Kevin Pickett

This was a horrific, horrific crime. We were playing with a crime scene, not only just located in this dorm, but we were playing with a crime scene that spread the whole campus.

This was a horrific, horrific crime. We were playing with a crime scene, not only just located in this dorm, but we were playing with a crime scene that spread the whole campus.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Western had a couple majors that they were pretty well known for. It certainly attracted students of all talents and academic abilities. It definitely had a reputation for partying. It had a pretty strong Greek life.

Western had a couple majors that they were pretty well known for. It certainly attracted students of all talents and academic abilities. It definitely had a reputation for partying. It had a pretty strong Greek life.

They kind of described each other almost as like sisters, you know, in addition to being best friends.

They kind of described each other almost as like sisters, you know, in addition to being best friends.

It was the end of the semester. And so a lot of students were preparing for finals, finishing up their last papers. There was a lot of like kind of end of the year partying as well.

It was the end of the semester. And so a lot of students were preparing for finals, finishing up their last papers. There was a lot of like kind of end of the year partying as well.

I was in my dorm room sleeping. I covered police that semester for the Herald. And so we had like a little portable police scanner that the police reporter would have. And so I just had that in my room and it just kind of stayed on. When I heard the alarm call, because I was so close to there, I just headed over just to see what was going on.

I was in my dorm room sleeping. I covered police that semester for the Herald. And so we had like a little portable police scanner that the police reporter would have. And so I just had that in my room and it just kind of stayed on. When I heard the alarm call, because I was so close to there, I just headed over just to see what was going on.

My name is Kevin Pickett. I'm a retired Kentucky State Police Sergeant. At the time, in 2003, we were assigned as a team, the investigative team, to assist West Kentucky University in the case. On May the 4th, at approximately 4.08 a.m., the fire alarms went off at Poland Hall. The fire department were there in less than three minutes.

My name is Kevin Pickett. I'm a retired Kentucky State Police Sergeant. At the time, in 2003, we were assigned as a team, the investigative team, to assist West Kentucky University in the case. On May the 4th, at approximately 4.08 a.m., the fire alarms went off at Poland Hall. The fire department were there in less than three minutes.

The sprinkler has flooded the room, and fire is now smoldering. It's very contained at this point.

The sprinkler has flooded the room, and fire is now smoldering. It's very contained at this point.

She was still breathing and a firefighter took his mask off of himself and put it onto Katie's face to try to help give these life-saving measures there until EMS could arrive. One of the firefighters looked up and said, if you're a praying person, now is the time to pray. And that was pretty, you know, a moment that has stuck with me all these years later.

She was still breathing and a firefighter took his mask off of himself and put it onto Katie's face to try to help give these life-saving measures there until EMS could arrive. One of the firefighters looked up and said, if you're a praying person, now is the time to pray. And that was pretty, you know, a moment that has stuck with me all these years later.

When the archivist came in, the fireman, we look up on the sprinkler head and there's a rag over the sprinkler head to detain the heat. So there's a lot of thought that went into this fire. This is most obvious, she got a crime scene.

When the archivist came in, the fireman, we look up on the sprinkler head and there's a rag over the sprinkler head to detain the heat. So there's a lot of thought that went into this fire. This is most obvious, she got a crime scene.