Preparing For The Interview
Everyone Wants To Talk
People's Words Will Betray Them
True Stories Come From Memory
The Shortest Answer Is The Best
Everything Has A Meaning
Use The Same Language
People Do Not Want To Lie
The Denial
Starting The Interview
Get Them Talking To You
Obtaining A Statement
Analyzing The Statement
Look At The Language
Specific Words
Unique Words
Unusual Words
Untruthful Words
Test Your Knowledge
Lesson One Test
Send Email
Introduction Page
Analyzing The Statement
Look At The Language Used By The Subject
Unusual Words
Listen for unusual words or phrases that may be in the subject's statement. Everything a person says has a meaning. Ask yourself why did he say it that way? Or why did he include this in his story? Sometimes this will be the most important information in his story.
Lets look again at David Westerfield's statement when interviewed by the police concerning Danielle Van Dam's disappearance.
"I stopped and ate and stuff like that. And took a shower. I was pretty wasted. You know, working on the almost had a heart attack. I think."
We have an unusual fragmented statement. Earlier in his interview, Westerfield explained that while traveling around in his RV he got stuck in the mud. It took him about an hour sticking lawn chairs and other items under the tires to get the RV out of the mud. This is what he is referring to when he says "You know, working on the almost had a heart attack. I think." The question is why does he stumble in his language? It is because at this point in time he has Danielle Van Dam in his RV. It is probably at this point in time where he is sexually molesting her ("shower"). All of this is going through his mind during the interview and it causes him to make an unusual statement.
| Continue Lesson One with "Untruthful Words" |