Statement Analysis: Detecting Deception

Discussion in 'Justice for JonBenet Discussion - Public Forum' started by JustinCase, May 23, 2004.

  1. JustinCase

    JustinCase Member

    I posted this on the Michigan Voter thread but think it would probably be a good idea to open up a thread about Statement Analysis, we have so many to choose from to work with. Wording is important and so is flow of speech, if the person speaking isn't nervous, lying, or otherwise trying to be deceptive.

    Common Cues to Detect Deception

    Signs of Unclear Thinking
    Increased grammar errors
    Repeating sentences
    Increased use of fillers (ah, um)
    Not finishing sentences
    Stories that don’t make sense

    Attempts to Sell
    “to be honest with youâ€
    “to tell the truthâ€
    overly polite behavior
    Gestures that seem overly stiff or artificial
    Saying “ it was not me†rather than “it wasn’t meâ€
    Saying “I would never do that. It is not who I am.â€

    www.radford.edu/~maamodt/Psyc 405/ deception%20-%20student%20notes.ppt
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    http://www.statementanalysis.com/court/

    "I don't recall dealing with James Mason."

    The witness wants us to believe he has never dealt in drugs with James Mason. However, he does not tell us that. He only states he does not "recall" dealing with James Mason. Perhaps if the prosecuting attorney refreshed his memory he may give a different answer.
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    "All I can say is we did not talk about selling drugs."

    When the witness says "all I can say" he is telling us he can only share limited information. However his limitation is not bound by his knowledge. He did not say "All I know." His limitation is bound by the fact that he does not want to incriminate himself or someone else.
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    "I have tried my best to avoid trouble."

    The word "tried" tells us this witness wasn't very good at avoiding trouble. The word "tried" means attempted or failed. Even though he gave it his best, he still got in trouble.
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    "I didn't really talk to them about any drugs."

    The witness denies talking to them about drugs. However, he adds emphasis to his denial by including the word "really" which is one of the words that indicates untruthfulness. This is similar to saying that he didn't "truthfully" talk to them about drugs. We see the same use of the word "really" when another defendant was asked if he had ever robbed a bank. "I've never really done those type of things."
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    Q. "Did you sell drugs to Bradshaw?"
    A. "Bradshaw? No, no."

    The witness answered the question with a question. This means he is thinking about how he should answer the question. He gave a good answer with "no." However, his hesitation in answering is reason to suspect he did sell Bradshaw drugs.
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    Q. "How often did you use cocaine with Bobby Bryant?"
    A. "I can't say."
    Q. "Was it more than once?"
    A. "Yes."
    Q. "Was it more than five times?"
    A. "I can't say."

    The witness wants us to think he does not remember how many times he used cocaine with Bryant. However, that is not what he is saying. Instead he is refusing to tell us. He is probably thinking "I can't say or I will be in trouble."
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    Q. "Who was the source of the cocaine you were using?"
    A. "Who was the source?"
    Q. "Who provided it?"
    A. "Well sometimes it was already there when I arrived"

    The witness answered the question with a question which means he is stalling to think about how he should answer the question. The word "sometimes" tells us that at other times the cocaine arrived after he was there. Therefore, he should know who delivered the stuff on those occasions.
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    Q. "Have you answered all of my questions truthfully?"
    A. "I believe so."

    The best answer to this question is "yes." "I believe so" leaves room for the possibility that he did not answer all of the questions truthfully.
     
  2. JustinCase

    JustinCase Member

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    1997 April 30 - Taped Interrogation interview of Patsy Ramsey by Steve Thomas and Tom Trujillo in Colorado

    NE Book Page 84:

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay. Um, other than Linda and Mervin, anybody else know about that cellar room down there?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Um. We had people come and let's see, like plumbers and stuff, but I don't know if they would go down there. I can't think who might, who had reason to know about that."

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay. You say that the artificial Christmas trees were stored in that room?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Yeah, uh huh."

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay. How do they..."

    Patsy Ramsey: "Oh, well, you know, Christmas before last, the guys that put them down there put the trees into the closed, into the cellar room there, would have been Bob, uh, Bob Wallace."

    Tom Trujillo: "With the goatee?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Yes, right"

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay."

    Patsy Ramsey: "Bob Wallace and one of this friends. I don't remember what his name was."

    Tom Trujillo: "So Bob Wallace and his friend knew about the room?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "About that room, yeah"

    Tom Trujillo: "How were the Christmas trees stored down there? Did you guys cover them up? Were they covered in any fashion?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Well, those big ones were just set up in there. They weren't even covered."

    1997 April 30 - Taped Interrogation interview of Patsy Ramsey by Steve Thomas and Tom Trujillo in Colorado

    NE Book Page 85:

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay. Now, were the Christmas decorations stored down there, too?

    Patsy Ramsey: "Well, they were kind of hanging out in the, the wreaths and things were kind of hanging. Bob Wallace put up nails and... hooks and things..."

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay. Um, that, that cellar down, that peg (at the top of the door), does that have to be down to keep that door closed?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Um, well, no, it will close. It, you know, it kind of, sort of sticks on the carpet a little bit. I mean, it will close, but that kind of I always kind of flipped that down just so the kids wouldn't get in there."

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay. But it doesn't, the door won't open up because of the carpet without that lock down? If you leave the lock in the up position the door doesn't just swing.."

    Patsy Ramsey: "No."

    http://www.acandyrose.com/quote-ne082-04301997-basementwindow-patsycleanedglass.txt.
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    1997 April 30 - Taped Interrogation interview of Patsy Ramsey by Steve Thomas and Tom Trujillo in Colorado

    NE Book Page 82:

    Tom Trujillo: "When did John break that window in the basement?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "He, I don't know exactly when he did it, but I think it was last summer sometime when we, the and I were at the lake."

    Tom Trujillo: "In Charlevoix"

    Patsy Ramsey: "...He didn't have a key and the only way he could get in was to break the window....to the basement there."

    Tom Trujillo: "He had to lift the grate out of the way to, to get in there?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Yeah, that's the one."

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay. Any reason why that one wasn't replaced or the pane wasn't fixed or anything?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "No, I don't know whether I fixed it or didn't fix it. I can't remember even trying to remember that, um, I remember when I got back, uh, in the fall, you know... went down there and cleaned up all the glass."

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay."

    Patsy Ramsey: " I mean I cleaned that thoroughly and I asked Linda to go behind me and vacuum. I mean I picked up every chunk, I mean, because the kids played down there in that back area back there. And I mean I scoured that place when, cause they were always down there. Burke particularly and the boys would go down there and play with cars and things and uh, there was just a ton of glass everywhere."

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay."

    Patsy Ramsey: "And I cleaned all that up and then she, she vacuumed a couple of times down there."

    Tom Trujillo: "To get all the glass?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "In the fall, yeah, 'cause it was just little, you know, pieces, big pieces, everything."

    Tom Trujillo: "Do you ever recall getting that window replaced?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Yeah, uh, I can't remember. I just can't remember whether I got it replaced or not."

    1997 April 30 - Taped Interrogation interview of Patsy Ramsey by Steve Thomas and Tom Trujillo in Colorado

    NE Book Page 83:

    Tom Trujillo: "... Patsy, has anybody, that you can remember, um, spent time in the basement, um, how many people have had access to the basement know about that basement cellar?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Well, my cleaning lady and her husband."

    Tom Trujillo: "Linda and Mervin?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Yeah, would definitely be one couple, because I had asked them at Thanksgiving time, we were going to be in Atlanta and I had hired them to put out the Christmas trees and some of the Christmas decorations and the big artificial Christmas trees were back in that room..."

    "And, uh, they also washed the windows, so they may be able to recall whether that window, and he was going to do some odd jobs."

    Tom Trujillo: "Mervin was?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Uh huh."

    Tom Trujillo: "Okay."

    PR: Uh, fix some shelves in the playroom and some, uh, closet doors that had come off their track and some stuff like that. And so I would, it seems to me like she and I talked about that window or did, somehow I vaguely remember that if it would have gotten fixed he very likely would be the one to fix it. And at any rate they were going to wash all the windows, so they would have known...."

    Tom Trujillo: "Whether it was fixed or not?"

    Patsy Ramsey: "Yeah"
     
  3. BobC

    BobC Poster of the EON - Fabulous Inimitable Transcript

    hmmm

    If increased grammar flaws are a sign, my every post is a lie. :aprop:
     
  4. Freebird

    Freebird Active Member

    Well I'd be up creek without a paddle too. Proper grammar is not required in the South, it's actually frowned up. Sounds too much like Yankees doncha know.
     
  5. JustinCase

    JustinCase Member

    BobC,

    If that means your "every post is a lie" that would make me an extremely gullible gal. :queen:

    Originally Posted By Freebird:
    "Proper grammar is not required in the South, it's actually frowned up[on]."

    Is that true? I wonder how statement analysis would be done down there??
     
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