I'm thinking Fotis.
I hold out hope that MT's testimony is locked up tight on a video from the day at the lawyer's office.
That 3 hours makes no sense otherwise.
IMO the 3 hr interview was just the start of the relationship with MT. Once what was said was said on tape the investigators had to go and prove it all out to see if she were telling the truth and could she be credible. Along the way of doing this they no doubt have learned much more than they knew when they first met MT during the 3 hr. taping. Eventually they form a view of MT and her value as a witness.
I think its a tough call sometimes to decide to trust a witness that would be the recipient of a deal. If we have any seasoned prosecuters on here I'm curious what you think as it seems like you could be burned and burned badly. But I guess sometimes you have no choice and make the best choices you can with what you have to work with on a case.
If for example it was proven along the way that she got more things wrong than right or if she shaded the truth or left out something key that it was clear she would have known etc. They had to play all this out and it took a good long time to do IMO.
So, say they reached the end of looking at the 3 hr video and were sitting with a collective opinion of what they thought of what MT had 'given up' and the group opinion was that it was incomplete and designed to not be helpful. My guess is you would have PO'd investigator and a States Atty at the end of his fuse as a boatload of time and money was spent with zero positive movement in the case.
The opposite scenario could have played out too in that everything MT said in the 3 hrs was proven. But maybe along the way the investigators learned something significant was left out. They went back and asked MT about this and for whatever reason she was unable or unwilling to say what investigators thought she should be able to say? IDK, there are a million scenarios that could be playing out here. But there must have been alot of discussion back and forth and we know the parties met in chambers with the Judge at the last hearing. My guess is he wanted an update on where the parties are with the process.
I guess when the news about the shirt hit for some reason I didn't think the message was for Pattis and FD as they both seem dug into their position and the State probably wasn't looking to them for anything at this point. The only one I can see the State looking to at this point is MT/Bowman and perhaps the 2 parties are at an impasse on whatever deal they are working on and simply won't move.
IDK what the issue is but its might be significant enough to the State that his was willing to give up key evidence to move the process along.
Pure speculation on my part but this is a complex case and alot in on the line for the State to not get this right IMO.
MOO