Monday morning Alan Quick sets up a private meeting with Judge Laura Mae Hopper. He gives her the written summary of Mary Anderson’s findings. After she’s read it he tells her he’s carefully reviewed the evidence and is convinced Squirrel is the robber of the check-cashing stores in Detroit and the killer of two people in his last robbery. He is also convinced Squirrel killed Martha Crawford. He says, “I think we have probable cause to hold him for the robberies and murders in Detroit. That will prevent him from running again while we look for more evidence tying him to Martha Crawford’s murder.”
Judge Hopper replies, “With all the probabilities there must be a probable cause pun, I just can’t think of it.” After their laughing stops she continues, “I agree, you have probable cause to issue a warrant for his arrest for the suspicion of the robberies and murders in Detroit. In fact, you might get away with arresting him without probable cause. With his background, the sheriff could say he’s enough of a flight risk to arrest him. What do you want me to do?”
Quick says, “I want a warrant to search Squirrel’s home, motorcycle, and anywhere he might have something that connects him to the Crawford case. I believe Squirrel having an injury likely leaving him with a scar on his forehead, Martha witnessing a killer with a scar on his forehead, and Squirrel being at the gift shop the day she was murdered is enough to justify a search warrant.”
“I agree. I’ll give you a search warrant. How are you going to make sure Sheriff Ericsson doesn’t do something stupid and cause Squirrel to vanish?”
The prosecutor replies, “I’ll tell the sheriff if he wants my support in the future he’ll have to follow my directions to arrest and jail Squirrel. Deputy Wilson is skilled at approaching suspects in ways not alerting them they are under suspicion. I intend to sit down with the sheriff and Wilson. We’ll devise a plan to arrest Squirrel before he can vanish again.”
“Okay, Alan. Submit your search warrant. I’ll sign it and hold it until you tell me Squirrel is behind bars. We can wait on an arraignment long enough for the sheriff to conduct the search. If he finds anything connecting Squirrel to the Crawford case we can arraign him for Martha’s murder. If no evidence is found we’ll arraign him for the Detroit robberies and murders. I know everyone in Pineville would like to see him convicted of the Crawford murder instead of giving him to Detroit. Make sure Sheriff Ericsson takes a new mugshot of Squirrel and sends it to each of the police departments in metropolitan Detroit reporting a check-cashing store robbery. I hope showing his picture to the store owners will provide proof of what the AI software tells us is highly probable. Those police departments can close the open robbery cases connected to Squirrel if he’s identified and we have him in custody. Most important, as soon as Squirrel is in custody, I’d like you to contact the woman whose husband and daughter were murdered. Tell her we believe we have her husband and daughter’s murderer in jail. Maybe it’ll give her a little peace.”
Quick thanks the judge and adds, “If we close the Crawford case, and the Detroit area police close all of their cases involving the Squirrel, it suggests this new artificial-intelligence-based approach has the potential to revolutionize criminal justice.”
Judge Hopper says, “Yes, I think it does. Let’s hope we can connect Squirrel to his crimes with traditional identifications and physical evidence. Convicting someone based solely on probabilistic predictions by unproven software would certainly result in appeals. Let’s avoid that path if we can.”
Back in his office, the prosecutor calls the sheriff’s office. He asks Sue Johnson to set up a meeting with the sheriff and Deputy Wilson and call back when she has a meeting time. Five minutes later Sue calls and says Wilson will be back from patrol at 11:00 and they can meet then. He tells her he’ll be at the sheriff’s office at 11:00.
When Quick arrives for the meeting he tells Wilson to give him five minutes privately with the sheriff. Quick then goes into the sheriff’s office and closes the door. He says to the sheriff, “I have good news on the Crawford case. It’s going to make us heroes in Pineville if you are patient and do your job the way I’m going to tell you. If you want my support in the future you’ll follow my direction. Do you understand?” Quick looks the sheriff directly in the eyes and waits for his reply.
The sheriff looks bewildered. After a brief pause, he replies, “If it’ll make us heroes I’ll follow your direction.”
Quick opens the office door and invites Wilson in. He tells them what he has learned from Mary Anderson's work. They are astonished. The sheriff asks how Quick knows this fancy software works. Quick says he doesn’t know. He tells the sheriff they don’t need to understand it. Sheriff Ericsson tells the prosecutor he wondered if the killer faked the rape to make everyone on the sex offender registry suspects instead of the real killer. He says Squirrel’s attempt to divert suspicion away would have worked without the new approach to investigations.
Quick gives the sheriff an arrest warrant for Squirrel and says, “We need to get this guy behind bars before we learn he’s left Pineville. I want it done in a foolproof way. I want to hear how Wilson will do it if we send him for Squirrel. Wilson, do you have an approach that won’t spook Squirrel until you have him in cuffs?”
Wilson thinks for a moment then looks at the sheriff for guidance. The sheriff nods indicating Wilson can share his approach. Wilson says, “I’ll take a picture with my cell phone of the biggest tree I can find close to a building. I’ll take the picture to Tommy’s Tree Trimming and ask Tommy if the tree can be removed without damaging the building. Whether Tommy says yes or no, I’ll say I want to hear it from the guy who’s going to climb the tree. If Tommy doesn’t bring Squirrel in I’ll say Billy Red Deer told me Squirrel is the best climber. I want to hear it from Squirrel. The moment Squirrel looks at the picture I’ll arrest him. I’ll take Deputy Towner with me. Towner can act like he’s not interested in tree climbing so he doesn’t spook Squirrel. He’ll be my backup if Squirrel resists.”
Quick says, “That sounds good to me. What do you think, Sheriff? Will Wilson’s plan work?”
The sheriff says, “It’s a good plan. I’m confident Wilson can pull it off. I’ve seen how casual he can be. He’s convincing.”
The prosecutor says, “Okay, put the plan in motion. The moment Squirrel is behind bars Judge Hopper will give you a search warrant for Squirrel’s home, motorcycle, and anywhere he might have something connecting him to Martha Crawford. While the search is underway I’ll get you a list of police departments in the Detroit area where we’re convinced Squirrel committed robberies. Judge Hopper wants you to send each one a new mugshot of Squirrel. They may be able to close some old robbery cases.”
The sheriff asks, “Was Pamela Lafave involved in getting this new evidence?”
Quick says, “Yes, she played a role along with the others on the board of Doc Arra’s museum.”
Sheriff Ericsson turns red and says, “I hope Mary Jane Bloom doesn’t find out. She’ll have a field day making sure everyone knows I had to have Pam Lafave’s help solving this crime.”
“Sheriff, you get Squirrel behind bars, execute a good search and you’ll get the credit. I’ll talk to the mayor. I think he may be able to have Mary Jane Bloom see this as a victory for Pineville, not a humiliation for you.”
“Thank you, Alan.” Turning to Wilson the sheriff says, “Wilson, get Towner and go arrest Squirrel. Do it by the book. We don’t want some lawyer to get this case thrown out.”
Wilson leaves, followed by the prosecutor.
At 4:30 Quick gets a call from an excited Sheriff Ericsson. The Sheriff says, “We did it. Squirrel’s behind bars. Sue Johnson has sent his new mugshot to each of the police departments on the list you sent me. The search paid off. Wilson found Martha Crawford’s missing signet ring in a saddlebag on Squirrel’s motorcycle. Now we only have to go through all the legal steps to put Squirrel away for life. The Crawford case is as good as closed. Want to join the deputies and me at the Corner Bar to celebrate? We are going there right after I call the Crawfords and tell them we have Martha’s killer in jail. I want them to know we’re convinced Martha was strangled but not raped before she died.”
“Good job, Sheriff. That’s news all Pineville will celebrate. I’ll pass on your invitation. I intend to celebrate with a certain lady tonight. She’ll be pleased the Crawford case is as good as closed too. You go celebrate. I’ll call the mayor. He may want to join you at the Corner Bar after he calls Mary Jane Bloom.”
Acknowledgments
My thanks to retired policewoman Katie Lajoie for advising me on allowed and not quite allowed police interrogation techniques, and to Judge Laura Frawley for advising me on proper processes for warrants. If I have bent the rules it’s only due to my misinterpretation of their advice.
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