Kevin sits in an interrogation room. His hands are cuffed. His face is blank. The detective asks about the fire. Kevin says he does not know anything. The detective shows him a photograph of his wife. Kevin looks away. The detective asks again. Kevin says nothing. The detective waits. The silence stretches. Kevin cracks. The confession comes in fragments, between sobs, between gasps for air.

Kevin was convicted of first-degree murder and arson in the death of his wife. He had set fire to his family's home, knowing his wife was unable to escape. An 11-year-old boy heard his mother scream, ran to his bedroom, locked the door, and hid in his closet. He survived. He told police everything.

The interrogation is a masterclass in the use of silence and psychological pressure. The detective does not shout. He does not threaten. He waits. The suspect fills the silence with his own anxiety. He talks himself into a corner. He talks himself into a confession. Kevin will spend the rest of his life in prison. The 11-year-old boy will spend the rest of his life in therapy.

Turn down the lights, put on your headphones, and press play because Kevin's worst day was not the day he was arrested. It was the day he decided to light the match.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/red-tree-crime--6847553/support.