Just before midnight on October 15th, one thousand nine hundred and ninety police arrived at five hundred and twenty seven Lime Street in Jacksonville Florida to find a small two story: wood frame house on fire and later described smoke and flames coming out of the windows and front door, and a thirty five euro african American man Gerald Louis standing in the front yard yelling. He was holding a toddler. He said there are still people inside the house. Gerald Louis said: he'd been asleep in a car in front of the house when the fire started. He indicated that he looked toward the house when he heard a sound and he saw in the window of the living room flames coming from a couch which was right in front of the window.

It is that he got out of the car. He ran to the front door, pounded on the door. Will the occupants of the house at least his wife, who was sleeping downstairs? This is attorney Frank Ashton. Together they attempted to it the English, the fire he and she ran back and forth to the kitchen types of water to throw the pots of water on the couch. Those efforts were not successful. Investigators Profound melted, ports on the floor of the living room, the fostered in the kitchen sink, had been melted in the on position Joe, Louis later said that the fire started small, just a couch cushion. He said that when they couldn't put the fire out his wife sister, who was also living in the house, went upstairs to get or children who are sleeping Gerald Louis,

Did he started to go upstairs to and then realised this three year old son was following him here: ass, he turned around grabbed the child and ran outside. Said the one step outside of the house. He heard a whoosh behind him and then it seemed like the entire house was only completely on fire. Flames were shooting out The upstairs windows the fire, swept up the stairs prison into the second story, ah Mr Lewis said he pounded on some neighbours doors and that he stopped a car, asked that person to call nine one one so kind of in the day is before cell phones and then he returned to the house and was found by the police and fire fishes when they arrived in the same pacing in front of the house holding his youngest son and appearing to be visibly

firefighters entered through both the front and back doors they later said. That the fire a mine street was extremely hard to extinguish and that flames they tried to put out would just bounce back again, six people died Gerald Louis, his wife, her sister, who was seven months pregnant and for children. A detective later tone the Florida Times Union quote I've never been to hell before, but that's what I'd associated with. Was the worst thing I've seen in my entire police career, the fire investigators who came to the scene said that it seemed to be rapidly evolving fire. The Circumstances as they evaluated the fire scene.

It appeared in the hallway the front hallway inside the front door that there were different discoloration on the floor, the interpretation that they may at that time was that there would likely been some sort of accelerant port on the fourth floor in the hallway investigators found what are called poor patterns, burns that seem to trace a path or an accelerant like gasoline might have been poured. They also found areas on the floor where the wooded charred and blistered so that it resembled alligator scales. Alligator patterns, The floorboards suggested that that was where the fire had burned the hottest and when you have alligator patterns on the floorboards that suggests that an accelerant has been used, because the fire typically burns hotter, were an accelerant has been used

and they talk with Mr Lewis- and they found a can of gasoline in the back of his car, He was the only one present at the scene was the only one that survived along with his son. So the only chance I'll that survived. Fire was the actual by law child of Gerald Louis. Yes, it looked like there substantial evidence than Gerald Louis had committed arson and killed these people and they arrested him in charge him with murder. I'm feeling judge this is on the night of the fire Gerald, those have been sleeping in a car parked in front of the house at five twenty seven lines street

his explanations about why he was sleeping in the car were contradictory. He told one office Did you been fighting with his wife about money? He told another that they hadn't been fighting. He told them officers that you didn't want him in the house after he'd been drinking, they were in the process of getting a divorce. The fire happened on Acta. For fifteen. They had a divorce hearing scheduled for October. Eighteen, three days later, Journal he's told investigators that his wife What occasional? Let him sleep in her car in front of the house? She, recently taken out a restraining order against him after he fears the abused. Her he'd once threatened to burn down the house ask for the gasoline investigate is found in the car. It was in a plastic bleach container about a quarter full, Gerald Louis was asked about it. He said

for the lawnmower, he'd recently mode, his wife's lawn, and he said he but the container in the car, because he didn't want the kids to get into it police arrested Gerald Louis that night. One ass. The eater said that his description of how fire spread from one couch cushion to the tire house, so quickly quote: didn't, seem realistic. He was charged One count of arson. Six council first degree murder one count of manslaughter. His wife's sister was pregnant. He was also charged with violating a restraining order when they arrested him. They confiscated he shoes and they also confiscated his pants and they sent those shoes and paths to the frenzied laboratory and tell a hazard to the state fire marshal. The state fire marshal determined based upon his investigation

some gas chrome. A tiger feet testing that there was evidence of gasoline on both Mr Lewis, shoes and his pass, which is further supportive of his having been involved in the fire and perhaps using and accelerate investigator speculated. The Gerald Louis had picked up his son and carried him out of the house pouring gasoline on his way out and at once he was outside. He lit the fire in the weeks after the fire, twelve different fire investigators visited line street and all twelve We certain that arson had occurred. A report by the sheriff's office concluded the fire was started as a result of petroleum products being poured on the front porch foyer living room, stairwell and second floor bedroom. Frank Ashton was an assistant state attorney at the time he was assigned.

To prosecute the case. Arson cases are very unusual. I would say that in the entire time that I was with the state attorney's office, we may be had maybe one or two arson cases, including the Gerald Louis case. He remembers thinking that the key seem straightforward, but then he got a phone call from Gerald Louis's public defender, and he said to me. I know this case looks like it's a relatively clear case, but let me tell you that I think there are a lot of problems with the case and I just want to be honest with you. I've had some previous dealings with the state fire marshal. Who said that there is good

ass lean on Mr Lewis, his pants and shoes, and I can tell you, I don't think that his testimony is reliable. He said I can tell you further than we have had a virus, thus to gaiters go to the scene. We have cut sex those are the flooring out of the front hall where your investigators have said that there was evidence of an accelerant we ve cuts, Those areas out had them forensically, tested and there's no indicate that there was any accelerant used. Frank Ashton, listen to what Gerald Louis's attorney was telling him and I did to hire an independent expert to evaluate the fire. That's when he got in touch with fire and vat Peter John Lentini, John Lentini the findings from the chemist at the State fire marshals laboratory. The chemist name was Victor Hicks, John Leontini disagree

Reed with Victor Higgs as assessment that Gasolene was present on Gerald Louis's clothing, he showed a colleague she disagree to a minimum we copy the data and Senate around the country to ten different by debris analysts, all of whom had still- reputations and they were unanimously for this is not a night I told at it to the prosecutors and they were Are they were dismayed because that was it an important part of their case. It just went away, but then John Leontini looked at photographs from the scene and some pieces of the actual floor that had been cut out for analysis. Any thought, then that there were signs of a flammable liquid. Higher nodded low burning nurse sharp lines of Denmark

nation, between the burned and unburned areas. Yeah that that could well be an arson fire I said I'd know determined fires that look like this to be arson and the past Frank Ashton asked german Teeny to come to the House on Mine Street to examine it for himself. He inspected the scene inspected, the house. Looked at the burn patterns and, as we were doing all of that, we looked at the house next door, which happened to be virtually a duplicate of the house, that it five. Twenty five lime street looked exactly like the Louis House. It seem to have been built from the same plants, and it seemed to have the same, lay out

and say measurements. It was condemned, it was unoccupied and I asked him whether he thought we might be able to use that house. Or potentially some test burns to actually do a test fire ourselves where we could recreate the scene that night they got to work, arranging access to the house next door making plans to set it on fire, we'll be right. Back support for criminal comes from Sun basket. Son basket delivers everything you need for delicious, healthy dinners with organic produce in clean ingredients right to your door. I just made their tied chicken, let us wraps and highly-

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a calm such criminal go to our own t h. Why asked dot com site criminal to get your new favorite flats? That's right! These dot com, Slash criminal was that of a big step to take to try to burn down at a holy separate house to recreate some of these things are, or is that done often well, it's a huge step in to my knowledge. It's never been done before and a criminal and estimation anywhere in the United States, obviously It was very unusual to have a second house that happened to be right next door that was unoccupied and further, but was condemned by the city and was going to be destroyed, So we had an unusual circumstance as far as that goes, did anyone any high

are up above you when you said this is what over this is the plan we're gonna burn down Do you want a note known that that's too much nobody higher than me indicated that in fact before, oh, we decided. This is what we are going to do. I went with my CO council to the state attorney and that his chief assisted and said this is a very big case. There are a lot of people who died if this defended is convicted. He will almost certainly get the death penalty and I think it's important for us to know that were right and that this prosecution is the correct prosecution in order to do that,

I think the best way to do it and our experts agree as to actually outfit the house next door. In the same way, this house that burn down was outfitted and do some test burns. We will instrument the house next door to monitor the heat and carbon monoxide levels because either of those to get high, can kill people and will determine how long it took four. This fire to go will determine whether what the defendant said has any credibility whatsoever, because at least the local fire investigators don't believe him and we're gonna bring in the top experts in the country. To do this, the team got work going to extraordinary links to replicate the Louis House. For example, there are better car bidding from the living room that we were able to get an task so that we can Imagine the carpeting and put the same type of carpeting in the living room we spoke.

Family members, and they provided us photographs of the of the family in the house. So you could see them. Furnishings that they had you could see where they had things placed, and one of thing We were able to determine was the day had rented some of the furniture from a local furniture rental store. We sent investigators to that store to get the exact couch and some of the other furniture that these folks had rented the couch was no longer in stock and was no longer being made, but we found an individual who had purchased the same couch from the furniture rebel store. We went to that person's house and literally purchase the couch from him so that we could use it and our test fire. They rebuilt walls, they repaired windows, they bought a coffee table and a television there ve been boxes of clothes in the hallway of the Louis House. They retreated that too, so that

what we had was essentially identical to the burned house. The house was wired with special sensors. They could measure heat and carbon monoxide but also stand the fire It took nearly five weeks to prepare the house and the cost of the experiment was clear. Twenty thousand dollars, John Leontine says they cut a whole floor level in the hallway and covered it with glass. So they could see what was happening. They set up video cameras and prepared to test whether the fire could have spread that quickly. On its own here's, John Leontini. First, you have to prove that a crime was committed. Genocide is not. The case were just about the kind of crime the rez of a bank gets robbed or somebody get shot and killed? There's, never a question about whether a crime has occurred, but with a fire,

can't you you have to do a good bit of investigation in order to determine that you actually have a crime. He says that we used to think a lot of things about arson, the just warrant true, and that the field has struggled at times to grow its old way of interpreting evident. Away, which mainly relied on anecdotal observations passed out over the years by police and firefighters and the problem with. With many fire investigators as they have no scientific training, and it's been pretty much recognises this. Until the method is the only way to investigate a fire

If you want your results to have any validity. The plan for five twenty five line street with delight to fires, to test the two different versions of events, Gerald Louis's version. First, and then the prosecutions. Here's Frank Ashton, the defence theory, was that the couch the living room, was on fire that Mr Lewis had seen that couch on fire when he looked through the window from his car, which was parked in the driveway at the fire spread from there. So we simply set that couch on fire. Now it's important to note that these couches won't catch on fire through a drop cigarette or something of that sort it takes an actual open flame

But the people in the house at least two of them were smokers, and so there were lighters that were around in the house and we started a fire on the couch, and then we observe that fire. We observe the spread of that fire. We videotape did and we determine that to our surprise Then four minutes after that couch was initially set on fire. The entire house was consumed in flames, and anybody inside that house would have been done. It was. It was an impressive fire. The couch just went up like it was quoted gasoline. If you have a self it has made with polyurethane foam, it's like having solid gasoline there than in the back. Cushions were made with

background, polyester fibre Phil, which also burns really fast. So the sofa took the room to flash over very quickly way more quickly than we. We had anticipated John Leontini has scrapped flash over, as when you go from a fire in the room to us, I'm fire and I was there watching and an recording with a video camera. I had an open, like city. Fire marshal walked by any said that may prove a defendant story. After about six minutes, the firefighters moved in an extinguished. The fire

determined. The house hadn't been on fire long enough to cause structural damage, so they reset the house replaced the carpet repaired, the windows they a duplicate of almost every then but they'd only been able to locate one couch exactly like the one in the Louis House. In the second test, the used one made with similar materials. Frank Ashton and John than Teeny, so that using the exact coach was essential for the first test, where the fire originated on a couch cushion for the second test. Recreating the prosecutions theory of events, the fire region, aided in the hallway- and we took the exact amount of gas lane that was missing from the gasoline container and Mr Lewis, his car. We took that exact amount of gasoline and poured it in various

places in the hallway attempting to match as much as we could. The burn patterns which our investigators had initially said, were likely the result of an accelerate being used and then that fire was ignited by a fireman who ignited the gasoline. In the hallway we watch. The fire spread from the Hall into the living room, the furniture catching fire in the living room and the carpeting catch on fire and the ceiling catching on fire and then the smell.

Can flames billowing up the stairway to the second floor were everybody was where everybody was found dead and waited until the house was essentially fully consumed in flames. Once again, then, had the fire department come in and extinguish those flames? So what did you determine after seeing the second fire. The the theory that we had been operating under is that the use of an accelerant would make it would make the house go up much more quickly in flames. Then a fire started without the use of and accelerate, and what we found is that that theory was completely wrong. Not only where they wrong about how quickly the house burn without an accelerant. They were also Raised by the presence of this-

burn patterns. Very same alligator patterns existed, even though we lead the first test fire without the use of any accelerates. The patterns on the floor in the hallway that our investigators had initially thought could only occur with the use of an accelerant were there. We were shocked in all candor when we saw the results of the tests. Did you think before the recreation that it would show that that this was arson. Reef surprised, oh, you bet. I was scheduled to give a deposition the day after this test and after see in these results, I was just shocked and I

said to the prosecutor. I don't think I can say that this was in fact and arson fire anymore. Frank Ashton cancel the deposition. Instead, he met with the rest of the prosecution team to discuss what to do. He later said it was one of those cases where it starts out as a strong case, and then you find out pieces of evidence, he thought existed, aren't there and we determined that this is not a case that we could take to trial, because even our own experts couldn't testify that this was an arson beyond reasonable doubt, which was our burden of proof, and we decided that it was not appropriate to take a man under these circumstances,

and put him on trial in a murder case which, if he had been convicted, would certainly have resulted in him receiving the death penalty, and so he dismissed the case against him. John Leontini later said this is my epiphany. I

less than a man to die based on theories that were a load of crap? Today, the Lime street fire is seen as one of the most important experiments in the development of arson investigation. Here's, Frank Ashton: it changed but books on fire size because that that piece of evidence, that is the suggestion that it had to be an accelerate used. If you had these particular burn patterns that had probably been used and multiple other cases was not right and that multiple other people charged with arson may very well have ended up in jail or may have ended up receiving the death penalty in

cases were the fire science that was put forth to the jury as true wasn't true. After the state drop the charges against Gerald Louis, the chemist at the State Fire Marshal Laboratory Victor Higgs who'd incorrectly reported that there was accelerant under Lou. His clothes was formerly investigated on allegations of incompetence. One of his colleagues, a fellow chemist, told the Associated Press, my big fear is that someone is in jail because of his erroneous results. Victor Higgs had analyzed evidence in about ten thousand and arson investigations across the state of Florida, Ass, Roger Louis. He left Jacksonville and move to Shreveport Louisiana, Europe Jeremiah Louis, was placed in the custody of his aren't. We reached out to both

Jeremiah and Gerald Louis, but never heard back. In two thousand ten Jeremiah Louis told the local Jacksonville newspaper Folia Weekly did. He didn't know much about the fire when he was growing up. He said his aunts and grandmother didn't wanna talk about it. Once he asked him about a newspaper clipping he'd found about the fire, but they just started crying Jeremiah said after a while I didn't want. See people cry, so I just didn't ask about it, yeah. yeah. Criminal is created by Lauren, spore and me. Needy Wilson is our senior producer. Sustainable person is our

producer, audio mix by Michael RE, feel special thanks to Michel Harris would also, like thank Radio, Tokyo, donors, David Jean MIKE Newcomb, and chip. Just chap Julian Alexander makes original illustrations freed up a sort of criminal. You can see them at this is criminal dot com or on Facebook and twitter. At criminal show criminal is recorded in the studios of North Carolina. Public radio to be you and see were proud? Member of radio utopia from pure eggs, a collection of the best podcast around, shows like ear hustle. Your hustle is returning with its fifth season on March forth. Red country, Pooty, dandy, low I saw a New York Thomas, I'm Nigel poor and I'm earlier words. I did a total of twenty seven years in prison, but, unlike most folks in there, I never really went by Monday.

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