you're going to be under arrest for capital murder capital [Music] murder Michael payon in the town of Seline Michael Patton who was 39 years old he worked in the rocket science department at Ron he thought he was really smart until one night on February 19th 2021 something terrible happened he called 911 and said he had killed his family and pets but when the police came they found something strange outside his house Michael held a gun but said he didn't know what happened to his wife and kids meanwhile firefighters found something terrible inside Michael's wife toara and their two teenagers were expired they wondered if Michael's first confession was a lie or sadly true let me get the person that's going to swap your hands real quick okay and then we'll do that and get those handcuffs off of you okay okay something I'll just sit here and wait okay you need something to drink or anything please water go okay anything this one so confused Michael was that quick enough for you brother you go by m or Michael usually Mike hm usually Mike okay can you stand up for me I'm going to get your handcuffs off of you okay this is who I was talking about was going to take a swab of your hands okay you okay with her doing that do you have any injuries to you right now are you Hur anywhere bleed anywhere cut anywhere I no okay well you mind standing up right on the You' got a bruise right here is this old yes that's a couple days old couple days old okay anything on the back side no Cuts or like yet you might I your ch um you got a can't tell about to scratch over here you got a cat or something at the house three dogs and dogs and a cat it looks like you got maybe cat scrapped over one side probably the puppy puppy can I stand for a minute yes sir absolutely go ahead was you were sitting there for a long time give me just a second uh here's your coup of waterm give me just a second c [Music] yeah Michael a scientist facing questions from detective Joshua Armstrong skilled in interrogation without clear evidence Armstrong used simple questions to assess Michael's State revealing his stress and confusion Michael's hesitancy when affirming his rights indicated his pressure detective Armstrong started asking about Michael's past uncovering lies he talked about his accomplishments and uh you obviously I think you've got some questions that you were trying to ask me a minute ago D but my B gr it's I feel like I need somebody to help me with what's going on CU I don't have any idea what's going on well to be perfectly honest with you neither one of us have an idea of what's going on right now either because we haven't spoken with you yet if that makes sense does so we really don't know we don't know what's going on I think I think our Hope was that you would help us figure out what's going on as much as us help you figure out's going on try but I don't know what happened are you you sound really short of breath do you have asthma or medical condition or anything or you just tired or I'm stressed out this really stressed I don't know what's happening I just want to clarify before before I ask you any questions or you ask me any questions um you said you did understand your right you do want to speak with me correct start but I don't know if I start getting overwhelmed I want somebody to you can stop interview at any time okay what was what was your question you were trying to ask me some questions when we were coming up the stairway I don't know what's happening don't remember what happened I remember working this afternoon what do you do for Ron configurations so basically I I make sure everything's right before it gets released sure drawings or documents or what I really don't know what Ron does what do it defense missiles Aerospace so are you still employed is is Ron is a private contractor that's contracted through the government contracts stuff yeah okay mainly government contracts what what is it that you do for them the configuration stuff I run a meeting every month with the Navy check all the drawings during the questioning Michael talked about feeling stressed and vaguely remembered what he did at work that afternoon detective Armstrong asked about Michael's military background and his degree in engineering physics Michael could understand complicated things but he seemed to have trouble remembering basic parts of his own life is it like classified type of stuff or I have my classif or I've been cleared classified but I don't work on a classified program currently forgive I don't know much about I wasn't in about I'm still how did you get in were you in the military is that how you got into that or after took my degree is that something anybody can do or like do you need some kind of what's the degree in my degree is inine physics okay so that's why that's the physics exp not necessarily for what I do right now but I can use it I understand Electronics I don't understand any Electronics ORS were you in the military at all wasn't and how long were you there 6 years 6 years you get deployed at all I got inur prep appointment so I didn't go it hurt my anle bad or spr it real bad enough that it delayed me past shiing out so I didn't he used to tell stories about his bravery in the military maybe realizing that telling small lies wouldn't help him now he started to admit some truths about his life though he chose which ones to reveal carefully Michael feeling unsure but compelled to share started to talk about his life beyond work and the military he mentioned his family his wife tah whom he'd been with since they were teenagers and their two kids he pretty impressive background between the Marine Corps and then the Ron stuff TR well tell me a little bit I don't I don't know anything about you Michael uh I'm I'm trying to piece together the puzzle I think the same way you are tell me a little bit about your like what do you what do you like doing what's your family like and who you mean wife and I have been together since I was 19 and she was 18 we my two kids she's a nurse her daughter's a swimmer pretty good son's high functioning autistic but he manages some days other days that all doesn't help I like music you collect VL a lot of it I just started not too long ago probably years ago how much you think you got 4050 albums okay I'm not hardcore yet I mean like music I like my kids been been watching TV show lately episode or two what show is it Supernatural you seen supernal I don't know that I even heard of it so we've been we've been watching that play video games every once in a while but I'm not that into it it's just something occupi my time been getting back into working out recently TR better myself going to gym or doing it home gym but we're working on buying something for the house like a home gym thing go in the garage what uh you said Your son's high functioning autistic old your son 13 13 Michael spoke proudly about his daughter who was good at swimming and his son who was 13 and had autism but was still doing well these were the things that made Michael's life complicated but also brought him happiness he also admitted to new hobbies like collecting vinyl records even though he was still learning about them he was proud of his growing collection you say high function there's so many different kinds of artism out there what is what is his specific he's um anxiety uh he was kind of not antisocial but busy social environments um he had a delayed learn he didn't speak until he was full and so usually like I said [Music] to is very easily addicted to screens addicted to what screens like video games his phone man stuff like that he does Taekwondo he seems to enjoy that that gives him some structure Focus yeah he gives him something like specific movements and he's able to practice it how old was your daughter how old is she you said she does some swimming stuff yeah she is 14 Michael seemed relaxed discussing hobbies and family yet strained when detailing recent troubles detective Armstrong noted Michael's tense shifts when talking about his family hinting at deceit questions about his son's health and his daughter's swimming revealed Pride mixed with distress Armstrong's skepticism grew with Michael's Narrative of a strained marriage marked by his wife's mental health and Suicidal Thoughts despite a calm demeanor Michael's distance hinted at his effort to remain composed amid the crisis particularly when discussing the potential dangers posed by his wife's State why did you say I'm just trying to learn who your family is I don't know anything about him he said how old she was I I don't know why I said that I just trying to figure out about your family just really trying to figure about you and she she swims whatever events the meats are open and you schedule whatever events that you want the kids to swm it's not structured I mean sometimes the coaches will say I want even this event like the different strokes and like like Michael Phelps kind of stuff like the butterfly and all that stuff there Strokes why do you think we're here today I'm confused on why we are here you don't remember anything from today think picked up us the other day my wife was we've been working lately we haven't been been struggling a little bit been trying to work on it I I was going to counseling have been a few weeks going counseling and Sh Saturday night she had one of the guns and S her only way out said she said the only way out was to basically go was her long I kep trying to get the gun away from her after two hours I got it away from her but you know basically like called in to try to get her some help they take her Cal license away and I didn't know what to do friend came over and she ended up staying the night maybe that was Sunday night cuz then she was there all day my been watched I've been afraid that she was going to hurt herself I had the guns he didn't look at Armstrong much only when Armstrong asked him something directly but you could tell he was feeling a lot of different things even though he seemed calm on the outside the questions kept going around the main problem with Michael trying to make the story about how his wife was not well but when he talked about her problems with mental health and past abuse he was also trying to understand and deal with their difficult life together was Heather she work with her or hos schoal friendo okay you know what Heather's last name is she's divorc but I think she's still using Weber Heather Weber that Ms so she so this was you think last Sunday yeah like a couple days ago Sunday night maybe okay do you know what today is Thursday or Friday yes today is Friday okay okay so last Sunday night this still happened did you end up ever contacting anybody or you just kind of let let the friend kind of the friend I've been talking to her she was doing better throughout she was talking to me and I open [Music] and that's thought we were doing better and she agreed that she'd do coup's counseling with me and said you know she's been waffling back and forth for about a month she agreed she'd go told me I might not like all her answers but that she would go because I thought it was important so I was going to look into you know and so you said you hi the guns where' you H those at um I had one of them was up in my office that I was I don't use it this week but I've been using it for a few months in the extra bedroom upstairs it was up there and then the other one was it hit it B I was planning on putting him in my truck and trying to find out friending to take him to while little over felt like CH was better how many guns do yall have are they both handguns or rifles it's both handguns do you know what they are there's a wall there it's a 22 and 9 mm Springfield Springfield I used to have a Springfield not no there I traded it for a block blocks I didn't like them until I started caring them learned a l so before we discuss further if you like this video don't forget to share and subscribe to our channel for more videos like this Michael especially focused on certain memories to show how they were going through tough times love and pain were mixed in their lives he mentioned they were trying counseling and learning about how to love better this showed they wanted to fix things and feel close again but their problems were still there making it hard for them to find happiness has your wife ever had any suicidal stuff prior to this week couple years ago she had thoughts of it we through it h we worked through it worked through it has she ever had any kind of a medical treatment t or anything like that she she just started opening up she was in Middle School or high school she went to counseling just recently told me that you know she was abused when she was kid and then that's why she's been not wanting to go to therapy with me because she doesn't like the experience physical abuse or sexual abuse sexual from what she's told me do you know who it was that done it to her like a family or boyfriend I think it was friends of her dad and maybe her stepdad she told me about one including when she was living with her dad in Michigan there was um the neighbor she was babysitting and woke up to him over and there was other ones that she didn't telling about she oh so it's like not just one thing or not just one person can multiple and so she's she's struggled with that before and so look work through it and I've been trying to work through the issues I've been in having I've never been great with sharing my emotions and that's why I went to counseling trying to be a better husband better dad and ible to reconnect my kids a lot like we have a lot more conversations and daughter opens up to me a lot more have you ever read the book five love languages then detective Armstrong started talking about Michael's beliefs in religion Michael talked about how he studied different religions in school like Christianity Judaism Islam Buddhism and Hinduism what all religions was it that that you studied in that class that you kind of took bits and pieces from Christianity Judaism Islam Buddhism Hindi or Hindu I always struggle with how you you classify that did you ever read the Quran I never Quan Quran am I saying it right is it Quran or Quran I think it's cran but I never read it I just kind of studied what it was about and kind of some of the things that it taught I've got a lot of buddies that were in the Marine Corps and for some reason it was a popular thing among them to read the the Quran but I think it was because they were deplored overseas and it was it was a book that you know every house they went into there was it was easily you know readily available so it was just you know something to kill Tom or whatever so I've got a lot of buddies that you know that's not their religion but while they were overseas they read the Quran just because it was there I guess the detective questioned Michael's Clarity of thought and asked about the events preceding his arrest Michael recall mundane activities like chatting with co-workers and discussing a new mattress with his wife however when pressed for further details he appeared at uncertain raising doubts about his memory or possible selective disclosure Michael recounted a fainting episode and explained scratches on his back as from his dogs these cognitive challenges strained his relationship with his wife Mike can you uh can you just walk me through what you do remember from today and that way we can kind of try to piece together while we're here today you're not working talking to one my co-workers three four think I took a shower and I came back down the wife and were talking about would to buying a new mattress the one we have is too soft dips really bad in the middle is it normal for you not to remember your day no you feel it hasn't it happened the other night when her best friend came over I was still awake it was I don't know what time it was and they were they had passed out in the bed and I didn't want to intrude or anything so I I set up the couch before I lay down on the couch passed out and my wife actually came out to just check on me and she found me on the floor what happened I I passed out I don't know I was tired I remember standing there thinking could get on the couch and then I woke up on my back midd floor you said a minute ago you had you had them scratches on back he said you had how many dogs three three dogs what kind of dogs are they two pugs and a bulldog two pugs and a bulldog they all stay inside they pain there a lot of dogs in in one house yes I'm sorry I'm having trouble focusing why do you think you're having trouble focusing or why do you think you can't remember stuff from today it's not your R stuff and it's not that I do all the time I do sometimes it's had a really bad concussion in high school and so my shortterm to long-term memory is always there that's one of the areas that pissed my wife off is that we talk and I wouldn't necessarily remember it an hour later and I want to reiterate every go of the conversation detective Armstrong doubted Michael's claim of forgetful and decided to meticulously review his day for inconsistencies Michael even struggled to recall basic details like his meals he even said he couldn't remember if he had breakfast lunch or dinner despite Michael's claims of memory issues and confusion the detective suspected selective memory recall to avoided discussing crucial details try to go chronological throughout your day to day from the time you woke up what happened you what you did what you ate what you did for breakfast and what you did for lunch and what you for work and and just kind of see maybe you can piece together you know what happened today and and why we can't remember you remember what you ate for breakfast I didn't no breakfast at all toast did you eat anything for launch or was that your launch the toast you anything for dinner tonight so know don't remember at all I'm trying H I'm trying what I worked on today think I need talking to somebody I can't remember and I don't I don't know what to do do you remember the police coming to your house this evening remember being on the sidewalk my face I'm going to be honest with you can you be honest with me you called 911 tonight 911 and you told the dispatcher that you wanted to kill yourself do you know why you would tell them that you wanted to kill yourself the last 10 years there's been three times that I wanted to kill myself if I said that tonight if you want me to be honest with you in the last 10 years you wanted to kill yourself three different times there's three moments three moments never did it what are those three moments one of them I got before I went back to school I got screwed up over boss everything had been going really good and I didn't see it coming I didn't protect myself and I failed my wife I failed the kids and I we're in a really bad place as far as financials go and I wasn't doing well coping with with it it was it was a hit to me and there had been rumors that he had s coworker she told me wasn't true but it was just another piece something else to that's iness how were you want to hurt yourself today I don't know I don't know I want to help you m but You' got to remember been trying since been trying to jar my memory walk through my day that's the whole time I was in the back of that car as detective Armstrong pressed on Michael's responses grew tense his Recollections sharpened when discussing his wife's work yet faltered on simpler details like her attire revealing cracks in his facade overwhelmed by the probing questions Michael eventually sought a lawyer's safety Armstrong recognizing the tactic Affirmed Michael's legal right with a hint of irony despite Michael's intelligence his attempts at Deception were transparent undermining his strategy from the start other than like what she ate you know did your did your wife work from home today too or she go she always does huh she works remote yeah it's permanent remote for her did she do that today every day what are her off days oh so her on there so she worked today then it's today's Friday do y all work in the same room or separate rooms this week we worked in the same room just trying to sa electricity and heat and everything with what's been going on with the weather and stuff and so we were trying to condense where we were so we didn't have to heat as much and use as much electricity so I I sat in the chair and she was on the bed and we were being pretty playful and bantering I remember that we sending us some playful texts sending her text like while you're in the same room together or yeah we've always done yeah just kind of keeping things fun well she's you know in a meeting I can't necessarily see things and stuff so does she see patience like is she like facetimeing patients or they they they contract the a pharmaceutical company okay well I think we're getting a little bit further because you remember sending text messages to your wife today so that's about what time you think that was after morning okay remember what she was wearing today sure yesterday I in over my head can I talk to lawyer please One More To Sir can I talk to a lawyer please I'm in so far over my head I don't know what's happening okay that's that's perfectly your right to do so so we can get you an attorney to and then uh speak with you after you have an attorney when Armstrong said Michael was arrested for a serious crime shocking him Michael's calmness from before fell apart showing he was struggling with what he did and the trouble he was in he tried to argue and say it wasn't true but it was clear he couldn't keep up the ACT he'd put on earlier in a last ditch effort Michael wanted the detective to believe him but Armstrong didn't change his mind and went ahead with the arrest he understood what was going on didn't let Michael's act sway him I'm sorry you're perfectly fine you're going to uh you are going to be under arrest CL and you're going to be taken over to the Colin County Jail you're going to be under arrest for capital murder capital murder you caught me a minute ago whenever I used past tense instead of present tense no no no no now now hurts wouldn't here's what I need you to do Michel okay I need you to stand up and turn around and face that wall for me okay turn around put your hands on the W here don't put your hands on the wall just face the wall okay no no I didn't not hurt any Michael getting arrested was the result of an interrogation he was a complicated person trapped by his lies even though he tried to make people doubt and feel sorry for him the evidence against him was strong including what he said and did Mike don't fall down on me if you want to get like thatat sit down on the chair please tell me it's not true please are you talking to me or yourself please tell me it's not true your daughter is deceased God no I would never in the end Michael was found guilty and got a life sentence without parole detective Armstrong's report showed how Michael tried to remember things only when it helped him proving he was lying as we finish our case it's obvious that being very smart doesn't always stop someone from making big mistakes this case makes us think about how a clever mind and being good can fit together why do you think a highly intelligent individual might turn to Crime drop your opinions in the comments below stay safe and informed until next time