DETROIT – In a dramatic day of testimony on Tuesday, the key witness in a 2008 Detroit firefighter death case repeatedly claimed the fatal fire was an accident, while simultaneously maintaining that the defendant ordered him to start it – raising new questions about a conviction that has stood for over a decade.
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Darian Dove, a handyman and the prosecution’s primary witness, took the stand for the second day in an evidentiary hearing that could determine whether Mario Willis will have his conviction overturned.
“It was. It was an accident,” Dove said when the defense questioned him.
However, when pressed by prosecutors, he offered a crucial clarification, saying the fire was only “accidental” because it grew larger than intended and killed a firefighter.
In a pivotal exchange, prosecutors asked directly: “The reason why you started a fire was because Mario Willis told you to start a fire, correct?”
“Yes,” Dove responded.
Witness credibility questioned
In perhaps the most damaging admission of the day, Dove acknowledged lying multiple times to authorities, even under oath. He admitted to being a pathological liar.
He attributed his changing stories to being “scared”, creating a challenge for both prosecution and defense teams in establishing the truth of that night.
Throughout the years, Dove has provided different accounts:
- Claiming the fire was purely accidental
- Stating he was at the property with a woman trying to keep warm
- Claiming that Willis paid him to set the fire
Hope for Willis family
The testimony has given new hope to Willis’s supporters, including members of the Emergent Justice project who attended the hearing on Tuesday. They have been working with the Willis family for the last two years.
“He said it was an accident. First, he whispered it, and I wondered if anybody caught it, and then he said it again and again. So, for the first time, this family gets to feel relief,” said Elisheva Johnson, Founder of Emergent Justice.
What’s Next
The evidentiary hearing is scheduled to continue through the week, with several more witnesses expected to testify.