Opinion ID: 654644
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defendants' Statements to the Insurance Investigator:

Text: 72 An investigator working on behalf of one of the insurers inspected the Veltmann home on January 10th, and on January 11th conducted tape recorded interviews with Carl and Chris. The recordings were played for the jury. Chris answered the question Have your parents ever had a fire in any property that they've owned in the past? by discussing a fire in the 1970's to a vacant house owned by the Veltmanns. Chris believed that fire was caused by a lightning strike. Appropriate objections based on Rule 404(b) were made during the playing of Chris' tape. 23 73 Carl's statement to the investigator was also played to the jury over objection. 24 Carl responded to a question about previous fires by first discussing the 1985 fire at the cottage next-door to the current Veltmann residence. Chris apparently owned the cottage in trust provided by his parents. There was no known origin for the fire; Carl inferred that the origin may have been electrical. The insurance policy paid $40,000. 74 Carl next described the fire which occurred in a vacant house in Illinois (the same one mentioned by Chris), which took place in the early 1970's. Carl related that fire investigators told him that fire was set, perhaps by transients. 25 75