In an effort to boast it had the highest arson clearance rates in the country, the Phoenix Fire Department arson squad followed unlawful policies and ignored national fire investigation standards which led to wrongful arrests, grand jury indictments and prosecution of several innocent people.
For more than two years 12 News investigative reporter Wendy Halloran delved into the once highly-touted Phoenix Fire Department arson unit. The rolling investigation, called "Raked Over the Coals," prompted change and led to the removal of three employees from fire investigations, among other things.
The series was honored with the most-prestigious award in broadcasting, a 2015 Alfred I. duPont Award, awarded by the duPont jury at Columbia University in New York. It's the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize which is also awarded by Columbia University.
"Raked Over the Coals" was also awarded a 2015 National Headliners Award by the Press Club of Atlantic City and a 2015 regional Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting. It was also named a 2013 National IRE Award finalist from Investigative Reporters and Editors which honors the best work in investigative journalism. A 2014 Valley of the Sun Society of Professional Journalists Freedom of Information Award, which recognizes outstanding work done by members of Arizona media that substantially made use of public records. A 2013 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences regional Emmy nomination in the investigative reporting category and a 2014 Emmy Nomination for writing.
The reporting triggered an FBI investigation and an Arizona Department of Public Safety criminal probe. "Raked Over the Coals" revealed misconduct on the part of the arson investigators which led to the recommendation of criminal charges against two arson investigators for lying under oath.
They were banished to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office database for peace officers who've lied under oath and have integrity issues. The MCAO is declining to prosecute any of the cases Captain Sam Richardson and Captain Fred Andes previously investigated. They were permanently removed from fire investigations along with their former supervisor, Fire Marshal Jack Ballentine.
It also led to a review of all of their cases by the Arizona Justice Project, part of the national Innocence Project, to make sure that an innocent person isn't sitting in prison as a result of a wrongful conviction by the discredited arson investigators. It also resulted in the early retirement of Fire Chief Bob Khan and the forced retirement of the arson dog, "Sadie."
Most recently it played a pivotal role in Barbara Sloan's civil case against her insurance company in which she lost. Sloan was among those we profiled who were wrongly accused of arson. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Arthur Anderson overturned a 1.68 million dollar judgment against Sloan after a five-week jury trial because she may not have received a fair trial. Our reporting played a pivotal role in Judge Anderson's ruling. An extraordinary move in that Judge Anderson was the presiding judge in this trial, he overturned his own verdict. "It is enough that the DPS Report casts heavy shadows on the integrity of the PFD investigation that was the bedrock of Farmers' trial defense," he wrote.
Matthew Casey from The Arizona Republic contributed to the reporting.
Here are the stories in the series:
