Friday, October 11, 2013

Amber Smith: Mother's Language


We looked at the mother's statement while Amber was missing.  It used the pronoun "I" and the possessive pronoun "my" repeatedly, showing up close and personal connection.  This was explicitly missing from the language of Deborah Bradley, mother of missing Baby Lisa.  In Bradley's case, she used "we" and "our", showing distancing language, and referenced Lisa in the past tense, indicating knowledge of death.  

The parents of Amber Rose Smith allowed their minds to entertain dark thoughts while rescuers searched overnight for the girl who wandered off from her northern Newaygo County home and trekked nearly two miles in the woods while barely clothed.


"You got your mind going, racing. You don't know whether or not she's going to be alive or dead. You have that stuff going through your mind," said Diane Smith, Amber's mother.

Note that "you" is distancing language.  The child has now been found, and we see the mother distancing herself from the doubts, but next notice that priority is seen in order:

"alive or dead", with "alive" coming before "dead."  This is also expected from an innocent mother. 

Amber's family, police and a group of 300 people, many concerned strangers, capped a stressful and frantic 24 hours with a happy ending Wednesday when searchers found the toddler, clad in only a tank top, standing next to a fallen tree along a two-track road.
Once at the hospital for evaluation, Amber simply wanted some hot chocolate.
The girl was treated for minor scrapes and bruises, but she otherwise appeared fine after walking through a heavily wooded area without shoes and surviving overnight temperatures that dipped to 43 degrees.

"This is the best day of our lives," Smith said Wednesday, Oct. 9. "I can't ask for more."


Note the change from plural to singular


Amber wandered off from her Barton Township home about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8. Her father, Dale Smith, told authorities he was in a separate room from Amber, and when he walked to where she was, she was gone. Smith searched for the girl for about a half hour before calling 911.

Amber had walked out of the house before, but family members had found her without incident, relatives told police.

Initially, only authorities searched the area near her home at 13 Mile Road and Cottonwood Avenue, using search dogs and helicopters. Volunteers were asked to join the effort at 11 p.m. Tuesday. An Amber Alert was issued late that night.
amberrosesmith.jpg 
Volunteers on Wednesday continued to comb a mile of dense wooded area near Amber's home while cars of others eager to help formed long lines near Hawkins Township Hall, where Newaygo County Emergency Services personnel organized volunteer teams. About 200 people from the public assisted, said Abby Watkins, emergency services director.
Not long before Amber was located at 1:40 p.m., Newaygo County Undersheriff Brian Boyd said at a press conference that it was "very suspicious" the search at that point hadn't turned up a trace of the missing toddler.

Sheriff's deputies said state Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Mike Wells was the first to find Amber on the edge of a two-track road. Wells was among a group of about seven people riding off-road vehicles.

Conservation Officer Jeff Ginn approached the girl. She was crying, but calmed soon after she realized she was safe.
Ginn wrapped the toddler in a jacket and gave her water before she was loaded into an ORV and taken to the nearest road for a waiting ambulance.

"Words cannot describe the feeling, they just can't," Ginn said. "This is why we do what we do."
Newaygo County sheriff's Deputy David Israel was among the group and said "it was unbelievable" to see the child "completely calm." The elated searchers offered high-fives to one another.
Authorities were surprised Amber was found safe and without injuries after a long walk and a night alone.
"It's hard to imagine how a 2 1/2-year-old can survive that distance through the woods with that kind of temperature," Boyd said.
Amber apparently traveled east from her home at 13 Mile Road near Cottonwood Avenue and south at Beech Avenue. She ended up near Cedar Avenue and 12 Mile Road, about 1 3/4 miles southeast of her home. Amber crossed at least one road, Boyd said.
Watkins said a positive outcome is not common for the given conditions.
"It's amazing to have the outcome that we did. It's a rarity when we're able to actually locate somebody alive, especially after 24 hours and have her be so young," Watkins said.
Authorities will conduct a follow-up investigation delving into why Amber was able to walk off alone this time and in the past.
"Of course the fact that she did wander away from the house, that’s a concern. It’s going to be a follow up with the family and I’m sure over the next few days there will be quite a few more interviews," Boyd said.

23 comments:

Masquerade said...

OT

Abigail Hernandez, age 14, missing from Conway, NH.

http://www.wlbz2.com/news/article/259465/3/Search-underway-for-missing-Conway-NH-teenager

They are calling it a missing persons case, with nothing suspicious at this time.

With older kids/teens, there's always the possibility of having run away, but I wonder why the parents haven't spoken out to or for her. There's been no activity on her social media accounts or cell phone.

There's no telling what happened, and I'm definitely not blaming the parents, I'm just curious why they haven't spoken out.

Shelley said...

The cases that can be used to show what the innocent parent says really helps see how clear statement analysis is.

I did find it interesting that those that recently tired to bash SA stating they had proof it was not valid used examples of cases that didnt in fact prove anything.

I have yet to see anything proved for a fact that SA does not work.

Now we do have mainly unsolved cases or cases that may not be known for a fact.

But I love SA and I used it every day.

Tania Cadogan said...

OT

I have just finished watching crime stories on CI (crime and investigation) The case was about dennis dechaine murdering a little girl. I got so mad i was shouting at the tv. There are 2 detectives who go around following up cases to see if the right person is behind bars or the wrong one.
I doubt these guys ever had much success as cops cosi turned up my SA to listen for truth or deception (always good practice) and these 2 eejits said we tested him he may well be the wrong guy in jail. I was shouting WTH did you even listen to what he was saying? there was no strong reliable denial, the one time he said he didn't kill the little girl he followed up with a stack of qualifiers and kill was minimised to harm. Apparantly the killer is appealing for new DNA to be tested which COULD implicate someone else. Note could not would.


So Dennis Dechaine answers the same questions the officers asked on that summer night in the woods of Bowdoin in 1988. Did you take the girl? Did you kill Sarah Cherry?

“I’m not the guy who did this,” Dechaine said during a March 22 interview at the Maine State Prison in Warren.


Oh dear this is close that is distancing he puts himself close to the crime

elf said...

OT
I'm watching people's court and it got me wondering, do judges use statement analysis while hearing a court case?

Anonymous said...

Ot I'm watching"the chase"with Bradley Walsh.

Anonymous said...

So Dennis Dechaine answers the same questions the officers asked on that summer night in the woods of Bowdoin in 1988. Did you take the girl? Did you kill Sarah Cherry?

“I’m not the guy who did this,” Dechaine said during a March 22 interview at the Maine State Prison in Warren.


Oh dear this is close that is distancing he puts himself close to the crime

October 11, 2013 at 12:10 PM

===================================
Hobnob - He knows he did this horrible crime. DD is passing the blame on to the drug using DD back then.
-
DD doesn't feel he is that person anymore, so he considers himself innocent.

Shelley said...

I am trying to get a solid timeline on the Hannah case. And in doing so, it has brought to light some more discrepancies

August 3rd:
Jim picks up Hanna at about 4pm at her high school where Cheer Camp was.
**13 calls/texts in the hours before were exchanged
** Cheer camp was: 9:00 to 4:30 on August 3rd with a “Family and Friends show from 4-4:30.
LINK: http://sandiegopopwarner.org/cheer/2013-cheer-challenger-squad/
** Her phone and his were shut off at 4pm this day and remained off
********************************************************************************
Discrepancies:
Hannah stated the texts were because “he was picking me and didn’t know the address” – WAIT, DIDN’T KNOW THE ADDRESS?
Hannah Anderson friend Alan MacNabb told Nancy Grace that “DiMaggio never missed one of Hannah’s gymnastic and cheer practices”
******HELLO, If he NEVER missed either of these activities, then he knows the address well and while I would have been ok with her stating “I told him where I was – in the gym vs outside” ok, but she said herself he didn’t know the address.
LINK: http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/08/07/california-amber-alert-hannah-anderson-best-friend-disturbing-details-dimaggio

Also, another article said “DiMaggio was called "Uncle Jim" and he was close to the Anderson. He would drive Hannah and her 8-year-old brother Ethan to cheerleading and football practices respectively.”
http://laist.com/2013/08/16/kidnapping_suspect_kept_letters_fro.php
So again, we have more than one account that he was at that school frequently. So clearly he didn’t need 13 tests to find her.
And the phones being off…
** Jims house is a little over an hour drive from her school. So we are supposed to believe that she kept her phone off this entire time? This being a teen very into social media? And this is just hours before he has gotten weird and killed her mom and brother and she didn’t mention anything weird about this drive with both phones off?

********************************************************************************
August 4th
DiMaggio and the 16-year-old were photographed in his Nissan Versa at a westbound Old Highway 8 checkpoint at 12:10 a.m. on Aug 4.
********************************************************************************
Cheer camp was until 4:30pm
Jim’s home is about an hour drive back putting her back at his place about 5:30 assuming he didn’t stop anywhere.
The check point based on what I have been able to find was about 15 minutes from his house
So that means that from about 5:-30 to 11:55 they were still possibly at the home.
So she stated she was tied up for about 2-3 hours and was then drugged. So if you use 3 hours this case, that takes us to about 8:30.
So then from 8:30 now until 11:55 she is passed out? So about 3.5 hours
It is then about a 20 hour drive from his home to the Lake they were found out
Then, just 12 hours just to the border where they would enter Idaho based on the mapquest directions
She says she was passed out until she woke up IN IDAHO. Lets assume that was litterly the border and not the final destination.
So she was passed out from Ambien for a total of 15 hours? Or if it was the Lake, 23+ hours. Anyone out there know anything about Ambien? Also, I have seen NOTHING from her where she says he forced her to take drugs of any kind. I find that odd that it was not part of her story. That would be critical to me. And that is a major part of this ordeal that she just leaves out.
But it does work in her favor if she is involved. I mean, she was “passed out” during this whole time the mom and brother were likely murdered? Seems pretty convenient that she won’t have to explain or give details. Since she was asleep.
Also, any one see the photo at the check point? Was she seen? Was she awake? If she is, that also would discredit that statement.
But I cant find it anywhere.
Also I read that there were "two used condoms" seized from DiMaggio's home. But anyone know if they released details or if that was valid?

Shelley said...

To the anon that asked if Judges use SA.

While I can not answer that with facts, I do not think they do.

I have seen judges makes some of the worst decisions in the world by letting out violent killers and rapists who go out and do the same thing.

I am fed up with our LE and justice system. At the last if some of these parents like The McCanns, or Justin or Casey would at least get neglect charges i think that would be a start.

Then my next wish list would go to reporters. I am so sick of watching them just "read a script" yet act like they are making a difference.

They will blindly just assume a parent is innocent when so much says other wise.

Like Jane Valez was talking about the MacCans last week. She went off about how poor of a job the police did, how the parents were made suspects as if there was NO just cause. Even stating that they were not very far from the room as if what they did was in any way acceptable. And now here these poor parents are trying to get some progress.

I almost screamed at the TV myself.

Even when one of the guests she had on the show reminder her that Kate refused to answer tons of questions, refused to take a poly graph Jane didnt even bat an eye.

I didnt buy it before SA but now with that, it has opened my eyes to so many things.

John Mc Gowan said...

Ambien:

Snipped:

Ambien is used to treat insomnia. The immediate-release tablet is used to help you fall asleep when you first go to bed. The extended-release form, Ambien CR, which has a first layer that dissolves quickly to help you fall asleep, and a second layer that dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep.

Ambien may impair your thinking or reactions. You may still feel sleepy the morning after taking this medicine, especially if you take the extended-release tablet, or if you are a woman. Wait at least 4 hours or until you are fully awake before you do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Some people using this medicine have engaged in activity such as driving, eating, or making phone calls and later having no memory of the activity. If this happens to you, stop taking Ambien and talk with your doctor about another treatment for your sleep disorder.

http://www.drugs.com/ambien.html

Anonymous said...

Shelley said...

Also I read that there were "two used condoms" seized from DiMaggio's home. But anyone know if they released details or if that was valid?
----------------------------------

If your asking if the condom seizure was valid, it was.

Please see page 25 here:

http://ftpcontent.worldnow.com/kfmb/misc/583-13.pdf

Anonymous said...

That should be you're, sorry!

Maggie said...

Off Topic: I was wondering if someone could help me with analyzing this statement. This is from some comments we have been looking at from a very angry commenter under an old newspaper article about the Ayla case. Here is the statement:

" I know I cannot comprehend any reason for an adult hurting a little child, but it happens."

Is this statement sensitive according to SCAN ? To me, it seems highly sensitive bc the person is talking about WHY something happens. To me, I think that this part of the statement should be highlighted: "I know I cannot comprehend any reason for AN ADULT HURTING A LITTLE CHILD, BUT IT HAPPENS."
Am I right about this??? Anyone's input would be appreciated!!!

Anonymous said...

Shelly, re your post @ 4:13 p.m., there was an earlier report made by LE that both DiMaggios' and Hannahs' cell phones were turned off at 4:00 p.m. and turned back on at 8:00 pm., and that Hannahs' phone was subsequently found in the burned out home. No question about it, Hannah was definitely there, which I see now she admits but she didn't in the beginning.

At this point, we have no way of knowing what time they actually arrived at or left the DiMaggio home, but another LE report stated that DiMaggio had a 20-hour jump on their search; apparently this would be the time the fire at the home was reported, the deceased bodies found and Hannah was reported abducted?

I can't say with certainty concerning the 20-hour lead time DiMaggio had before the fire and bodies were discovered as this was not made clear in the report that was made at that time. Sorry, but I don't have any links to any of these LE statements, I am trying to recall from memory. Maybe someone else will be able to share these links?

brosnanfan said...

Peter: Have I read before where you have said it is a disturbing thing when a baby/toddler/young child goes easily to strangers? This little girl seemed oddly comfortable in the presence of so many people who (supposedly) were previously unknown to her.

Mainah said...


OT:Missing Abagail Hernandez, NH

Masquerade,
I'd never heard of the Secret Service involved in a missing teen case. A couple of clicks, from Abagail's fb, to her boyfriends father's fb and it's pretty clear way they have an interest. The boyfriend's dad is, let's just say even more anti-Obama then Peter, and wayyyy less subtle about it. Yikes!

Analyze this: https://www.facebook.com/WhtMtTowGuy

John Mc Gowan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
John Mc Gowan said...

Hi Brosnanfan.

Is this what you are looking for ?.

Understanding Neglect of Children:

http://statement-analysis.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/understanding-neglect-of-children.htm

John Mc Gowan said...

OT..Although it does deal with Statement Analysis.

Here is a great little example of how effective SA can be.

"Someone is cold..."

As my daughter was walking out of our house with a blanket to hang outside with her friends by the fire, she volunteered that "someone is cold." That would have been our assumption without her saying anything since she was walking outside with a blanket, so first off, pay attention to volunteered information because it is important for the person to say it or else it would not have been spoken. That sounds so simplistic, but underlying the utterance of volunteered information is the person's "motivation" for needing to say it.

Secondly, when a person says "someone" it is often used because they don't know the individual or they are trying to hide the person's identity. My wife and I knew all her friends that were over so why might she be trying to hide someone's identity? Was someone else there that we didn't know? Or that she didn't know? Possibly, but I would think that she would say who it's for, something like "Kelly stopped over too, she's a friend of Tom's, and she's cold." Since she didn't do that, it may be possible that she was intentionally trying to hide the other person's identity, but the other possibility was that she was lying about something.

I asked her, "What's in the blanket" and she responded, "What do you mean?" Ouch! Answering the question with a question is a strong sign of resistance and verbal evasion. The “correct” answer was “nothing”, but because there was “something” in the blanket she couldn't say that so she became evasive in her language.

Yes, there was something in the blanket... it was a bottle of an alcoholic beverage! She was using the blanket to cover the bottle, not because anybody was cold, which is why she volunteered that information and why she was not specific in her language, and why she became became evasive as well. Her language gave it away, and her language certainly got her grounded for a while…no phone, no car, no friends. Not to lay my parenting woes on you, I'm sure those of you raising your own children have your own stories, but when somebody volunteers information, pay attention because people's language will reveal more that what they say. Also, when you hear “someone” within an interview or interrogation or within written statements (or from your children) question further. There is the possibility that they are suppressing somebody’s identity or they are not being completely honest. Also, when an individual answers a question with a question, that is a sign of resistance and evasiveness and should be cause for further questioning.

http://www.truthsleuth.com/

ME said...

John that is a brilliant piece!!!!

Masquerade said...

They are supposedly still just treating it as a missing person case, although when asked about foul play, they said "nothing can be ruled out at this point".

The police have spoken out to Abigail, saying:

"Abby, if you are out there and hear this message, please call the police department, your family or friends so we can conclude this investigation and have you safely return," he said.

*****

Yet, her parents haven spoken, that I can find anyway. As a mother, if your teen ran away, I would think you'd want her to know that you love her and it's ok to come home. The teen, if they really ran away, might be afraid to come home with all the police and LE agencies now involved.

If she ran away, in my opinion, she went with someone. I don't think teens just up and run away all by themselves. Are all of her friends accounted for? They must be - no mention of anyone else missing.

Something's not right (obviously), I imagine she was probably straight up abducted, or tricked into "running away" with someone. But that doesn't account for her parents not speaking out.

Masquerade said...

Why would Abigail's mother not be allowed to speak out?

*****

Hernandez, reached Thursday evening, began to speak to a Union Leader reporter about her daughter's disappearance, but a woman identifying herself as "the county attorney" abruptly ended the interview.The Carroll County attorney is Robin J. Gordon.

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20131010/NEWS07/131019884&template=mobileart

Anonymous said...

Responding to Shelley about Ambien:

Thanks very much for making the timeline on the Hannah Anderson case. I've been wondering why someone in the media hasn't put one together.

I've taken Ambien. I took it for about 6 months when I was having severe insomnia. It only works for 8 hours (almost exactly), and it starts working very soon after you take it. (I'm talking minutes, not 10s of minutes.)

If you're not ready to go to sleep, it's possible that Ambien can "switch off" your memory. For example, sometimes my husband said we would discuss significant items before we turned out the light and later I wouldn't remember having had those talks. A few times I also encountered evidence that I'd been up in the middle of the night (like a water glass left on the counter) and had no memory of having gotten up.

I will say this: 8 hours is the MAX time Ambien worked for me. And it didn't "knock me out" -- you do have some control over your activities -- but it can produce amnesia if you don't go straight to bed after taking it.

Unknown said...

Does anyone know what came of the Amber Rose investigation?