> 00:29:14,572
it was his mother,
881
00:29:14,732 –> 00:29:15,932
and it was me.
882
00:29:16,572 –> 00:29:18,252
So when I’m looking at the media,
883
00:29:18,412 –> 00:29:19,692
this is some bullshit.
884
00:29:20,172 –> 00:29:21,692
So would you?
885
00:29:21,692 –> 00:29:22,292
Pretty sad,
886
00:29:22,292 –> 00:29:22,812
isn’t it?
887
00:29:22,812 –> 00:29:24,412
Yeah, no, what I’m going to do,
888
00:29:25,612 –> 00:29:26,012
by the way,
889
00:29:26,012 –> 00:29:27,852
this is Natasha Hearns-Barnes is here,
890
00:29:27,852 –> 00:29:28,492
Tommy Hearns’
891
00:29:28,492 –> 00:29:28,892
daughter.
892
00:29:28,892 –> 00:29:29,652
Say hello to Bob.
893
00:29:30,172 –> 00:29:30,572
Hi, Bob.
894
00:29:30,692 –> 00:29:31,092
How are you?
895
00:29:31,452 –> 00:29:32,372
Fine, and yourself?
896
00:29:33,052 –> 00:29:34,012
Wow, fabulous.
897
00:29:34,012 –> 00:29:34,652
Tommy Hearns.
898
00:29:34,812 –> 00:29:35,212
Yeah.
899
00:29:35,812 –> 00:29:38,212
Greatest, greatest 3 rounds of boxing I’ve ever seen
900
00:29:38,212 –> 00:29:38,692
in my life.
901
00:29:38,732 –> 00:29:40,332
Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagman.
902
00:29:40,732 –> 00:29:41,812
Yeah, unbelievable.
903
00:29:41,812 –> 00:29:42,252
Yep, there you go.
904
00:29:42,252 –> 00:29:43,852
Okay, so what I’m going to do,
905
00:29:43,852 –> 00:29:47,252
I’m going to read an excerpt from my book here.
906
00:29:47,252 –> 00:29:48,652
It’s the last chapter.
907
00:29:48,652 –> 00:29:51,452
So people are on the same page as to what’s happening.
908
00:29:51,612 –> 00:29:52,412
Is that cool with y’all?
909
00:29:53,132 –> 00:29:53,532
Okay.
910
00:29:54,092 –> 00:29:54,412
All right.
911
00:29:57,452 –> 00:29:58,892
I just got word,
912
00:29:59,452 –> 00:29:59,772
you know,
913
00:29:59,772 –> 00:30:00,092
like,
914
00:30:00,612 –> 00:30:02,052
I’m pretty popular in Poland.
915
00:30:02,092 –> 00:30:02,652
They want to buy,
916
00:30:02,732 –> 00:30:04,452
they want to print the 6th edition of this.
917
00:30:04,452 –> 00:30:04,532
Wow.
918
00:30:04,772 –> 00:30:05,452
Isn’t that crazy?
919
00:30:06,732 –> 00:30:07,132
Okay.
920
00:30:08,092 –> 00:30:10,252
The last chapter is called Pants on Fire.
921
00:30:12,812 –> 00:30:15,452
The man who paid the bum 20 bucks to burn down the
922
00:30:15,452 –> 00:30:17,932
house that killed firefighter Walt Harris was brought
923
00:30:17,932 –> 00:30:19,612
into the courtroom by his elbow.
924
00:30:20,252 –> 00:30:24,412
Mario Willis wore a suit with wide stripes and a jacket
925
00:30:24,412 –> 00:30:26,172
hem that hung low on his hips.
926
00:30:26,492 –> 00:30:29,692
He sported tasseled loafers and gold-framed glasses
927
00:30:29,852 –> 00:30:31,212
and steel handcuffs.
928
00:30:32,572 –> 00:30:32,972
Who’s that,
929
00:30:32,972 –> 00:30:33,452
Papa?
930
00:30:33,452 –> 00:30:35,092
my three-year-old daughter squealed.
931
00:30:35,692 –> 00:30:36,892
He’s a man who did bad,
932
00:30:36,892 –> 00:30:37,372
I told her.
933
00:30:37,372 –> 00:30:38,492
He’s going to jail.
934
00:30:39,052 –> 00:30:40,492
I wasn’t a reporter anymore.
935
00:30:40,492 –> 00:30:42,172
I was just a stay-at-home dad again,
936
00:30:42,332 –> 00:30:44,612
bringing my daughter on a field trip to study the
937
00:30:44,612 –> 00:30:47,452
gears of the municipal machinery.
938
00:30:47,772 –> 00:30:50,092
I wanted her to see how it was supposed to work,
939
00:30:50,252 –> 00:30:52,572
how society looked when it functioned properly.
940
00:30:52,812 –> 00:30:55,132
I wanted her to see the good side of things.
941
00:30:55,612 –> 00:30:57,852
if this morning’s proceedings could be considered good.
942
00:30:58,812 –> 00:30:59,692
And truth be told,
943
00:31:00,012 –> 00:31:01,372
I had a pony in this race.
944
00:31:01,692 –> 00:31:03,892
I had something to do with the man’s punishment.
945
00:31:04,012 –> 00:31:07,612
I wanted to feel that I had done at least something
946
00:31:07,612 –> 00:31:08,892
for the betterment of Detroit.
947
00:31:09,052 –> 00:31:11,612
I wanted to feel happy,
948
00:31:11,612 –> 00:31:12,012
I guess.
949
00:31:13,052 –> 00:31:14,652
What did the bad man do?
950
00:31:14,892 –> 00:31:17,132
my girl asked in her tiny alto.
951
00:31:17,772 –> 00:31:20,252
Even Willis turned around to see where the little voice
952
00:31:20,252 –> 00:31:21,052
was coming from.
953
00:31:21,372 –> 00:31:22,652
The bailiff walked over.
954
00:31:23,252 –> 00:31:24,892
There are no children allowed in the courtroom,
955
00:31:24,892 –> 00:31:25,452
she said.
956
00:31:25,972 –> 00:31:26,452
I’m sorry,
957
00:31:26,452 –> 00:31:27,132
I didn’t know.
958
00:31:27,372 –> 00:31:28,332
She’s a citizen,
959
00:31:28,332 –> 00:31:29,212
I said, hopefully.
960
00:31:30,092 –> 00:31:31,292
The bailiff hesitated,
961
00:31:31,452 –> 00:31:33,452
looked around at all the uniformed people who had
962
00:31:33,452 –> 00:31:34,412
packed the gallery,
963
00:31:34,652 –> 00:31:36,972
and sensing the sadness in the room,
964
00:31:37,052 –> 00:31:37,932
she relented.
965
00:31:38,332 –> 00:31:38,812
That’s okay,
966
00:31:38,812 –> 00:31:39,132
hon.
967
00:31:39,292 –> 00:31:40,332
Just try to keep her quiet.
968
00:31:40,972 –> 00:31:42,252
I told my daughter to whisper.
969
00:31:43,772 –> 00:31:46,292
The firehousemates of Harris sat in the jury box,
970
00:31:46,292 –> 00:31:48,012
scowling and whiskered.
971
00:31:48,172 –> 00:31:50,332
They looked like one of those silver daguerreotypes
972
00:31:50,492 –> 00:31:51,612
from the Wild West,
973
00:31:51,852 –> 00:31:52,652
dark-eyed,
974
00:31:52,732 –> 00:31:53,772
mustachioed,
975
00:31:54,012 –> 00:31:55,292
and the hair miscombed.
976
00:31:55,612 –> 00:31:57,452
One of the men looked as though he were preparing to
977
00:31:57,452 –> 00:32:00,092
leap out-of-the-box and puncture Willis’s throat with
978
00:32:00,092 –> 00:32:00,572
a knife.
979
00:32:01,132 –> 00:32:02,572
Willis did not look up at them.
980
00:32:03,052 –> 00:32:05,412
My daughter noticed the dower men in the juror’s box
981
00:32:05,412 –> 00:32:05,932
as well.
982
00:32:06,652 –> 00:32:07,132
Who are they,
983
00:32:07,132 –> 00:32:07,532
Papa?
984
00:32:08,172 –> 00:32:08,972
Those are firemen.
985
00:32:09,452 –> 00:32:10,252
Why are they here?
986
00:32:10,812 –> 00:32:12,732
They want to see what happens to the bad man.
987
00:32:13,172 –> 00:32:14,252
What did the bad man do,
988
00:32:14,252 –> 00:32:14,652
Papa?
989
00:32:14,892 –> 00:32:15,772
she asked again.
990
00:32:16,492 –> 00:32:17,372
He killed her friend,
991
00:32:17,372 –> 00:32:17,852
I said.
992
00:32:18,012 –> 00:32:19,052
He was my friend too.
993
00:32:19,692 –> 00:32:20,972
Oh dear, she whispered.
994
00:32:21,612 –> 00:32:22,492
How did your friend die,
995
00:32:22,492 –> 00:32:22,892
Papa?
996
00:32:23,452 –> 00:32:24,172
By fire.
997
00:32:25,052 –> 00:32:26,412
Why was he making a fire?
998
00:32:26,892 –> 00:32:27,492
He wasn’t.
999
00:32:27,772 –> 00:32:31,292
The bad man made a fire to burn a house so he could
1000
00:32:31,292 –> 00:32:32,172
get some money.
1001
00:32:33,132 –> 00:32:34,012
Was it an accident,
1002
00:32:34,012 –> 00:32:34,412
Pops?
1003
00:32:34,892 –> 00:32:35,532
No, sweets.
1004
00:32:36,252 –> 00:32:36,972
The bad man,
1005
00:32:37,052 –> 00:32:37,932
he’s still nice,
1006
00:32:37,932 –> 00:32:38,652
right, Pops?
1007
00:32:39,572 –> 00:32:39,852
I don’t know,
1008
00:32:39,852 –> 00:32:40,492
sweetheart,
1009
00:32:40,492 –> 00:32:41,532
I said, kissing her neck.
1010
00:32:41,692 –> 00:32:42,812
That’s why we’re all here.
1011
00:32:43,052 –> 00:32:45,452
All of us together will decide how nice he is.
1012
00:32:46,412 –> 00:32:47,932
your friend in heaven with God?
1013
00:32:48,572 –> 00:32:49,372
He has to be,
1014
00:32:49,372 –> 00:32:49,692
I said.
1015
00:32:50,652 –> 00:32:51,852
Judge Michael Callahan,
1016
00:32:51,852 –> 00:32:54,092
a small, stone-faced Irishman,
1017
00:32:54,252 –> 00:32:55,292
entered the courtroom.
1018
00:32:55,452 –> 00:32:56,412
The people stood.
1019
00:32:56,652 –> 00:32:57,452
Who’s he, Papa?
1020
00:32:58,012 –> 00:32:58,652
He’s the judge,
1021
00:32:58,652 –> 00:32:59,132
sweets.
1022
00:32:59,212 –> 00:33:01,292
He will decide how long the man will go to jail for
1023
00:33:01,292 –> 00:33:02,252
killing another man.
1024
00:33:03,132 –> 00:33:03,932
Killing’s not right,
1025
00:33:03,932 –> 00:33:04,652
is it, Pops?
1026
00:33:05,132 –> 00:33:05,852
No, it’s not.
1027
00:33:06,172 –> 00:33:08,412
God says it’s the worst thing a human being can do.
1028
00:33:09,612 –> 00:33:10,292
Yes, pops,
1029
00:33:10,292 –> 00:33:11,052
it’s very bad.
1030
00:33:11,932 –> 00:33:14,172
And those are the lawyers I pointed out to my daughter,
1031
00:33:14,412 –> 00:33:15,532
one of them being Bob.
1032
00:33:16,652 –> 00:33:18,892
They will argue how long that man should go to jail.
1033
00:33:19,772 –> 00:33:21,852
My daughter quickly grew bored with the lawyers and
1034
00:33:21,852 –> 00:33:25,852
their arguments and protestations and sentencing guidelines.
1035
00:33:26,092 –> 00:33:28,092
She ducked beneath the pews to play with her toys on
1036
00:33:28,092 –> 00:33:28,732
the carpet.
1037
00:33:28,892 –> 00:33:29,932
I did not stop her.
1038
00:33:30,972 –> 00:33:33,612
Willis’s mother and his minister spoke on his behalf,
1039
00:33:33,852 –> 00:33:36,892
calling his conviction both devastating and unjustified.
1040
00:33:37,212 –> 00:33:39,612
They spoke about his faith and his work with young
1041
00:33:39,612 –> 00:33:40,172
Tufts.
1042
00:33:40,332 –> 00:33:43,132
They spoke of the Spirit Award bestowed upon him by
1043
00:33:43,132 –> 00:33:44,092
the mayor of the city,
1044
00:33:44,252 –> 00:33:46,732
who is currently residing in the state penitentiary.
1045
00:33:47,372 –> 00:33:48,812
Their son was a pillar of Detroit,
1046
00:33:48,812 –> 00:33:49,372
they sobbed.
1047
00:33:49,532 –> 00:33:52,092
Their son was an honest citizen.
1048
00:33:53,132 –> 00:33:54,492
Then came the sickening part.
1049
00:33:55,052 –> 00:33:56,012
Willis himself,
1050
00:33:56,412 –> 00:33:57,612
with a straight face,
1051
00:33:58,012 –> 00:34:01,132
He maintained his innocence despite the fact that the
1052
00:34:01,132 –> 00:34:04,172
handyman he hired to set the blaze placed him at the
1053
00:34:04,172 –> 00:34:05,132
scene of the fire.
1054
00:34:05,452 –> 00:34:07,852
The handyman testified he was paid to burn it down
1055
00:34:07,852 –> 00:34:08,732
once before.
1056
00:34:08,972 –> 00:34:11,932
Willis’s cell phone records placed him at the scene
1057
00:34:11,932 –> 00:34:14,492
of the fire at the time of the fire.
1058
00:34:14,652 –> 00:34:19,452
Willis’s wife testified he was sleeping with her that
1059
00:34:19,452 –> 00:34:20,652
night at that time,
1060
00:34:20,652 –> 00:34:23,372
even though phone records show Willis called her on
1061
00:34:23,372 –> 00:34:24,412
his cell phone.
1062
00:34:24,812 –> 00:34:27,492
His wife testified he must have called her from the
1063
00:34:27,492 –> 00:34:27,892
next page.
1064
00:34:28,012 –> 00:34:28,652
over.
1065
00:34:30,572 –> 00:34:32,332
His monologue was so weak,
1066
00:34:32,732 –> 00:34:33,852
so insulting,
1067
00:34:33,852 –> 00:34:36,412
so slippery that some of the jurors,
1068
00:34:36,732 –> 00:34:41,172
some of the jurors who sat through this had convicted
1069
00:34:41,172 –> 00:34:44,252
him at trial and had come for his sentencing.
1070
00:34:44,412 –> 00:34:46,492
They hissed like snakes.
1071
00:34:47,212 –> 00:34:48,012
Your honor,
1072
00:34:48,252 –> 00:34:48,852
said Willis,
1073
00:34:48,852 –> 00:34:50,892
standing with an oily but straight face,
1074
00:34:51,412 –> 00:34:54,092
I was taught to own up and be a responsible man to
1075
00:34:54,092 –> 00:34:54,892
all actions,
1076
00:34:55,052 –> 00:34:55,652
and it’s just,
1077
00:34:55,652 –> 00:34:55,772
it’s
1078
00:34:56,452 –> 00:34:57,092
It’s not in me,
1079
00:34:57,092 –> 00:34:57,572
your honor,
1080
00:34:57,692 –> 00:34:59,852
to own up to anything that I didn’t have a part of.
1081
00:35:00,012 –> 00:35:02,172
I maintain my innocence in this manner.
1082
00:35:03,532 –> 00:35:04,412
Most insulting,
1083
00:35:04,892 –> 00:35:06,492
he turned to the widow of Walt Harris,
1084
00:35:06,492 –> 00:35:07,852
addressing her directly.
1085
00:35:08,612 –> 00:35:09,492
I apologize to you,
1086
00:35:09,492 –> 00:35:09,692
Ms.
1087
00:35:09,692 –> 00:35:10,012
Harris.
1088
00:35:10,172 –> 00:35:11,052
I hate the loss.
1089
00:35:11,212 –> 00:35:12,652
You know I don’t like what’s happening.
1090
00:35:12,652 –> 00:35:14,812
I mean, because you and your family had the biggest
1091
00:35:14,812 –> 00:35:15,452
loss ever.
1092
00:35:15,692 –> 00:35:17,612
I hate that you’ve been put in this situation,
1093
00:35:17,772 –> 00:35:19,772
but I did not set this man to do this,
1094
00:35:19,932 –> 00:35:22,652
and I did not have any type of financial gain or any
1095
00:35:22,652 –> 00:35:24,732
financial wherewithal with this situation,
1096
00:35:24,892 –> 00:35:26,252
and that’s from me to you.
1097
00:35:27,132 –> 00:35:29,212
He turned to ash-faced Callahan.
1098
00:35:29,532 –> 00:35:31,212
I just once again just thank you.
1099
00:35:31,532 –> 00:35:32,852
I ask that you have mercy upon me,
1100
00:35:32,852 –> 00:35:34,732
and I am very humbled by the situation.
1101
00:35:35,732 –> 00:35:38,412
The widow sobbed at the audacity of the pimp-suited
1102
00:35:38,412 –> 00:35:41,292
businessman who had cheated her of a beautiful life.
1103
00:35:41,692 –> 00:35:44,652
Willis, the arsonist who burned down a corner of the
1104
00:35:44,652 –> 00:35:46,172
city for his own profit.
1105
00:35:46,492 –> 00:35:48,892
Willis, the man of God who asked for mercy,
1106
00:35:49,052 –> 00:35:52,412
but could not admit to a widow’s face that his greed
1107
00:35:52,572 –> 00:35:54,972
had cost her husband’s life.
1108
00:35:56,012 –> 00:35:58,172
He was everything wrong.
1109
00:35:58,972 –> 00:36:01,692
He took no responsibility for the lives he’d ruined.
1110
00:36:02,332 –> 00:36:03,532
He blamed others.
1111
00:36:03,972 –> 00:36:06,172
He hid behind the slogans and excuses.
1112
00:36:06,412 –> 00:36:08,092
He was Kwame Kilpatrick.
1113
00:36:08,252 –> 00:36:09,772
He was General Motors.
1114
00:36:09,932 –> 00:36:11,292
He was Wall Street.
1115
00:36:11,452 –> 00:36:13,052
He was modern America.
1116
00:36:13,292 –> 00:36:14,652
He was a cheater.
1117
00:36:16,012 –> 00:36:16,732
My daughter,
1118
00:36:16,732 –> 00:36:18,492
hearing the widow whimper,
1119
00:36:18,732 –> 00:36:20,092
crawled up on my lap.
1120
00:36:20,732 –> 00:36:24,172
The judge’s porcelain complexion had gone scarlet as
1121
00:36:24,172 –> 00:36:25,452
he imposed the sentence.
1122
00:36:26,132 –> 00:36:27,092
In the city of Detroit,
1123
00:36:27,092 –> 00:36:29,812
he said, we’ve been plagued by arson as a means of
1124
00:36:29,812 –> 00:36:32,012
entertainment that was known as Devil’s Night,
1125
00:36:32,252 –> 00:36:35,212
a situation which firefighters were called on in many
1126
00:36:35,212 –> 00:36:37,612
instances to handle hundreds of fires.
1127
00:36:38,012 –> 00:36:40,332
They have also been forced to battle fires and schemes
1128
00:36:40,332 –> 00:36:41,052
for profit,
1129
00:36:41,292 –> 00:36:43,932
fires set in order to generate insurance proceeds
1130
00:36:44,092 –> 00:36:45,932
for those who do not deserve them.
1131
00:36:46,092 –> 00:36:49,292
The defendant went to great lengths to avoid detection
1132
00:36:49,372 –> 00:36:53,772
and responsibility for his arson for profit scheme.
1133
00:36:54,252 –> 00:36:58,252
including orchestrating perjury by his wife for use
1134
00:36:58,252 –> 00:36:59,932
in his alibi defense.
1135
00:37:00,892 –> 00:37:01,532
My daughter,
1136
00:37:01,532 –> 00:37:02,972
who was standing on the pew now,
1137
00:37:03,052 –> 00:37:04,332
whispered in my ear,
1138
00:37:04,972 –> 00:37:06,092
Why is the judge yelling,
1139
00:37:06,092 –> 00:37:06,492
Papa?
1140
00:37:07,212 –> 00:37:09,852
The judge is angry because the man is lying,
1141
00:37:09,852 –> 00:37:10,332
I said.
1142
00:37:11,292 –> 00:37:11,932
He’s a liar,
1143
00:37:11,932 –> 00:37:12,412
Pops.
1144
00:37:13,452 –> 00:37:14,332
He’s a liar.
1145
00:37:14,972 –> 00:37:16,012
Pants on fire?
1146
00:37:16,572 –> 00:37:17,292
Yes, Boo Boo,
1147
00:37:17,372 –> 00:37:18,252
pants on fire.
1148
00:37:18,812 –> 00:37:22,892
Judge Callahan sentenced Willis to 42 years in prison.
1149
00:37:25,372 –> 00:37:26,372
Bob Stevens.
1150
00:37:26,372 –> 00:37:28,492
A lot of hurt she had to see.
1151
00:37:28,812 –> 00:37:31,852
Oh, dude, I was in the courtroom yesterday.
1152
00:37:31,852 –> 00:37:34,972
I don’t understand why there’s an,
1153
00:37:35,212 –> 00:37:36,452
maybe you can explain to people,
1154
00:37:36,452 –> 00:37:38,492
there’s an evidentiary hearing.
1155
00:37:38,652 –> 00:37:40,172
What does this mean?
1156
00:37:40,332 –> 00:37:41,612
And what does this mean?
1157
00:37:42,492 –> 00:37:43,772
I’m aware of the hearing.
1158
00:37:43,772 –> 00:37:44,012
I’ve been,
1159
00:37:44,652 –> 00:37:45,452
as a matter of fact,
1160
00:37:45,452 –> 00:37:45,612
I.
1161
00:37:46,372 –> 00:37:49,132
was able to procure a transcript of this case long
1162
00:37:49,132 –> 00:37:49,692
time ago,
1163
00:37:49,692 –> 00:37:50,572
six months ago,
1164
00:37:50,572 –> 00:37:53,412
because I was expecting someone to call me and talk
1165
00:37:53,412 –> 00:37:54,332
to me about this.
1166
00:37:54,652 –> 00:37:56,092
I am not, I can’t,
1167
00:37:56,252 –> 00:37:56,972
I’m on the air,
1168
00:37:56,972 –> 00:37:59,172
but I’m not going to comment on the actual hearing
1169
00:37:59,172 –> 00:38:00,292
proceedings itself.
1170
00:38:00,652 –> 00:38:01,612
They’re actual,
1171
00:38:01,612 –> 00:38:01,932
you know,
1172
00:38:01,932 –> 00:38:03,252
well-seasoned appellate law.
1173
00:38:03,252 –> 00:38:04,172
No, I don’t mean that.
1174
00:38:04,172 –> 00:38:07,452
I just mean explain what this evidentiary hearing means.
1175
00:38:09,172 –> 00:38:09,772
Well, I mean,
1176
00:38:09,972 –> 00:38:12,332
he’s already been through the Court of Appeals.
1177
00:38:12,692 –> 00:38:14,812
He’s already been through our Conviction Integrity
1178
00:38:14,812 –> 00:38:17,612
Unit, and they declined to change the outcome of the
1179
00:38:17,612 –> 00:38:18,252
case.
1180
00:38:18,812 –> 00:38:21,292
And now he’s taken another bite at the apple to see
1181
00:38:21,292 –> 00:38:22,492
if he can get a new trial.
1182
00:38:22,492 –> 00:38:23,932
And as it appears,
1183
00:38:23,932 –> 00:38:25,372
or from the articles I’ve read,
1184
00:38:25,372 –> 00:38:29,852
they’re basically just going after Darien Dove again.
1185
00:38:30,732 –> 00:38:33,612
And it’s my understanding they have an expert witness
1186
00:38:33,612 –> 00:38:36,492
who’s going to contest the cause and origin of the
1187
00:38:36,492 –> 00:38:39,612
fire, which was never an issue at the first trial.
1188
00:38:39,772 –> 00:38:40,492
So that wouldn’t,
1189
00:38:40,572 –> 00:38:42,812
okay, so this evidentiary hearing is supposed to be,
1190
00:38:42,812 –> 00:38:43,852
we got new evidence,
1191
00:38:44,092 –> 00:38:45,132
never before seen,
1192
00:38:45,132 –> 00:38:45,532
right?
1193
00:38:46,572 –> 00:38:47,092
I believe.
1194
00:38:47,372 –> 00:38:53,132
And if the judge agrees that this evidence is exculpatory,
1195
00:38:53,132 –> 00:38:54,092
it could help this guy,
1196
00:38:54,092 –> 00:38:56,852
then he gets a new trial nearly two decades later
1197
00:38:56,852 –> 00:38:57,692
with everybody dead,
1198
00:38:57,692 –> 00:38:58,012
right?
1199
00:38:59,132 –> 00:39:00,012
That’s what they’re banking on.
1200
00:39:00,012 –> 00:39:00,532
Okay, good.
1201
00:39:00,652 –> 00:39:01,452
Well, remember,
1202
00:39:01,772 –> 00:39:03,612
the listeners don’t know what this means.
1203
00:39:03,692 –> 00:39:06,812
So it’s a hearing to see if he can get a new trial.
1204
00:39:07,492 –> 00:39:07,732
Correct.
1205
00:39:07,852 –> 00:39:08,892
Okay, so.
1206
00:39:09,492 –> 00:39:09,772
Mr.
1207
00:39:09,772 –> 00:39:12,492
Dove is coming to the end of his minimum sentence of
1208
00:39:12,492 –> 00:39:16,492
17 years and all this stuff just surfaces and it’s
1209
00:39:16,492 –> 00:39:17,612
being brought forward.
1210
00:39:18,532 –> 00:39:19,292
Open a prayer.
1211
00:39:19,292 –> 00:39:20,052
So Mr.
1212
00:39:20,052 –> 00:39:23,412
Dove is the bum handyman that was paid the 20 bucks
1213
00:39:23,412 –> 00:39:24,332
to light the fire.
1214
00:39:24,492 –> 00:39:25,852
Just a little bit of a fire,
1215
00:39:26,092 –> 00:39:26,372
right?
1216
00:39:26,892 –> 00:39:30,412
He was also promised a truck too in the transcript
1217
00:39:30,452 –> 00:39:30,932
testimony.
1218
00:39:30,932 –> 00:39:34,292
Cause that’s what I rely on is all the transcript testimony.
1219
00:39:34,292 –> 00:39:35,092
When you review it,
1220
00:39:35,092 –> 00:39:36,012
everything’s in there.
1221
00:39:36,372 –> 00:39:36,532
Okay.
1222
00:39:37,052 –> 00:39:38,012
So like, look,
1223
00:39:38,012 –> 00:39:40,412
man, you were there.
1224
00:39:40,412 –> 00:39:41,052
I was there.
1225
00:39:41,052 –> 00:39:41,852
I’m watching these.
1226
00:39:42,052 –> 00:39:43,092
I’m not asking you to comment.
1227
00:39:43,092 –> 00:39:45,212
I just need to fucking get it out.
1228
00:39:45,972 –> 00:39:47,852
I’m looking at these scrubs.
1229
00:39:47,972 –> 00:39:51,452
It’s really hard for me to be having respect for media
1230
00:39:51,612 –> 00:39:52,892
when I’m listening to these,
1231
00:39:53,212 –> 00:39:55,212
oh, there’s some conflicting testimony.
1232
00:39:55,212 –> 00:39:55,532
It’s like,
1233
00:39:55,692 –> 00:39:56,892
you never bothered to look.
1234
00:39:57,212 –> 00:40:00,012
Nobody’s mentioned that this guy went to the Court
1235
00:40:00,012 –> 00:40:00,732
of Appeals.
1236
00:40:01,212 –> 00:40:02,412
And the Court of Appeals,
1237
00:40:02,932 –> 00:40:04,172
okay, let me stop.
1238
00:40:04,812 –> 00:40:06,012
Let me do this one by one.
1239
00:40:06,172 –> 00:40:06,972
Number one,
1240
00:40:07,052 –> 00:40:12,972
Bob, we have cell phone records of
1241
00:40:14,052 –> 00:40:15,932
Mario Willis getting out of bed,
1242
00:40:16,012 –> 00:40:18,612
calling the bum handyman on his way from the west
1243
00:40:18,612 –> 00:40:19,452
side to the east side,
1244
00:40:19,452 –> 00:40:19,772
right?
1245
00:40:20,572 –> 00:40:22,972
Yeah, we have cell phone tracking of them all the way
1246
00:40:23,492 –> 00:40:24,572
until six o’clock.
1247
00:40:24,612 –> 00:40:29,212
I think it was 12 noon or 12 midnight to six o’clock
1248
00:40:29,212 –> 00:40:31,052
going from the west side to the east side.
1249
00:40:31,532 –> 00:40:37,092
He hits off a tower over on Gratiot and Van Dyke area.
1250
00:40:38,332 –> 00:40:42,572
And it’s off a tower that’s in 270 yards,
1251
00:40:42,572 –> 00:40:43,372
I believe it was,
1252
00:40:43,372 –> 00:40:43,972
from the house.
1253
00:40:43,972 –> 00:40:46,892
So that means in close proximity to the house.
1254
00:40:47,132 –> 00:40:48,412
Less than 1000 feet.
1255
00:40:48,412 –> 00:40:49,292
Yeah, the tower…
1256
00:40:49,632 –> 00:40:50,232
He was there?
1257
00:40:50,952 –> 00:40:51,112
Yeah.
1258
00:40:51,352 –> 00:40:51,672
Okay.
1259
00:40:51,832 –> 00:40:53,112
He was at the gas station.
1260
00:40:53,112 –> 00:40:54,872
We got videos of his car,
1261
00:40:55,192 –> 00:40:58,152
which is a very unique car at the gas station.
1262
00:40:58,952 –> 00:40:59,912
And at the time…
1263
00:41:00,672 –> 00:41:02,552
which is the most haunting thing,
1264
00:41:02,552 –> 00:41:05,272
is at the time the phone call was made to the fire
1265
00:41:05,272 –> 00:41:07,272
department to put out the fire.
1266
00:41:07,512 –> 00:41:10,392
So maybe we can get insurance proceeds off this house
1267
00:41:10,392 –> 00:41:12,912
again, because there’s forced place insurance out
1268
00:41:12,912 –> 00:41:13,032
there.
1269
00:41:13,112 –> 00:41:14,792
Let’s pause for just a second.
1270
00:41:15,352 –> 00:41:20,392
Okay, the video of the truck at the gas station that’s
1271
00:41:20,552 –> 00:41:22,872
less than 1000 feet from the burning house.
1272
00:41:23,312 –> 00:41:25,512
What was the license plate on that truck?
1273
00:41:27,272 –> 00:41:29,472
Monsta 7 or 7 Monsta.
1274
00:41:29,912 –> 00:41:30,272
Yeah.
1275
00:41:30,312 –> 00:41:31,912
MONSTA.
1276
00:41:31,992 –> 00:41:33,032
It’s a very unique truck.
1277
00:41:33,032 –> 00:41:34,552
That’s a very unique plate.
1278
00:41:34,552 –> 00:41:36,472
Who does Monsta 7 belong to?
1279
00:41:36,952 –> 00:41:37,672
Mari Willis.
1280
00:41:37,992 –> 00:41:39,112
Shit the fuck.
1281
00:41:39,192 –> 00:41:40,392
Hey, Channel 4.
1282
00:41:41,352 –> 00:41:41,792
You want to,
1283
00:41:41,792 –> 00:41:42,552
you want to do that?
1284
00:41:42,712 –> 00:41:43,032
Okay.
1285
00:41:43,432 –> 00:41:44,992
So this is why the,
1286
00:41:46,072 –> 00:41:48,152
we’ll go into the recanting in a minute.
1287
00:41:48,152 –> 00:41:49,832
Go ahead with the Channel 4,
1288
00:41:49,832 –> 00:41:50,672
Devin Skillian,
1289
00:41:50,672 –> 00:41:52,152
whatever he’s doing in this,
1290
00:41:52,392 –> 00:41:54,392
trying to get his posthumous Emmy or whatever.
1291
00:41:56,072 –> 00:41:58,792
said it couldn’t have been an arson for profit scheme
1292
00:41:59,032 –> 00:42:03,032
because Willis and his girlfriend didn’t have insurance
1293
00:42:03,032 –> 00:42:03,832
on the house.
1294
00:42:03,832 –> 00:42:05,272
It was the mortgage company.
1295
00:42:05,352 –> 00:42:07,272
So why would they do that?
1296
00:42:07,432 –> 00:42:08,792
Is that is factual,
1297
00:42:08,792 –> 00:42:09,192
right?
1298
00:42:10,472 –> 00:42:12,472
Yeah, but it’s forced place insurance.
1299
00:42:12,472 –> 00:42:14,152
And he attempted to collect on that.
1300
00:42:14,192 –> 00:42:15,032
When they were told,
1301
00:42:15,032 –> 00:42:16,792
he contacted the mortgage company.
1302
00:42:17,072 –> 00:42:17,632
And they said,
1303
00:42:17,632 –> 00:42:20,232
hey, you’ve been delinquent with your payments.
1304
00:42:20,272 –> 00:42:22,152
You’ve been delinquent with your taxes.
1305
00:42:22,552 –> 00:42:24,712
And the mortgage company eats that cost.
1306
00:42:24,792 –> 00:42:26,232
That’s why they got insurance.
1307
00:42:26,472 –> 00:42:28,392
They throw it in escrow,
1308
00:42:28,632 –> 00:42:30,872
and they forced the insurance on the place.
1309
00:42:31,032 –> 00:42:33,512
And when they found out they had forced insurance,
1310
00:42:33,752 –> 00:42:35,112
he tried to make a claim on it.
1311
00:42:35,592 –> 00:42:36,792
He called the company up,
1312
00:42:36,792 –> 00:42:39,352
Saxton Mortgage.
1313
00:42:40,152 –> 00:42:42,152
and basically asked him about,
1314
00:42:42,392 –> 00:42:44,712
they told him about the 4th place insurance and then
1315
00:42:44,712 –> 00:42:46,712
they transferred him and he hung up.
1316
00:42:46,712 –> 00:42:48,792
So he was trying to call out on the insurance.
1317
00:42:48,792 –> 00:42:49,872
We’ll leave it at that and they,
1318
00:42:49,872 –> 00:42:51,952
because this was all in court if you were in court
1319
00:42:51,952 –> 00:42:53,832
or you really actually cared about the truth.
1320
00:42:54,632 –> 00:42:56,472
A month before the trial started,
1321
00:42:56,472 –> 00:42:59,592
the girlfriend called the mortgage company and said,
1322
00:42:59,672 –> 00:43:02,192
I want the money out of the escrow because they had
1323
00:43:02,192 –> 00:43:04,072
to put money in because they’re bums.
1324
00:43:04,232 –> 00:43:04,752
About what,
1325
00:43:04,872 –> 00:43:05,592
how much was that?
1326
00:43:05,832 –> 00:43:07,072
Ballpark, 50 grand?
1327
00:43:07,072 –> 00:43:08,232
I can’t remember exactly.
1328
00:43:08,752 –> 00:43:09,832
I think there was–
1329
00:43:12,472 –> 00:43:14,952
I don’t know exactly the figure on it.
1330
00:43:15,272 –> 00:43:17,032
It was a substantial amount.
1331
00:43:17,032 –> 00:43:17,912
But on top of that,
1332
00:43:18,232 –> 00:43:19,952
the mortgage company,
1333
00:43:19,952 –> 00:43:22,712
you see, made an insurance claim because the house
1334
00:43:22,712 –> 00:43:23,672
was demolished.
1335
00:43:23,672 –> 00:43:25,832
But they made an insurance claim,
1336
00:43:25,832 –> 00:43:27,472
collected the insurance on it.
1337
00:43:27,472 –> 00:43:29,592
When the Willis family found out about it,
1338
00:43:29,832 –> 00:43:31,912
they wanted to tap into the escrow account.
1339
00:43:31,912 –> 00:43:32,272
They said,
1340
00:43:32,272 –> 00:43:32,832
basically,
1341
00:43:33,672 –> 00:43:37,072
I want to get the money in the escrow account and
1342
00:43:37,072 –> 00:43:38,632
get off the hook for the whole
1343
00:43:38,872 –> 00:43:39,592
We got it.
1344
00:43:39,592 –> 00:43:39,832
Yep.
1345
00:43:39,832 –> 00:43:40,312
All right.
1346
00:43:40,312 –> 00:43:45,352
So now Willis is appealing.
1347
00:43:45,352 –> 00:43:47,352
He’s been appealing since he got sent away.
1348
00:43:47,672 –> 00:43:50,432
And it goes to the state appellate court,
1349
00:43:50,432 –> 00:43:54,552
which is much higher level than the circuit court
1350
00:43:54,872 –> 00:43:55,712
evidentiary hearing.
1351
00:43:55,712 –> 00:43:55,872
Right.
1352
00:43:55,872 –> 00:43:58,232
This is the state of Michigan appellate division.
1353
00:43:58,472 –> 00:44:00,792
And they Willis.
1354
00:44:00,952 –> 00:44:04,312
They bind they bind the they’re essentially the
1355
00:44:04,912 –> 00:44:06,192
A boss of the Circuit Court.
1356
00:44:06,712 –> 00:44:09,192
OK, so Willis comes and says,
1357
00:44:10,472 –> 00:44:15,032
Daria Dove has now recanted his testimony.
1358
00:44:15,112 –> 00:44:20,152
He’s signed documents and they should all be thrown
1359
00:44:20,152 –> 00:44:20,392
out.
1360
00:44:20,392 –> 00:44:22,392
And the appellate court said,
1361
00:44:22,872 –> 00:44:24,232
take a fucking hike,
1362
00:44:24,312 –> 00:44:24,712
right?
1363
00:44:25,592 –> 00:44:26,032
Basically,
1364
00:44:26,032 –> 00:44:26,192
yeah.
1365
00:44:26,632 –> 00:44:26,952
They said,
1366
00:44:26,952 –> 00:44:29,032
take a hike because it’s.
1367
00:44:30,472 –> 00:44:32,392
pretty much just case law.
1368
00:44:32,392 –> 00:44:33,912
The Supreme Court’s even ruled on it.
1369
00:44:34,152 –> 00:44:38,272
These are very spurious recantations because everybody’s
1370
00:44:38,272 –> 00:44:39,752
trying to get time knocked off.
1371
00:44:39,952 –> 00:44:41,352
That’s why they don’t go for it,
1372
00:44:41,352 –> 00:44:41,472
right?
1373
00:44:41,472 –> 00:44:41,592
Yeah.
1374
00:44:42,832 –> 00:44:43,592
They also,
1375
00:44:43,752 –> 00:44:45,592
he also in 2012,
1376
00:44:45,592 –> 00:44:47,112
at the time of this appeals,
1377
00:44:48,072 –> 00:44:48,672
brings in a guy,
1378
00:44:48,672 –> 00:44:49,592
I forget his name,
1379
00:44:50,072 –> 00:44:52,072
Nico Benson or something like this.
1380
00:44:52,632 –> 00:44:53,912
He’s a jailhouse rat,
1381
00:44:54,032 –> 00:44:54,552
Natasha.
1382
00:44:54,552 –> 00:44:56,232
And the jailhouse rat says,
1383
00:44:56,232 –> 00:44:58,312
yeah, he told me he didn’t do it.
1384
00:44:58,512 –> 00:44:59,832
And the appellate court said,
1385
00:45:00,152 –> 00:45:01,272
take a fucking hike,
1386
00:45:01,632 –> 00:45:01,912
right?
1387
00:45:02,312 –> 00:45:05,992
We don’t base anything on this for many reasons.
1388
00:45:07,032 –> 00:45:07,672
And just this.
1389
00:45:08,072 –> 00:45:11,432
They’re very suspect of those types of situations because,
1390
00:45:11,432 –> 00:45:11,752
you know,
1391
00:45:12,472 –> 00:45:14,152
the prisoner who’s housed there,
1392
00:45:14,152 –> 00:45:16,552
he’s not going to run around to the jail or the prisoners,
1393
00:45:16,552 –> 00:45:17,672
other prisoners and say,
1394
00:45:17,912 –> 00:45:19,752
I testified against this guy.
1395
00:45:20,152 –> 00:45:22,792
So he’s going to minimize his participation and he’s
1396
00:45:22,792 –> 00:45:25,432
also going to turn around and if he talked to these
1397
00:45:25,432 –> 00:45:26,272
people at all,
1398
00:45:26,632 –> 00:45:27,832
which I highly doubt,
1399
00:45:27,832 –> 00:45:30,152
the Court of Appeals are very suspect of those kinds
1400
00:45:30,152 –> 00:45:30,792
of instances.
1401
00:45:30,792 –> 00:45:31,672
As they should be,
1402
00:45:31,672 –> 00:45:31,992
you know,
1403
00:45:31,992 –> 00:45:33,112
and to me,
1404
00:45:33,112 –> 00:45:34,232
I’m not, we don’t want to,
1405
00:45:34,632 –> 00:45:35,752
I heard what you said earlier,
1406
00:45:35,912 –> 00:45:37,752
don’t want to talk about the proceedings per se,
1407
00:45:37,912 –> 00:45:38,792
but this is me.
1408
00:45:39,912 –> 00:45:42,032
They brought that Nico Benson or whatever his name
1409
00:45:42,032 –> 00:45:43,352
is, they brought him back.
1410
00:45:44,392 –> 00:45:47,832
They brought him back to testify this week when
1411
00:45:48,712 –> 00:45:49,912
A dozen years ago,
1412
00:45:50,152 –> 00:45:52,872
the Supreme Court or the appellate court said he’s
1413
00:45:52,872 –> 00:45:53,832
not credible.
1414
00:45:54,152 –> 00:45:56,712
Did anybody report on this?
1415
00:45:56,712 –> 00:45:58,152
No, because they didn’t bother to look.
1416
00:45:58,872 –> 00:45:59,912
Like to me,
1417
00:46:00,312 –> 00:46:02,872
that’s a real problem with the justice system.
1418
00:46:03,112 –> 00:46:06,392
The appellate court told the lower court this guy’s
1419
00:46:06,392 –> 00:46:08,752
not to be considered and he’s allowed in there to
1420
00:46:08,752 –> 00:46:09,352
testify.
1421
00:46:10,952 –> 00:46:11,912
I don’t know how that,
1422
00:46:11,912 –> 00:46:13,352
why that decision was made.
1423
00:46:13,352 –> 00:46:15,112
And as to the hearing itself,
1424
00:46:15,112 –> 00:46:15,952
the specifics,
1425
00:46:15,952 –> 00:46:16,792
as far as I know,
1426
00:46:16,792 –> 00:46:20,512
the only newly new evidence that they’re putting forward
1427
00:46:20,512 –> 00:46:22,952
is something a different investigator that they hired.
1428
00:46:23,592 –> 00:46:25,032
to come in and testify.
1429
00:46:25,832 –> 00:46:28,312
But Judge Van Halen’s been around a long time.
1430
00:46:28,712 –> 00:46:31,592
She’s not going to yield to the pressure of the media
1431
00:46:31,992 –> 00:46:33,512
from Channel 4 specifically,
1432
00:46:33,512 –> 00:46:34,632
not any other channel,
1433
00:46:34,632 –> 00:46:35,832
just Channel 4.
1434
00:46:36,232 –> 00:46:37,592
They’ve been carrying this case.
1435
00:46:37,592 –> 00:46:40,312
They’ve been jumping on where’s the motive in this
1436
00:46:40,312 –> 00:46:42,192
case and all these other items.
1437
00:46:42,192 –> 00:46:42,712
And it’s like,
1438
00:46:43,272 –> 00:46:43,672
There’s no,
1439
00:46:44,072 –> 00:46:47,432
they put the mother up and they say there’s no corroboration.
1440
00:46:47,432 –> 00:46:48,232
Where’s the evidence?
1441
00:46:48,232 –> 00:46:49,992
The evidence is all over this case.
1442
00:46:49,992 –> 00:46:50,952
Read the transcript.
1443
00:46:50,952 –> 00:46:54,632
If any of those people who are paid investigators or
1444
00:46:55,072 –> 00:46:57,592
other parties to this case got any questions,
1445
00:46:58,232 –> 00:47:00,392
Miss Willis has the transcript of that case.
1446
00:47:00,392 –> 00:47:02,552
Go flip it open and read it.
1447
00:47:02,632 –> 00:47:03,512
It’s right there.
1448
00:47:03,752 –> 00:47:06,712
You’re absolutely right about Judge Van Houten.
1449
00:47:08,152 –> 00:47:10,112
I’ve seen her in many cases now,
1450
00:47:10,112 –> 00:47:11,352
very professional,
1451
00:47:11,512 –> 00:47:11,992
you know,
1452
00:47:12,992 –> 00:47:15,072
She’s been around a long time.
1453
00:47:15,072 –> 00:47:16,672
She’s not going to yield the pressure.
1454
00:47:16,672 –> 00:47:17,872
And the attorneys,
1455
00:47:17,872 –> 00:47:18,152
you know,
1456
00:47:18,152 –> 00:47:19,512
the defense counsel,
1457
00:47:19,512 –> 00:47:20,432
appellate counsel,
1458
00:47:20,432 –> 00:47:23,192
they’re all paid and keep getting paid.
1459
00:47:23,352 –> 00:47:26,232
And the appellate prosecutors from our office are well
1460
00:47:26,232 –> 00:47:27,192
seasoned as well.
1461
00:47:27,512 –> 00:47:30,952
The trial attorney who tried this case with me was
1462
00:47:30,952 –> 00:47:31,752
well seasoned.
1463
00:47:32,952 –> 00:47:35,352
But to have these broadcasts,
1464
00:47:36,072 –> 00:47:39,352
to pressure people and pressure the public to say,
1465
00:47:39,352 –> 00:47:40,352
look what this guy did.
1466
00:47:40,632 –> 00:47:43,192
You know, Dove is only a mere portion of this case.
1467
00:47:43,192 –> 00:47:44,872
Everything Dove has told me,
1468
00:47:44,872 –> 00:47:45,992
I was in this case,
1469
00:47:45,992 –> 00:47:46,312
okay?
1470
00:47:46,312 –> 00:47:47,352
I did this case.
1471
00:47:47,672 –> 00:47:48,392
I watched you.
1472
00:47:48,632 –> 00:47:49,752
I was in this case.
1473
00:47:49,752 –> 00:47:51,032
This case went cold.
1474
00:47:51,992 –> 00:47:52,472
Almost.
1475
00:47:52,952 –> 00:47:56,432
I had the deputy chief of police trying to get my job
1476
00:47:56,432 –> 00:47:58,792
because I was complaining out loud that there was
1477
00:47:58,792 –> 00:48:00,152
nobody on the case.
1478
00:48:00,472 –> 00:48:03,112
like a person with a badge or a guy that’s the world
1479
00:48:03,112 –> 00:48:04,312
champ, right,
1480
00:48:04,472 –> 00:48:07,912
is no more important or better than any of us.
1481
00:48:08,072 –> 00:48:09,992
But if you can do it to those guys,
1482
00:48:10,072 –> 00:48:11,432
then you can do it to anybody,
1483
00:48:11,432 –> 00:48:12,072
Natasha.
1484
00:48:12,312 –> 00:48:13,432
That’s the point here,
1485
00:48:14,312 –> 00:48:14,632
right?
1486
00:48:15,192 –> 00:48:17,432
We didn’t just take Dove’s word for it.
1487
00:48:17,432 –> 00:48:19,432
We went and corroborated everything.
1488
00:48:19,432 –> 00:48:20,232
Next thing you know,
1489
00:48:20,232 –> 00:48:25,352
we find this big spider web of insurance fraud and
1490
00:48:26,152 –> 00:48:29,272
payouts and delinquencies.
1491
00:48:29,272 –> 00:48:30,472
And next thing we know,
1492
00:48:30,472 –> 00:48:33,032
we find the car and then we hit the phone records.
1493
00:48:33,432 –> 00:48:34,752
And I remember,
1494
00:48:34,752 –> 00:48:40,432
dude, nobody from the newspapers or whatever the television
1495
00:48:40,432 –> 00:48:45,192
news was in that courtroom every freaking day.
1496
00:48:45,432 –> 00:48:47,152
I wrote a book on it.
1497
00:48:47,152 –> 00:48:49,592
And nobody called me.
1498
00:48:49,592 –> 00:48:51,192
What’s the new evidence?
1499
00:48:51,272 –> 00:48:52,312
They got a guy.
1500
00:48:52,872 –> 00:48:54,312
You can purchase a guy,
1501
00:48:54,312 –> 00:48:55,672
you can purchase your own expert.
1502
00:48:55,832 –> 00:48:57,912
Well, looking at this 20 years later,
1503
00:48:58,632 –> 00:49:01,672
the bird patterns don’t appear to be arson to me.
1504
00:49:01,912 –> 00:49:04,472
Okay, but the physical evidence that the appellate
1505
00:49:04,472 –> 00:49:08,712
court talked about was gasoline was used upstairs.
1506
00:49:09,432 –> 00:49:11,672
Okay, if the guy lit a fire to keep himself warm,
1507
00:49:12,152 –> 00:49:13,832
why is it upstairs on fire?
1508
00:49:14,392 –> 00:49:15,912
Why is gasoline upstairs on fire?
1509
00:49:16,312 –> 00:49:16,512
Right?
1510
00:49:17,552 –> 00:49:19,232
In the joists on the 2nd floor,
1511
00:49:19,232 –> 00:49:21,432
there’s no lawnmower up on the 2nd floor.
1512
00:49:21,832 –> 00:49:22,952
That house collapsed.
1513
00:49:22,952 –> 00:49:25,712
It went up fast and that house collapsed.
1514
00:49:25,792 –> 00:49:26,552
Unfortunately,
1515
00:49:26,552 –> 00:49:28,712
one unfortunate person,
1516
00:49:28,872 –> 00:49:30,392
the house collapsed on him.
1517
00:49:30,952 –> 00:49:31,752
The man is dead.
1518
00:49:31,792 –> 00:49:32,392
And by the way,
1519
00:49:32,392 –> 00:49:36,152
let me just remind everybody that when Walt went over
1520
00:49:36,472 –> 00:49:39,032
and the timbers were on him,
1521
00:49:39,192 –> 00:49:41,912
they couldn’t find him because his trip alarm,
1522
00:49:42,232 –> 00:49:43,352
like when you go up your feet,
1523
00:49:43,352 –> 00:49:45,512
the alarm so your buddies can find you.
1524
00:49:45,592 –> 00:49:47,112
It didn’t fucking work.
1525
00:49:47,752 –> 00:49:47,872
Yeah.
1526
00:49:48,872 –> 00:49:50,232
So what are they doing here?
1527
00:49:50,832 –> 00:49:52,632
This is fucking outrageous.
1528
00:49:52,872 –> 00:49:55,072
So you’ve got an expert.
1529
00:49:55,672 –> 00:49:59,272
Just put the expert on and let the judge decide.
1530
00:49:59,272 –> 00:50:01,392
But what I saw yesterday was an abomination.
1531
00:50:01,512 –> 00:50:02,632
It was a retrial.
1532
00:50:02,872 –> 00:50:03,672
Darien Dove,
1533
00:50:03,752 –> 00:50:05,672
the dope was up for parole now.
1534
00:50:05,912 –> 00:50:07,592
He stuck by his word.
1535
00:50:08,712 –> 00:50:09,392
And the guy’s like,
1536
00:50:09,512 –> 00:50:10,392
well, you’re a drunk.
1537
00:50:10,952 –> 00:50:11,672
I loved it.
1538
00:50:11,832 –> 00:50:13,432
I like regular people.
1539
00:50:13,432 –> 00:50:13,712
He’s like,
1540
00:50:13,832 –> 00:50:15,032
what I got to do with anything?
1541
00:50:15,592 –> 00:50:16,872
Nothing, nothing to do with nothing.
1542
00:50:16,872 –> 00:50:19,112
He’s not dumb.
1543
00:50:20,232 –> 00:50:22,072
He understands,
1544
00:50:22,072 –> 00:50:23,672
but he doesn’t understand why,
1545
00:50:24,152 –> 00:50:26,872
all these investigators are coming to talk to him
1546
00:50:26,872 –> 00:50:27,792
for what purpose,
1547
00:50:27,792 –> 00:50:28,632
what reason.
1548
00:50:29,112 –> 00:50:29,912
And unfortunately,
1549
00:50:29,912 –> 00:50:30,672
well, fortunately,
1550
00:50:30,672 –> 00:50:31,912
he doesn’t tell you this story.
1551
00:50:32,192 –> 00:50:34,552
But the bottom line is it would all be dead,
1552
00:50:35,232 –> 00:50:38,712
a dead issue if we didn’t corroborate everything.
1553
00:50:38,712 –> 00:50:41,192
he said has been corroborated.
1554
00:50:41,512 –> 00:50:42,312
So when someone says,
1555
00:50:42,312 –> 00:50:43,192
where’s the evidence?
1556
00:50:43,192 –> 00:50:44,152
Open up your eyes.
1557
00:50:44,312 –> 00:50:45,272
Read the transcript.
1558
00:50:45,272 –> 00:50:48,552
Go get the transcript before you write one goddamn
1559
00:50:48,552 –> 00:50:49,592
thing about this.
1560
00:50:50,472 –> 00:50:50,872
Right?
1561
00:50:51,552 –> 00:50:52,472
A man’s dead.
1562
00:50:53,352 –> 00:50:56,112
Look, I would have more respect for this Willis character.
1563
00:50:56,312 –> 00:50:59,192
I read to you the shit he was saying that day.
1564
00:50:59,912 –> 00:51:01,552
Never took responsibility for it.
1565
00:51:01,552 –> 00:51:03,752
At least the guy that lit the shit on fire did his
1566
00:51:03,752 –> 00:51:05,432
time and took responsibility.
1567
00:51:05,592 –> 00:51:06,992
Now, did he give a statement,
1568
00:51:06,992 –> 00:51:07,912
maybe even sign it,
1569
00:51:07,992 –> 00:51:10,072
that while he’s in the can,
1570
00:51:10,072 –> 00:51:11,832
I didn’t think I was going to get 17.
1571
00:51:11,992 –> 00:51:12,952
Maybe I can get out.
1572
00:51:13,232 –> 00:51:13,832
Of course.
1573
00:51:14,072 –> 00:51:15,032
Do I blame the mother?
1574
00:51:15,192 –> 00:51:16,072
Try to get my son out?
1575
00:51:16,232 –> 00:51:17,192
Absolutely not.
1576
00:51:18,072 –> 00:51:19,112
I would do the same shit.
1577
00:51:19,752 –> 00:51:22,552
But he never even apologized.
1578
00:51:22,712 –> 00:51:24,472
Had he maybe done something like that,
1579
00:51:25,752 –> 00:51:27,432
he’d be out in three years.
1580
00:51:27,832 –> 00:51:30,712
We didn’t convict on what somebody said.
1581
00:51:31,032 –> 00:51:32,792
We verified everything,
1582
00:51:32,952 –> 00:51:33,832
everything.
1583
00:51:34,072 –> 00:51:37,312
It was an exhaustive process of investigation before
1584
00:51:37,312 –> 00:51:38,792
this case ever went forward,
1585
00:51:39,032 –> 00:51:39,352
okay?
1586
00:51:39,352 –> 00:51:39,672
Yes.
1587
00:51:39,832 –> 00:51:42,712
It wasn’t just some half-assed attempt at throwing
1588
00:51:42,792 –> 00:51:43,912
somebody in prison.
1589
00:51:43,912 –> 00:51:47,712
This was a serious investigation that we did,
1590
00:51:47,712 –> 00:51:49,272
that includes mortgage companies,
1591
00:51:49,272 –> 00:51:49,632
insurance,
1592
00:51:49,752 –> 00:51:50,312
companies,
1593
00:51:50,632 –> 00:51:51,872
surveillance people,
1594
00:51:52,712 –> 00:51:54,792
video, forensic video people,
1595
00:51:55,432 –> 00:51:57,872
and the firefighters themselves.
1596
00:51:57,872 –> 00:51:59,792
I mean, I’m looking at three people.
1597
00:52:00,312 –> 00:52:01,672
Bob, I had the tape too.
1598
00:52:01,672 –> 00:52:06,232
Like part of it is the cops and the prosecutor muscled
1599
00:52:06,632 –> 00:52:10,472
this bum handyman into making a false confession.
1600
00:52:10,472 –> 00:52:12,112
I listened to the tapes.
1601
00:52:12,112 –> 00:52:13,592
This is nonsense.
1602
00:52:14,672 –> 00:52:17,072
When you watch the stories,
1603
00:52:17,072 –> 00:52:19,432
when people say they lied and they cheated,
1604
00:52:19,672 –> 00:52:21,192
no, you haven’t read the transcript.
1605
00:52:21,192 –> 00:52:22,472
You’re at Miss Willis’s house.
1606
00:52:22,512 –> 00:52:23,552
Go read the transcript.
1607
00:52:23,992 –> 00:52:25,112
Tell me how we cheated.
1608
00:52:25,192 –> 00:52:31,512
Let me just wrap this up here by reading the last portion
1609
00:52:31,512 –> 00:52:32,312
of this chapter.
1610
00:52:32,312 –> 00:52:33,032
It’s not long.
1611
00:52:33,032 –> 00:52:33,672
Bear with me.
1612
00:52:34,792 –> 00:52:36,712
Can I can I tell you one thing before you start?
1613
00:52:36,872 –> 00:52:37,352
Yeah, of course.
1614
00:52:37,352 –> 00:52:37,672
Yeah.
1615
00:52:38,872 –> 00:52:41,672
The most haunting image I have of this case
1616
00:52:42,232 –> 00:52:45,432
is as Mario Willis and his handyman are sitting in
1617
00:52:45,432 –> 00:52:49,192
this monster truck watching the fire burn,
1618
00:52:49,992 –> 00:52:53,952
and there’s stills taken from the surveillance cameras.
1619
00:52:53,952 –> 00:52:56,752
And one of the stills is you see the fire department
1620
00:52:56,752 –> 00:52:57,112
coming.
1621
00:52:57,512 –> 00:52:59,792
You see Engine 23 coming down,
1622
00:52:59,792 –> 00:53:02,912
and they got a picture of the truck going to the fire
1623
00:53:02,912 –> 00:53:05,352
while Mario Willis is watching his handyware.
1624
00:53:05,992 –> 00:53:07,632
That was a haunting image,
1625
00:53:07,632 –> 00:53:09,832
because that was the last ride Walter Harris took.
1626
00:53:11,192 –> 00:53:11,992
Funny thing is,
1627
00:53:12,112 –> 00:53:15,352
it was either an evening before or two evenings before.
1628
00:53:16,232 –> 00:53:17,592
I had fire at Engine,
1629
00:53:18,152 –> 00:53:21,592
I had dinner at Engine 23 and Walt,
1630
00:53:21,912 –> 00:53:22,712
a minister,
1631
00:53:23,512 –> 00:53:25,112
gave the prayer for supper.
1632
00:53:25,752 –> 00:53:26,712
That’s what I remember.
1633
00:53:26,712 –> 00:53:27,912
That’s my haunting image.
1634
00:53:28,792 –> 00:53:29,272
Okay.
1635
00:53:29,752 –> 00:53:33,112
So here, we the people who wish to raise our children
1636
00:53:33,112 –> 00:53:34,312
in peace and health,
1637
00:53:34,472 –> 00:53:36,952
we the people who would like to bequeath something
1638
00:53:36,952 –> 00:53:39,432
decent to the people who will follow us.
1639
00:53:39,752 –> 00:53:41,512
To borrow from George Orwell,
1640
00:53:41,912 –> 00:53:44,392
people like the cops and the firefighters are willing
1641
00:53:44,392 –> 00:53:47,232
to commit violence and risk their lives on behalf
1642
00:53:47,232 –> 00:53:50,232
of others so others may sleep peacefully at night.
1643
00:53:50,632 –> 00:53:52,872
People who believe in order and fairness,
1644
00:53:52,872 –> 00:53:55,672
people clever enough to get away with the lie,
1645
00:53:55,752 –> 00:53:58,632
but who defeat the urge for the greater benefit.
1646
00:53:59,112 –> 00:54:02,072
A dirty man had killed our friend and we got him behind
1647
00:54:02,072 –> 00:54:02,552
bars.
1648
00:54:02,712 –> 00:54:05,752
We got justice without harming the law because the
1649
00:54:05,752 –> 00:54:06,392
firefighters,
1650
00:54:06,952 –> 00:54:09,912
they left that house standing and it was such an outrage
1651
00:54:09,912 –> 00:54:10,312
to them.
1652
00:54:10,632 –> 00:54:11,552
They called me up and said,
1653
00:54:11,552 –> 00:54:12,552
we’re going to burn it down.
1654
00:54:12,712 –> 00:54:13,112
And I said,
1655
00:54:13,112 –> 00:54:15,112
don’t be one of them.
1656
00:54:15,912 –> 00:54:16,912
We’ll get it handled.
1657
00:54:16,952 –> 00:54:19,352
So, Bob, that’s how it got torn down.
1658
00:54:19,672 –> 00:54:21,192
I called Sheila Cockrell,
1659
00:54:21,192 –> 00:54:21,832
city council,
1660
00:54:21,832 –> 00:54:22,792
and she got it torn down.
1661
00:54:23,192 –> 00:54:24,032
But I digress.
1662
00:54:27,869 –> 00:54:29,749
We got justice without harming the law.
1663
00:54:30,069 –> 00:54:31,109
It felt righteous.
1664
00:54:31,189 –> 00:54:31,909
In the end,
1665
00:54:32,229 –> 00:54:33,429
if we’re going to fix it,
1666
00:54:33,429 –> 00:54:33,949
if we’re going to,
1667
00:54:33,949 –> 00:54:36,709
we’re going to have to stand up and say enough and
1668
00:54:36,709 –> 00:54:38,949
then get on with the difficult work of cleaning it
1669
00:54:38,949 –> 00:54:39,269
up.
1670
00:54:39,829 –> 00:54:41,269
On my way to the elevator,
1671
00:54:41,509 –> 00:54:42,549
a group of firefighters,
1672
00:54:42,549 –> 00:54:43,749
including Mike Nevin,
1673
00:54:43,749 –> 00:54:44,309
stopped me.
1674
00:54:44,469 –> 00:54:45,109
Hey, Charlie,
1675
00:54:45,109 –> 00:54:46,789
he said, thank you.
1676
00:54:47,589 –> 00:54:50,789
It was only the second time in my journalism career
1677
00:54:50,949 –> 00:54:53,989
that I remembered someone with an official capacity
1678
00:54:54,069 –> 00:54:55,189
saying that to me.
1679
00:54:55,789 –> 00:54:56,229
Thank you.
1680
00:54:56,949 –> 00:54:59,949
The other time was at ground zero when the final piece
1681
00:54:59,949 –> 00:55:01,749
of debris was removed from the hole.
1682
00:55:02,469 –> 00:55:05,269
It was a group of iron workers who until that point
1683
00:55:05,429 –> 00:55:08,469
acted as though they hated my interloping guts.
1684
00:55:09,029 –> 00:55:11,669
LeDuff, I appreciate you writing our names down,
1685
00:55:11,669 –> 00:55:12,629
shouted one of them,
1686
00:55:12,789 –> 00:55:15,829
walking across the bar and handing me a glass of bourbon.
1687
00:55:16,589 –> 00:55:17,109
Thank you.
1688
00:55:17,509 –> 00:55:19,189
I was happy he knew my name.
1689
00:55:19,749 –> 00:55:21,669
That was enough.
1690
00:55:22,469 –> 00:55:23,829
And it’s the same now.
1691
00:55:26,549 –> 00:55:27,749
So, yeah.
1692
00:55:28,909 –> 00:55:29,269
Thank you.
1693
00:55:30,229 –> 00:55:30,549
Thank you,
1694
00:55:30,549 –> 00:55:30,949
Bob.
1695
00:55:31,509 –> 00:55:32,389
You’re mentioned here.
1696
00:55:32,669 –> 00:55:32,949
Thank you,
1697
00:55:32,949 –> 00:55:33,669
Natasha.
1698
00:55:34,789 –> 00:55:35,349
You got me.
1699
00:55:35,749 –> 00:55:36,429
We’ll see you through.
1700
00:55:36,429 –> 00:55:36,949
Take care,
1701
00:55:36,949 –> 00:55:37,429
Natasha.
1702
00:55:38,069 –> 00:55:38,709
You as well.
1703
00:55:39,189 –> 00:55:40,309
And to both of you,
1704
00:55:40,309 –> 00:55:41,589
thank you and Merry Christmas.
1705
00:55:42,229 –> 00:55:42,629
You got it,
1706
00:55:42,629 –> 00:55:42,949
boss.
1707
00:55:43,109 –> 00:55:43,629
Next week.
1708
00:55:43,629 –> 00:55:43,989
Take care.
1709
00:55:44,069 –> 00:55:44,629
Next week.
1710
00:55:45,029 –> 00:55:45,509
See y’all.
