Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Troy Davis: Statement Analysis Last Words



"I'd like to address the MacPhail family. Let you know, despite the situation you are in, I'm not the one who personally killed your son, your father, your brother. I am innocent.

The incident that happened that night is not my fault. I did not have a gun. All I can ask -- is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth.

I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight.

For those about to take my life, God have mercy on your souls. And may God bless your souls.
"

Troy Davis gave an interview which can be found here with the Statement Analysis.  It follows the same principles used in reliable denials:


The simplest and earliest thing we find among innocent people is that they plainly tell us so.  
Below are what has been reported as his last words, with Statement Analysis in bold type . 


"I'd like to address the MacPhail family. Let you know, despite the situation you are in, I'm not the one who personally killed your son, your father, your brother. I am innocent.


Please note that "let you know" appears to have a dropped pronoun in both versions that I have read. If this is accurate, the subject is distancing himself from the denial, making it unreliable.   If a subject does not commit to a statement, neither can we commit to
a statement.  

Note that the shortest sentence is best.  Here, he gives the additional word, "personally" to his denial violating our principle of a reliable denial through modification.  Is he saying that he killed him, but just not "personally", or that it was not "personal"?

"I did not shoot Officer MacPhail" would be simple, straightforward and pass our formula for 
reliability.  This would be said early, and with ease (no sensitivity indicators) but for the guilty, 
it is difficult to say, therefore, something is added, or something is subtracted.  

Lying causes internal stress and to reduce the stress, a liar can say "I didn't personally
kill him..." and think, "the bullets killed him" or "the loss of blood killed him" as the 
guilty conscience races away from pain and internal stress of lying.  Liars will go a long
way to avoid the truth.  This is why the word "confess" means to "say the same", or "agree"; such as Greek:  "homo logeo" or "same word" in agreement.  

He says "I am innocent" and we must now examine his words to see if he is truthful or deceptive:

The incident that happened that night is not my fault

Note that "the incident" is a minimization or softening of "the murder" or "the killing" which is what happened. 

Note the wording "my fault".  Pronouns are instinctive meaning that they are learned in childhood; with most children understanding possessive pronouns before they are able to speak words, signally with their hands what they believe to be their own.  "My" or "Mine" when it comes to bottles, toys and parents are often mimicked with hand signals. 

Being instinctive,  the guilty will not own anything that does not belong to them.  "For those of you who believe in my guilt..." OJ Simpson said. 

Note that "not my fault" suggests the fault of another:  is this a subtle blaming of the 
police officer for showing up and forcing him to shoot?  


I did not have a gun. 

This is different from "I did not shoot the gun" with both "a" gun, and "shoot" being noted.  "The" gun 
is specific; versus "a" gun.  He only says he did not have a gun.  This is the perfect 
place to say "I didn't shoot Officer..." where he does not deny shooting him, only denies 
"personally" killing him and having a gun. 

All I can ask -- is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth.

"all I can ask" indicates limitation. He is limited in what he can ask them.  What limits him?  This may 
be the inability to ask for forgiveness since he had enlisted the help of others.

Note the additional words of "really" and "finally" added to seeing the truth.

I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight.

For those about to take my life, God have mercy on your souls. And may God bless your souls."

He does not ask for mercy on his own soul.  He does not ask for blessings
upon his victim's family, either. 

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