Overview
- Certified fire investigator Marc Fennell testified that the fire’s cause should be ruled undetermined and criticized the original probe for straying from NFPA 921 standards.
- Fennell said reported gasoline odors could have come from gas-powered rescue equipment and post-fire operations rather than an intentional accelerant.
- Former Detroit fire investigator Rance Dixon acknowledged he never interviewed Darian Dove and only learned of his reported involvement after Willis’s trial.
- Dove has offered conflicting accounts, including a 2014 affidavit alleging an accidental warming fire and stating that Willis had no involvement.
- Willis remains incarcerated as the court considers whether the new expert analysis and testimony warrant a new trial, following a 2023 rejection by the Conviction Integrity Unit.