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a new governor was taking office. would he consider the case? or, was the young men so many believed innocent and destined to spend another decade in jail? here's keith morrison with the conclusion of the interrogation. >> i've never been emotional and a presentation, as i feel in this case, because i've grown very close with robert. >> for years, steve rosenberg made his case in illegal conferences, to anybody who would listen. robert remained right where he was, in prison. during those same years, we asked repeatedly for an interview with randy snead, the officer who took roberts confession. but, as close as we got was -- county police chief, colonel steve sellers, since retired. he wasn't in office when snead was detective, but you've talked to him. what's your sense of how he feels? >> i think he acted in his best interest. i think there wasn't malice in his actions. i think he had a very strong relationship with robert davis.
he was after all, named as a suspect by others in the case. but the chances that he would have been charged or interviewed for very long? close to zero. >> the interview, as it is on the recording would not be legal in the uk. thatt evidence would not be admitted in a trial. >> this is andy griffith, 30 years as a detective in the sussex's police department, recognized for is investigative interviews. when griffiths was a rookie, british interrogation rules were much like they are in the u.s.. but they are not anymore. >> what happened to precipitate these changes in the united kingdom? >> change really came about through problems. >> like a national scandal after a series of high-profile false confessions, including an arson murder case eerily similar to robert davis's. >> the government of the day instigated a whole review of the way that prisoners were dealt with in custody. >> the result? a complete overhaul of the system. every officer in the uk
he had known robert and his mother for years. robert looked up to randy, trusted him. so an officer snead, now a detective with the albemarle county police came looking for robert after the fire, sandy told him, without hesitation where he could find her son. >> i said is robert in trouble? >> he said he was in serious trouble. >> but sandy had no idea just how serious. or, what was about to happen in that parking lot, where robert was hanging out with his friend. >> guns pointed at you, you are wondering what is going on. i was scared, i was shaken. >> why robert? because the fugett siblings told police they had accomplices from their high school, and he was one of them. another one was pulled in that same night interviewed by detective giles and his partner. >> at the end of the interview, he was looked at each other. this kid has no idea what we are talking about, he was clueless to what we were asking him. >> so the fugett's lied when
they had fingered him, the kid was eventually released. but robert? he had a far different experience in the interview room. and a different detective. >> they were sitting across from you, it was randy snead? >> i knew him, i knew him since i was 12 or 13. so, i was on a first name basis with him. >> kind of a friend? >> yes, because i had known him for so long. >> why don't you tell me, robert, what took place that night? you tell me your story of what happened... >> i was at my house, man >> at first, robert swore that he was innocent. but, six hours later, he had confessed to murder. >> you stabbed her, didn't you? >> one, one or two times. >> everything you've told me is true, correct? >> true. >> everything that you have done, and been part of it is true, correct? >> true. >> later that day, officer snead allowed robert to call his mother. >> i said robert, what did you say? >> he said, since they wanted to hear that, i told them, fine.
as we watch the interrogation unfold. >> this is one of the most intense interrogations i've ever seen. >> you have the right to remain silent. anything you say in will can be will against you. >> you've got these officers, very close to robert, who's a big guy, pushing into that corner, increasing the pressure without touching him. >> randy snead, the man robert has long trusted because the interview at 2 am, at which time robert has been awake 18 hours. >> never been in that house? >> no. >> again and again, more than 70 times -- >> start telling the truth. >> i am. >> robert insist that he's innocent. >> i had nothing to do with this. i swear to god. >> nine times, robert asked for a polygraph. >> i will take a polygraph test right now. i'm being honest. i will take a polygraph test. i have said that how many times? officers snead, i was not there. i'll take a polygraph test right now to prove that i was not there. >> when you've got somebody in the interrogation room, who offers take a polygraph, that's a strong sign of innocence that should not be disregarded. >> we know you were in the house, okay?
roberts ankles. >> come on, man. that's too tight for me. >> more than 40 hours into the interrogation, and the speed tells -- more bad news. overwhelming evidence of robert's guilt. >> i don't need it. i've got evidence out that as. dust is made of mostly humans dead skin. that can be picked up. that dna -- i'm not going to be able to keep you from the worst, robert. if you don't talk to me, i can't keep you from the worst. >> i wasn't there. >> -- you were. you were there! that evidence shows you were there. i cannot lie about the evidence. >> not only was that false, there was no dna found in this case. lobster then goes on to say, i can't lie to you about this, robert. in fact, he's lying about lying. >> officer snead tells robert, he faces what snead calls, the ultimate punishment. he also says, falsely, that he's been talking to robbers mother on the phone. >> i told your mom that i would
>> no, you should only interview for two hours at a time can we recognize breaks, mealtimes, prayer times and nighttime. >> and some are a little challenged, like robert. >> they are entitled with the law to what is called an appropriate adult. that might be a parent or a social worker. they are entitled to that, as well as their legal representative. >> but when the interrogation rules were changed? many veteran officers were not happy. they resisted. detective trevor remembers it well. >> people thought this was a draconian piece of legislation that was going to prevent us from other detecting anything ever again. >> you would never solve a crime anymore? >> we would never solve a crime anymore it would tie our hands. >> detection rates in respect to homicide in the uk are very high. they are up in the 90% mark. >> and, along the way, said the detective, confessions of hallmark case servings in the u.s. became much less important here in britain. >> we would not prosecute someone solely on a confession. so somebody did make a confession, we would try to corroborate what they say >> but isn't a confession the strongest evidence you can get? >> not always. >> what is wrong with it? >> what confessions tended to do, if they shape a confirmation bias, people look for supporting evidence just to
sit here and try to keep you from the most ultimate punishment you can get. and i'm trying to do that. you're not even helping me help you. i can do no more. >> what was going on in there? >> there, you see the police officer suggesting to robert, he's gonna face death. you also see the officer, very cleverly, using roberts relationship with his mother. >> that's when robert resolve begins to weaken. >> what can i say that i did to get me out of this? >> just before 7 am, five hours in, robert begins to bargain. >> how many years is going to be, if i was just on the porch? >> how many years will be if you just on the porch? robert, when -- >> will i go home? >> when will i go home today? when i go home now? >> i can't promise you. you work with me, and i'll do everything i can to make sure your mom, and we can get you home. >> hoping it might get him home to his mother, robert offers a story, he hopes will satisfy snead. >> i never went upstairs.
else clubbing her. >> about somebody else clipping robert. i've got someone else doing that act. >> robert has it wrong. >> hit around the head of this mackay thing. >> just call already announced -- you did another act. you know with that act is. and we know. that's the thing that has something on it, that's yours. >> what would that be? >> i'm not gonna tell you. >> so, again, robert starts guessing. >> i didn't rape nobody. >> no. >> i didn't kill the baby. i'm not saying that. >> i'm not saying that you rapped anybody. >> i didn't cut nobody. >> i don't say you do. >> i didn't do nobody. >> i did not shot nobody. >> robert, i want to come straight out and tell you what i'm getting it. since jonathan me. you stabbed that woman. >> i stabbed her. >> you stabbed her, didn't you? >> one -- one or two times. >> then, snead asked robert,
support what is being said, it because the confession exists. >> so we asked the detective to watch with us, robert davis's interrogation. >> and... >> what this guy's problem was, he was arrested last what they are saying is we gospel believe the people who are arrested first, so you just need to confirm what we know. and that's clearly not a good approach for an investigator. >> you obviously think that i'm lying, i swear to you that i'm