Commonwealth v. Hilton

The defendant has been indicted on charges of murder in the second degree (five counts), burning a dwelling (G. L. c. 266, § 1), and causing injury to a fire fighter (G. L. c. 265, § 13D ½). The defendant moved to suppress her statement to the police (in which she ultimately made a full confession) and her later statement to a court officer following her arraignment (in which she confirmed that she had lit the fire in question). After an evidentiary hearing, the motion judge concluded that the police interrogation of the defendant was custodial in nature, and suppressed the entirety of her…