She was once considered one of Detroit’s toughest homicide interrogators. Now she’s accused of coercing false confes

Tall, with a mound of curls spilling onto her face, Barbara Simon looks like the preschool and elementary school substitute teacher she is now. But behind the silver wire-rimmed glasses and sparkling accessories is a hard-nosed ex-cop with a reputation as “The Closer” – a tough interrogator known for her uncanny ability to elicit confessions in murder cases. Simon, 78, solved – or closed – hundreds of murder cases during the 20 years she spent as a homicide investigator with the Detroit Police Department. Now, she is at the center of at least six murder convictions that have been overturned or vacated — two as recently as last month — after state courts found evidence that the confessions and eyewitness statements she helped obtain were tainted by misconduct ranging from coercion to falsification, resulting in innocent Black men being imprisoned for years before they were absolved. These teams work to overturn wrongful convictions, freeing innocent people from prison. They can do much more, experts say Simon’s actions inflicted deep and lasting emotional wounds, the former prisoners and their attorneys say. Her alleged tactics, which were first r

Apr 26, 2026 → Apr 26, 2026