Van Chester Thompkins was arrested approximately a year after a Southfield, Michigan, shooting occurred in which one person was killed and another wounded. When he was taken into custody, a police officer gave him a written copy of the five Miranda warnings. To verify that the suspect understood the warnings, the officer asked him to read the fifth warning aloud, which he did. The suspect, upon request, then signed a form stating that he understood his rights. Officers then began questioning him, and at no point did he say he wanted to remain silent, although he was mostly silent throughout the almost three-hour interrogation, giving a few grunts, and brief responses such as "yes," "no," or "I don't know."
Almost three hours into the interrogation, the officer asked the suspect whether he believed in God, and the suspect said he did. And according to the police officer, his eyes started to tear. The officer then asked, "Do you pray to God?" and when the suspect said he did, the officer then asked, "Do you pray to God to forgive you for shooting that boy down?" The suspect again responded, "Yes," and looked away. He refused to make a written statement, and the interrogation ended about 15 minutes later.
At trial for the murder, the suspect sought to suppress the evidence of his statements on grounds that he had invoked his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and his statements were involuntary. The trial court denied his motion and he was convicted of murder. After a number of appeals, the case ultimately was before the U.S. Supreme Court. How do you think the high court decided this case and why?