Lieutenant Tim Bledsoe
Appearances
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
The priority was, let's look into this and see where it goes, you know?
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
Initially, everything we learned about the business was through the first two individuals who provided information. And what was on the TSG, Tactical Solutions Group website, I don't remember verbatim, but basically that they fulfilled government contracts and that they were a leading supplier to the Department of Defense for firearms, pharmaceuticals.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
They were traveling. They were making pretty regular purchases of items that were fairly expensive. They were trying to negotiate some real estate transactions.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
We learned that Michael did not go for autopsy. He had some type of accident or a fall at home, suffered a head injury, and then died shortly thereafter. Hello, Mrs. Cochran. Hi.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
Hi, this is Lieutenant Bledsoe from the state police and I hate to, you know, bring up a subject about your husband's passing, but he should have went to the medical examiner's office and they're reviewing that and they just ask us to talk to people. Anything you can shed some light on and what led to his illness.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
Could you give me some detail on Michael's morning background stuff about his overall morning?
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
Yeah. Right. I think you called it enclofamine. Does that sound right?
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
At one point, I said, you know, if there's a substance that's available in this country that could potentially kill other people, that's a public safety issue. And, you know, your husband may have been a victim of that.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
I did ask, do you think Michael would have wanted to intentionally harm himself? Suicide. Sometimes people, yes, when they get into predicaments that they see no other way out of, you know, they take drastic measures. And her comment was, well, Michael loved himself too much. So, you know... That pretty much eliminated that.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
It's always a possibility. You don't ever want to rule anything out until you can rule it out.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
It's the same as pulling on a ball of string. You know, you just keep pulling and it just keeps unraveling.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
Yes, many of them had quite a bit of documentation. They had obviously kept track of this because we're talking about a substantial amount of money, some of them's life savings.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
It's the same as pulling on a ball of string. You just keep pulling and it just keeps unraveling.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
As money comes in, if you're investor A, let's say, and I already have your money, well, when investor B comes in, I give you a little bit back from investor B and then try to build off. And it's just a pyramid, really. But it's not sustainable because eventually you can't keep up.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
We had several other officers there with us, troopers. Also had a female trooper there to transport Natalie.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
She did. Said, Natalie, I said, you're under arrest. And I'm going to explain to you exactly why and what the charges are. And she says, it took all of y'all for little old me.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
Anytime he would question why they didn't have their money, why the contracts weren't being paid, he got the same exact excuses that the investors were getting.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
Her actions changed that. The questions she would ask, why are you investigating me?
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
In her mind, she could. That was probably one of the most concerning things that I heard, was how someone whose spouse had only been dead for, at that point, two months, And they're concerned over somebody trying to explain why it happened.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
We never found any evidence of Mexico. The farthest that we traced it was to an address in Florida. It's just the pieces that just keep adding up that just don't make sense.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
I learned a long, long time ago that anywhere that you're allowed to look, you better look while you're there.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
Oh, it's critical. I mean, they have to get medical treatment for that immediately.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
Michael's remains were pretty advanced in decomposition, so it made it very difficult for the medical examiner.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
No, I'm not saying that. I know you did. That's what I'm telling you. No, you don't. Yes, I do.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
The whole reason I got into law enforcement in the first place was to help people, especially people who could not help themselves. So we were there to speak for Michael.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
We've been conducting an investigation into Michael's death for some time now.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
You brought up the clomiphene was possibly some way related to Michael's death. Okay, we now know that that's not true. So we need to clear that up.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
And that's what I'm saying is not true. And that not only did you then allow him to lay there all day without medical treatment.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
No, I'm not saying that. I know you did. That's what I'm telling you. No, you don't. Yes, I do.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
When you put all those circumstances together, not just the insulin, it paints a very clear picture.
Dateline NBC
The Devil's in the Details
We found a bottle of insulin in the refrigerator. He's not a diabetic. Why is it beneath a pile of chocolate bars?