Opinion ID: 3208719
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The fire at 151 South Wheatland Avenue.

Text: On October 27, 1997, 151 South Wheatland Avenue in Columbus, Ohio caught fire. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 2) (Page ID #808). Six people were inside the house: Aleta Bell; three of Bell’s children—Shenequa (five years old), Elijah (three years old), and Myesha (five months); and two men, Terrance Hall and Gary Williams. Hall woke up to the sound of crashing glass; the fire spread quickly. Bell, Myesha, Hall, and Williams escaped, but Elijah was seriously injured, and Shenequa died from her injuries. The Columbus Fire Department determined that the fire started when someone threw a Molotov cocktail through the home’s living-room window. Id. ¶¶ 5–7 (Page ID #810–11). 2 No. 15-3260 Simpson v. Warden, Warren Corr. Inst. 2. Simpson makes four statements to law enforcement in April and June 2000. Columbus Police Department Detective Edward Kallay, Jr. led the investigation into the 151 South Wheatland fire. Id. ¶ 8 (Page ID #811). In January 2000, informant Adiyat Diggs told Kallay that Simpson “might have information” about the crime. Id.; R. 79-1 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 105:24–106:7) (Page ID #1236–37). Kallay and other law-enforcement officers interviewed Simpson on four dates: April 24, April 27, June 16, and June 20, 2000.
Kallay and Federal Special Agent Dan Ozbolt interviewed Simpson at the Southeastern Correctional Center in Lancaster, Ohio, where Simpson was then incarcerated. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 8) (Page ID #811); R. 79-1 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 107:7–14) (Page ID #1238). Guards took Simpson from the prison’s general population and brought him to a conference room in the prison warden’s office. Simpson, 615 F.3d at 426–27. Kallay and Ozbolt recorded the interrogation. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 8) (Page ID #811). Kallay and Ozbolt did not Mirandize Simpson on April 24. Id. ¶ 4 (Page ID #809). They “accused Simpson of being with” Daryl Kelly—whom the officers considered a suspect—“at the time of the incident.” Simpson, 615 F.3d at 427; R. 79-1 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 109:3–7) (Page ID #1240). However, nothing Simpson told Kallay and Ozbolt on April 24 led them to consider Simpson a suspect. R. 79-1 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 109:11–16) (Page ID #1240). Simpson told Kallay and Ozbolt that he met up with Kelly the day before and the day of the fire. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 9) (Page ID #811–12). The day before the fire, 3 No. 15-3260 Simpson v. Warden, Warren Corr. Inst. Simpson drove Kelly to a bar, where Kelly met with a woman named Leah Smith. Id. A few months before the fire, Smith got into a dispute with Bell, broke into Bell’s half of the building, and was ultimately convicted of burglary. Id. ¶ 9 n.1 (Page ID #812–813). Simpson didn’t enter the bar that night; when Kelly and Smith exited, Simpson overheard Smith “tell Kelly to ‘take care of this for [her].’” Id. ¶ 9 (Page ID #812). Simpson recounted that the next day (the day of the fire), Kelly called Simpson and asked for another ride. Id.; R. 79-1 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 109:22–110:1) (Page ID #1240–41). Simpson told Kallay and Ozbolt that he smelled gasoline on Kelly when he picked him up. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 9) (Page ID #812). Simpson’s April 24 interview lasted just under an hour. Id. ¶ 24 (Page ID #818). During the interview, Kallay and Ozbalt told Simpson that they could get him released from prison if he cooperated with them. R. 79-1 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 136:11–24) (Page ID #1267). Simpson had four to six months left on his sentence, and had a release application pending before the Licking County Common Pleas Court. Id. at 135:21–136:1 (Page ID #1266–67); R. 79-12 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 28:8–12) (Page ID #3510). Simpson had also just fathered a child. R. 79-1 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 136:2–10) (Page ID #1267). The officers promised Simpson that they would secure his release from prison if he helped them with the arson investigation. Id. at 136:25–137:6 (Page ID #1267–68). 4 No. 15-3260 Simpson v. Warden, Warren Corr. Inst.
Kallay and Ozbolt returned to the Southeastern Correctional Center to interview Simpson on April 27. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 10) (Page ID #812). Simpson was then in the infirmary. Simpson, 615 F.3d at 427. Once again, Kallay and Ozbolt did not Mirandize Simpson. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 4) (Page ID #809). During this interview— which lasted about half an hour—Simpson reiterated what he had told Kallay and Ozbolt on April 24: that Smith and Kelly were involved in setting the fire at 151 South Wheatland. Id. ¶¶ 9, 24 (Page ID #812, 818); R. 79-1 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 117:4–6) (Page ID #1248). Kallay and Ozbolt followed through on their April 24 promise. The officers obtained a recognizance bond for Simpson, and Simpson was released from prison on probation. R. 79-12 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 29:3–30:11) (Page ID #3511–12). In exchange, Simpson agreed to help the officers with their investigation. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 10) (Page ID #812).
Simpson did not cooperate with the arson investigation. R. 79-12 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 32:12–21) (Page ID #3514). Kallay arrested Simpson on June 16 for violating the terms of his probation, and subsequently brought Simpson to a Columbus police station for a videotaped interview. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶¶ 10–11) (Page ID #812). Ozbolt gave Simpson a “Miranda rights waiver form,” which Simpson signed. Id. ¶ 4 (Page ID #810); R. 79-1 (Trial Tr. (Kallay) at 141:23–142:7) (Page ID #1272–73). Kallay told Simpson that because he had failed to report on his recognizance bond, he could be charged with 5 No. 15-3260 Simpson v. Warden, Warren Corr. Inst. a felony. R. 79-11 (Trial Tr. (6/16/00 Recording) 42:11–21) (Page ID #3180). Then Kallay started pressing Simpson on his April statements. Id. at 44:16–23 (Page ID #3182). At first, Simpson maintained that he wasn’t involved with the arson, id. at 44:23–45:3 (Page ID #3182– 83), but Kallay pushed harder, id. at 45:11–25, 47:11–15, 50:3–10 (Page ID #3183, 3185, 3188). Ozbolt counseled Simpson to tell the truth, but added that Kelly and Smith were the prime suspects. Id. at 48:7–10 (Page ID #3186). Simpson relented; he told Kallay and Ozbolt that he was more involved with the arson than he had initially let on. The day before the fire, Smith asked Simpson if he could drive Kelly somewhere that evening. Id. at 64:14–65:3 (Page ID #3202–03). Simpson was high on crack cocaine; Smith gave him more crack in exchange for driving Kelly. Id. at 64:6–11, 65:8–13 (Page ID #3202–03). That night, Simpson and Kelly bought two fifths of alcohol, id. at 68:18– 23, 70:7–8 (Page ID #3206, 3208), and they drove around Columbus drinking, id. at 70:10–16 (Page ID #3208). Eventually, Simpson parked in front of a house which Kelly entered, but Simpson stayed in the car. Id. at 70:20–71:9 (Page ID #3208–09). When Kelly emerged, he was carrying the two alcohol bottles, filled with gasoline. Id. at 71:9–17 (Page ID #3209).1 Kelly told Simpson to drive to South Wheatland Avenue. Id. at 76:11–17 (Page ID #3214). On the way over, Kelly grabbed a towel from the backseat of the car and started tearing 1 The Ohio Court of Appeals summarized Simpson’s June 16 statement as follows: “Kelly and appellant took two empty bottles of alcohol and filled them with gasoline. They brought the bottles to [Smith] who showed them how to make a Molotov cocktail.” R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 11) (Page ID #812–13). As Simpson notes in his brief, that summary is wrong: on June 16, Simpson told Kallay and Ozbolt that Kelly filled the two bottles. Appellee Br. at 11 n.1. 6 No. 15-3260 Simpson v. Warden, Warren Corr. Inst. it into strips. Id. at 76:17–23 (Page ID #3214). Kelly told Simpson that he was “gonna blow that bitch up.” Id. at 76:24–25 (Page ID #3214). Simpson drove to an alley behind 151 South Wheatland, id. at 79:21–22 (Page ID #3217), where he smoked more crack with Kelly, id. at 79:24–25 (Page ID #3217). Kelly exited the car carrying the two gasoline-filled bottles and told Simpson to meet him at a nearby corner in ten seconds. Id. at 82:25–83:12 (Page ID #3220–21). As Simpson headed to the corner, he heard the sound of glass shattering. Id. at 83:25–84:2 (Page ID #3221–22). Simpson told Kallay and Ozbolt that he didn’t know what Kelly and Smith were planning—even up to the point when Simpson drove to South Wheatland. Id. at 78:12–23, 81:22–25, 83:15–24 (Page ID #3216, 3219, 3221). Kallay told Simpson that he would bring him in for a polygraph in a few days. Id. at 138:1–8 (Page ID #3276). If Simpson passed the test, Kallay said he would reinstate Simpson’s recognizance bond, assuming Simpson cooperated with the arson investigation. Id. at 138:8–10 (Page ID #3276). If Simpson failed or didn’t cooperate, Kallay threatened to charge him with complicity to commit aggravated murder. Id. at 138:10–139:2 (Page ID #3276–77).
Simpson returned to the Columbus police station on June 20. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 12) (Page ID #813). This time, Kallay and Ozbolt were joined by Randy Walker, a polygrapher with the Columbus Police Department. R. 79-11 (Trial Tr. (6/20/00 Recording) at 7 No. 15-3260 Simpson v. Warden, Warren Corr. Inst. 160:1–8) (Page ID #3298). This final interview was videotaped. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 13) (Page ID #813). The officers pressured Simpson from the start of the interview. Kallay told Simpson that if he didn’t cooperate, Simpson would “eat the whole thing . . . agg murder—conspiracy to commit.” R. 79-11 (Trial Tr. (6/20/00 Recording) at 160:19–22) (Page ID #3298). Kallay assured Simpson that he was “not the one we want,” but still threatened to arrest Simpson for complicity to commit aggravated murder if he didn’t take the polygraph. Id. at 164:13–17 (Page ID #3302). Walker gave Simpson a Miranda waiver form and talked about Simpson’s right to counsel. Id. at 173:21–174:23 (Page ID #3311–12). Simpson seemed surprised. He asked Walker: “Oh, I can have an attorney present?” Id. at 174:24–25 (Page ID #3312). Walker said that Simpson could. Id. at 175:1–3 (Page ID #3313). The two had the following exchange: WALKER: [D]o you follow what I’m sayin’? That’s . . . i-i-if you’re telling me the truth, then you won’t have a problem with the test. If you’re lying, then, uh, yea, if I was lying, I probably would, I’d probably get an attorney, I probably wouldn’t take the test. SIMPSON: Oh. WALKER: Yea, well, that’s me. But that’s a decision that, yea, you know, you have to make. This part of the form is wordy and is—is lengthy. What this says is, that you are giving me permission to give you the exam. Id. at 177:17–178:3 (Page ID #3315–16). Simpson didn’t take the polygraph test. R. 78-1 (7/23/02 Ohio Ct. App. Op. ¶ 12) (Page ID #813). He did, however, admit that he knew about Smith and Kelly’s plans before the night 8 No. 15-3260 Simpson v. Warden, Warren Corr. Inst. of the fire. At first, Simpson backpedaled: he told the officers that he “had nothing to do with” the arson. R. 79-11 (Trial Tr. (6/20/00 Recording) at 216:9–10 (Page ID #3354). Simpson said that his June 16 statement was a lie—that he had told Ozbolt and Kallay that he was involved with the fire only because they weren’t “gonna take nothing else for an answer.” Id. 216:15–18 (Page ID #3354). Simpson added that he wanted to take the polygraph to prove his innocence. Id. at 216:21–217:2 (Page ID #3354–55). The officers pushed back hard. Walker suggested that an eyewitness may have seen Simpson at 151 South Wheatland around the time of the fire. Id. at 244:1–6 (Page ID #3381). Simpson started crying. Id. at 256:12 (Page ID #3393). Kallay told Simpson that if he didn’t tell the complete story of the arson, the officers would cut a deal with Kelly. Id. at 268:15–20 (Page ID #3405). Simpson asked the officers: “Is this a wise thing to do without my lawyer, is this a wise thing to do?” Id. at 273:1–2 (Page ID #3410). Kallay responded: “[H]ow are we supposed to answer that?” Id. at 273:3–4 (Page ID #3410). Eventually, Simpson gave in. Simpson made three major admissions on June 20—he told the officers: 1. That he had heard Smith “and Kelly discuss the arson one week before it happened”; 2. “[T]hat, on the day of the arson, he heard [Smith] tell Kelly that she wanted the house ‘blown up’”; and 3. “[T]hat he heard [Smith] tell Kelly how to make a Molotov cocktail.” 9 No. 15-3260 Simpson v. Warden, Warren Corr. Inst. Simpson, 615 F.3d at 442. Nonetheless, “Simpson still maintained that he had not been involved in the planning of the arson or in making the Molotov cocktails, and had no intent to kill anyone.” Id.