Direct for Sam OLeary

Could you please state your name for the record and spell your last name?
My name is Sam OLeary (Look and smile at the judge)
What is your profession?
I have been a police officer for the last 20 years. Of those years, I have been a detective
for those 16 years and have been assigned to the homicide unit for the last 8 years. Being
a police officer, I worked with Alex Jones for five years.
Do you have any training that has built your reputation as an efficient officer>
Yes, I have extensive training in digital forensics and crime scene investigation. I also
have completed the Advanced Interviewing for Law Enforcement Investigators Training
Program though the federal Department of Homeland Security.
How successful have you been in your job?
I have been successful in what I do. I give credit for successfulness to my tactics. I follow
everything by the book, and I work hard to make this community safe.
What are your successful tactics?
I have described my as old-schooled, meaning that they are direct, rather than replacing
them with euphemisms. Often officers approach informants in a friendly manner, but I
believe that showing the results of the crime is more effective in convincing one to speak.
Could you describe your relationship with Dakota before this incident?
Being that Dakota is a member of the Invisibles, a gang associated with vandalism, I have
seen him multiple times in the police station, which lead to my confusion of why Dakota
should have been afraid of me during the interrogation.
What happened on the night of September 21
st
?
On September 21
st
, arson occurred in the maintenance building on the Philips High
School campus. There was a murder was involved with the arson. The victim was
Sheldon Brown. He was a custodian with a family, working overtime repairing
equipment to gain money for his children. Being that he was my friend, I was upset when
I heard this news. However, his death has given me another reason bring justice quicker
and righteously.
Can you tell me about your investigation?
The Sergeant assigned Jones and me this case that morning. Being that I had personal
connection with the victim and the informant, I was reluctant to work on the case, but the
sergeant encouraged me to take the case because the department was shorthanded. He
also informed Jones and me that the performance of this case would help in determining
our promotion.
What followed?
At 7 am on the 22nd, Alex and I went to pick up the defendant and the defendants friend
Quinn Patel. We were given 2 anonymous tips that indicated Quinn and Dakota had
information related to the fire. Based on these tips, we wanted to take both suspects to
several sites related to the crime scene and ask them questions to determine who was
responsible for the fire. The Defendants father had given us permission, and the
defendant came willingly. Nothing was mentioned about needing any medication
What followed?
We took the informants to the crime scene. I also showed Sheldons family photos and
burnt clothing. While doing this, I informed them that several sports teams were canceled
and food collected for the open pantry and holiday toy drive were destroyed due to the
arson. I also informed that Brown was at the maintenance building repairing some
equipment and getting money for his children for holiday gifts. After that, I informed
them that someone had seen people that fitted their description. They denied that they
were not the ones responsible for the arson. Then we drove the informants to the victims
family members. As we were doing so, I told them that telling the truth would result in a
smaller consequence. By this statement, Quinn seemed upset, while Allen seemed
unaffected, which caught my attention because apathy, from my experience, is a shield
for suspects to prevent them from getting what we needed. At 11:00 AM, we drove them
past the victims church and graveyard. I informed that there are lab results of device
used to start the fire awaiting and a $20,000 reward for information helpful to the arrest.
Until then, no one asked to call their parents, which was something I addressed they
could do, so I decided to contact the parents to tell them that things were going well, that
we were going to give them lunch, and that there were many more questions that needed
to be asked. Nothing was mentioned about Dakota needing medications in the phone call.
After this, we took them to a fast food restaurant and let them order what they wanted for
lunch. I told them that a hard drive with the security camera footage was obtained.
So far in your description of the investigation, you repeatedly have mentioned destroyed
equipment, depressed family members, and reward to solve this justice. Why?
This goes back to my tactics. Showing the results of the crime would lead to the

After reminding them that telling the truth would be the best thing to do again, Jones and
I separated the two informants. Jones got Mr. Patel, while I got Mr. Allen. With Allen, I
intentionally informed in a loud, angry voice how the questioning worked. I encouraged
him to tell the truth because this could possibly be Allens last chance to confess before
evidence was found. Compunction must have been finally getting at him because he
suddenly yelled that he was the one who committed the arson.