Thursday, November 19, 2015

Commitment In Language: Intrusion and Violence

What does it mean to "commit" to a sentence?
What does it mean to "distance" one self from commitment within a sentence?
What does it mean to "run away" from commitment?

A person commits to a topic, within a sentence, by the use of the pronoun "I" and the past tense verb. If someone said,

"I went to Macy's on Friday night, at 7PM", the structure of the sentence tells us that statistically, it is very likely to be true. If someone said,

"Went to Macy's on Friday night, at 7PM" the commitment is reduced.  The subject has dropped the pronoun "I" which makes it "unreliable."

It does not mean it is not true, but it means that he has not committed to the assertion of the sentence.

If the subject did commit to it and did not go to Macy's, it is a fabrication of reality, a signal of a pathological liar, who will lie upon topics even unnecessary.  This form of lying is rare, and is a signal of danger:  this person will do anything it takes to protect himself, including harming others.

"I went to Macy's on Friday at 7PM.
i went to Starbucks to have coffee later on.
I got home at 1AM."

Here we have the 2nd sentence with the pronoun not capitalized.  This could be simply a mistake, but in lengthy statement where this change is continual, the lower case should be considered a "downgrade" for good reason.


I recently analyzed a statement in which the subject wrong a number of sentences with the lower case "i" and each one proved to be false.

Parents of small children learn that guilty children hide behind the pronoun "we", as a crowd eases the personal spotlight of guilt, and teens often drop pronouns entirely. 

Parent:   "Where were you last night?"

Teen:  "Last night?  Uh, I went to the movies with friends."

a.  Answering a question with a question. 
b.  Avoiding pronoun connection to "friends"; as they are not "my friends"making the identity of the friends 'sensitive' to the teen. 
c.  The odds are that he did go to the movies.  He is committed to this.  
d.  "with" between people indicates distance.  The distance could be anything from some liked the movie while others didn't, to something more nefarious. 

Parent:  "What friends?"

Teen:  "Oh, you know, the usual."  

Avoidance noted; the question is now 'sensitive' confirmed.  He went to the movies, specifically, with someone his father had told him to avoid as a trouble maker 

Parent:   "Where did you go after the movies?  You were home late."

Teen:  "Just hung around."

No pronoun means no commitment:  this subject does not want to tell his parent who he was with, and where they went afterwards, and likely, what they did.  The word "just" is a comparative word:  he is comparing "hanging around" with what they actually did, and it entered his language.   

Teen:  "Went to the bowling alley.  Had some laughs, that's all, and then, after that, I came home."

a. "Went" is missing the pronoun "I" or "we":  No commitment to the bowling alley so we cannot know if they went to the bowling alley but if they did, what took place there the subject wishes to distance himself from.  

b.  Temporal lacuane is a skipping or passage of time, doubled up (very sensitive) "and then, after that..." It means that the parent-investigator should focus the question in the missing time period. 

c.  "I came home" is  reliable:  commitment with "I" and past tense "came" = reliable.  It is a strong commitment, just as "I went to the movies" is also a strong commitment.  

Surprise, surprise:  he went to the movies with a crowd he was to avoid, and after the movies, they went to the bowling alley where they met a 21 year old trouble maker who they paid to buy beer that they drank, under-aged, in a parking lot.   


Commitment and Violence 

A home entered by a stranger is upsetting but a home invasion in which violence is done is highly intrusive and the language must reflect this.  If the language does not, you may be looking at deception.


When it comes to a highly personal attack, to refuse to use the pronoun "I" is seen in one of several ways:

1.  It is missing.

This is a reduction of commitment to the event in the sentence.  

When it comes to assault, including sexual assault, we look for strong commitment to match the strong emotion of intrusion:


"Went to the bar on Friday and this guy had his hands all over me, no body has a right to touch another person who does not want to be touched."


This subject does not even commit to being at the bar.  She may have gone but if following the principle of letting the subject guide us, she did not say "I went to the bar..."


a.  maybe she did not go
b.  she went but psychologically is distancing herself from it
c.  Why might she distance herself?  Something there happened that she does not want to be associated with?
d.  She distanced herself because she was not sexually assaulted.

An assault is very personal.  In analyzing some of the alleged victims of Bill Cosby we noted that the subject made strong pronoun connection to the assault, just as we noted that the pronoun "we", something that indicates unity and cooperation, disappeared from the language as soon as the assault took place. With women who were abused in childhood, we have an entire section focused upon the uniqueness of their language; including those sexually assaulted during critical brain and speech development.  




Pronouns, alone, lead to arrests. One study states that as much as 70% of cold case homicide files contain confession by pronoun.  A police captain reported that in his semester of Statement Analysis at the FBI Academy, pronouns were given a full 8 hour course by themselves.  They are 100% reliable in guiding us. 

Recall Dennis Dechaine's testimony:  "I was standing admiring the deciduous trees, and we were losing daylight..." when the prosecutor interrupted and said, "Mr. Dechaine, who is 'we'?"

His defense attorney stood and request recess as Dechaine did not know what to say since he had claimed to be alone in the woods, lost, and had "never" met his victim.

Overnight they came up with a strategy:

"By using the word "we", I was referring to everyone, you know, the entire community losing daylight,..."

The jury didn't buy it and he was convicted in the murder of the little girl, Sarah Cherry.

In false rape cases, confessions have been obtained by confronting the deceptive accuser with her pronouns.  This is consistent in my work and in those who employ Statement Analysis in their investigations.  

In a lengthy interview, the alleged victim had me close to tears.  I was convinced, as were other professionals, that she had been assaulted.  

"I was at the movie theater with him and that's where he did it.  You know, I can't say it (crying,) it is too horrible."

"What happened next?

"After he did it to me I froze in fear and when the movie was over we drove home and I went to my room and told my friend what happened and I called police."

I heard "we" and my emotional path was disrupted.  That was all I needed, though I continued the interview until she was brought to the point of having to give details of the assault, of which she then used passivity in language and lots of tears.  

Not only was the life of an innocent 19 year old on the line, but there were other very alarming aspects to this case. 

A medical doctor and a therapist's license were on the line.  The only evidence I had that this did not happen was the pronoun "we" found after the assault.  My immediate supervisor said, "Do you really want to hang this entire case on a single pronoun?  Everything else fits."

I said that I did.  The passivity could be explained away by a court appointed psychologist; I knew that.  

This was about justice, but one professional reminded me:  'yeah, it may be about justice, but it is also your career on the line.'

There was a 19 year old kid about to have his life destroyed due to a liar. 

I said that the alleged victim must be confronted in her therapist's office because she could have an unpredictable reaction. 

She was confronted with this, "Research has shown that victims are so disgusted by the rapists that in her description, once the rape has taken place, victims will never use the word "we" to relate to herself and the rapist; the animosity is too strong and the victim is too disgusted. "

She confessed calmly and said that he had found another girlfriend.  I did not see that coming.  I thought the confession would be histrionic.  

When asked what she thought about him being 19 and spending years in prison she said, "well, that's his problem."

Pronouns do not lie.  


"He grabbed me and put his hands on my breasts and I told him to stop it but he wouldn't.  He punched me in the face and told me to shut up, bitch. "

The rule of commitment:  Strong pronoun usage and past tense verbs.  This statement is very likely to be truthful. In this statement, not only do we have short sentences (best) but we have:

a.  Pronoun commitment
b.  Verb commitment
c.  Communicative language that matches intensity with "told" instead of the softer, "said."

In crimes that are "up close and personal" the language will match it. When someone does not believe what he or she is asserting, the language reflects it.

In the "kidnapping" of her granddaughter, Phoebe DiPietro, mother of Justin DiPietro, tried to convince the media that she was, herself  very afraid because of something terribly invasive:

A stranger had entered her home in Waterville, Maine, and had stolen her most prized possession:  her granddaughter, Ayla Reynolds.  She wanted media to believe the kidnapping, which had to be planned, but her words gave her away:

"When someone is casing your house and you are waiting for the sheriff to call you..."

She would not commit to kidnappers casing her own house, nor did she expect a phone call from the sheriff about the kidnappers.  She knew what had happened to her granddaughter with the likely explanation from her son of an "accident" and panic cover up.

In the same interview, she also 'led' the media with her "yes or no" answers with the claim that there were no parties that night in her home, and she did not "hear" anything (i.e., the kidnapper).  When the analysis showed "deception indicated", the next day she 'apologized' and admitted:  she was even in the home the night that Baby Ayla met her fate; she had stayed elsewhere.  She did not believe her own assertion, which we knew from her language.  

People who are victims of home invasion also commit to this because it is so personal and not 'universal.'  The often suffer PTSD like symptoms for years, with hyper vigilance and nightmares.

What might produce softer, 2nd person distance?

Dropped wallets, and lost cell phones where not only to we have a universal and common experience, but we have no personal invasion of space and no contact.

The more intense the event, the more intense the language. 

This is where intuitive police often shine.


In trainings, I show a short video clip of a victim who alleges a horrific violent act and she cries real tears.

I then ask,

"What do you think?"

In the years of using this exercise, perhaps 1 of 10 believes it credible.

Most do not know why they do not believe her.

I then do this exercise:

I describe the assault in detail.
I ask them to write out a list of all the words they expect to hear.

I then play the entire interview, which is only 5 minutes long, asking them to jot down any word the victim uses that 'surprises' the investigators.

I then ask them to compare the two lists and they now understand why they felt 'uncomfortable' with her statement, although her body language has not red flags of deception commonly known to investigators.  This is because she was genuinely upset, and cried real tears and had genuine fear due to what she was doing.

I then distribute a report submitted to the FBI on the case in which the pronouns show deception.

It is now an essential portion of training.



Question:  What does it mean to "run away" from commitment?

Answer:  It means that the assertion in the sentence is highly personal and intrusive, but the subject has not only refused to commit to his assertion with pronoun and past tense verb combination, but repeats this refusal.  The more 'intrusive' the allegation, the more distance is seen in the refusal to commit.

There is a progression of intrusive nature in the murder of Amanda Blackburn, the 28 year old who was shot in the head during a home invasion robbery in which her pre born child also died, while her 1 year old was in the home.  Each detail 'raises the level' of 'intrusiveness' in the crime:

a.  Home invasion is intrusive and personal
b.  Home invasion that includes wife, pre born child, and child increases level of intensity
c.  Murder of home invasion that includes wife, pre born child and child further increases
d.  Head shot murder, very close and personal, increases this level of intensity
e.  Any possible struggle makes it even more so.

Therefore, the language of the victim's closest survivor is the husband.  Husbands and wives often "enter into each other's language" in a way that, after years of closeness, literally begin to share the same personal, subjective internal dictionary.  The closer they were and the more years spent together, the more this phenomena in language is evidenced.  This is where people will say, "you two kinda look alike" as they not only share a dictionary, but will mimic each others' face expressions.

In the Blackburn murder, they were married a short time and the marriage was very negative according to both, yet points a through e still apply, as this was the husband's home, wife, child and pre born child.  When he refused to use the pronoun "I" about:

1.  his thoughts on who did this
2.  his thoughts on why this happened
3.  his emotions on what happened

he, literally, "from commitment.

As a narcissist, he used "we" which must then be understood in his own reference:  Perhaps his ego is such that he always uses "we" in speech.  This is answered in other videos where he uses the pronoun "I" normally, including his own negative emotion expressed in not having a large number of people attend his church.  He used more negative words to describe his feeling over a failed number than he did over the murder of his wife and pre born child, his home invaded, and his 1 year old exposed to acute violence.

He did not 'psychologically distance' himself:  he ran away, psychologically, to the protective covering of a crowd.  This is consistent with guilt rather than denial.  This is something we see in the guilty, as well as in children who do not wish to be blamed.  The only remaining question in this sphere is the cause of guilt.

As humans, we do not like having our space invaded, especially the place where we sleep.  Sleep is a vital point in life so much so that without it, we will not survive.  This is why we flag "location" of sleep, often as a refugee from something or someone.  When someone invades our home, it is where we eat (to survive) and sleep (this is where we are very vulnerable, making it very sensitive to us). 

Home invasions will trigger up close personal language due to the strong emotions that come from having our place of safety violated.  It is only increased with each level of personal 'assault.'  It is expected, therefore, in language.  

Is it guilty knowledge in the death of Amanda Blackburn and his pre born child, or
Is it guilt from the feeling of being free from a very negative marriage, knowing that a divorce would mean the end of his career?

*********************************************************************************

Formal training has an entire section dedicated to pronouns alone.  They are instinctive, intuitive, and exempt from the principle of subjectivity in language.  Used millions of times from our earliest days of speech, they are 100% effective in lie detection. Often those with intuitive skills benefit as they know how to use the tools, but learn what happens when a much sharpened and honed tool is placed in their hands.

Training:  Hyatt Analysis Services 

Seminars and in home training, with Continuing Educational Units from University of Maine.

Trainings for Law Enforcement, Hiring, and Social Services (child abuse, therapy, etc), as well as journalism, civil investigations, court preparation, and interviewing.   



76 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm assuming your analysis has been shared with IMPD?

lynda said...

Transcript of 11/19/2015 interview with DAvey from S. Carolina and FOX. I will also post in last thread.

8:25 AM this morning 11/19/2015 FOX Interview was 6 ½ min. long.
I: Joining us today is her husband, Davey Blackburn who is in Anderson, South Carolina. Pastor, thanks for joining us.
DB: Thank you very much, Steve..thank you for havin’ me.
I: You bet. When we first initially ran this story about what happened ya know, we couldn’t believe it. Uh, initially though, as is the case, they always look at the husband however, the police came out very quickly and said you have been cleared of all of that. But still in the very beginning, to have the suspicion hangin’ over you, what was that like for a, a, man of God to worry about somethin’ like that?
DB: (He’s been slightly nodding with furrowed brow and his lips thinned out, pressed together)
DB: Yeah, I mean we, I certainly understand that’s always the first place that they are goin’ to ahm, investigate, and so I..I..guess that was to be, to be expected on some level. Um, ya know, but on another level, um, just going thru the ah, this, this trying time as a, as a, ya know with our family it, it, it, was, it was definitely difficult, um, to kinda even swallow that, um, and, and, so ya know for us, we’re, we’re, we don’t have anything to hide and we trust the investigation that’s goin’ on and the, the, (Interviewer is nodding yes) the detectives have been extremely gracious thru this whole process to us…
I: Nodding yes, mmm, hmmm
DB: Um, they’ve been really great in how they’ve, um, kept us up to speed on things that are goin’ on so , so we’re really appreciative of that.
I: Well, ah somebody in the neighborhood spotted a gun that was on their lawn and took it into a fire department , and they’re analyzing this , ah, Pastor tell us a little bit about how this could be linked to your wife’s murder.
DB: (Chucks teeth) Well I, I’m, not , I’m not, su, sure about, ya know, the, the , ah, um, the viability of how it could be linked or how it couldn’t , b..be linked, and so again, ya know the investigators are takin’ a look at that, um, they’ve assured us that they have the full breadth of resources at their availability, um, they’ve assured me that they’ve never, um, this kind of a blank a, a, check that they’ve been given to be able ta, ta, further the investigation, and so, we’re really confident and hopeful that very soon , um, some of these promising leads that they have will turn into , um, bein’ able to find the person, or the people, who are responsible for this.
I: Yeah, and one of the other promising leads is there is some video that shows some kinda grainy, it can make out somebody walkin’ , has that been helpful to the police, I, in this (video of perp) you can’t really see any of the guys features , presumably a guys features, ah, has that been helpful to the police?

lynda said...

continued...

DB: Well, I, ya know, I’m sure its been helpful to them, um , they’re, ya know, they’re, they’re the professionals , they do this, they’re very good at what they do, and so um, it’s not been helpful for us, we obviously don’t recognize a, who that is, and you’re right, it’s very obscure, so we’re not , we’re not sure, but again, we’re just, we’re trustin’ that they’ve got not just that but lots of different things to ah, to a, help in the process of, of findin’ this perpetrator, yeah.
I: They’re tryin to put all the puzzle pieces together to find out who murdered your wife
DB: Yeah
I: ..showin the pictures of you, you’ve gotta beautiful family, tell us about Amanda..
DB: Yeah, yeah, um, (laughs) Amanda was loved by everyone ah, wel..th..the most important thing about Amanda is that she was absolutely in love with Jesus Christ. Um, she loved Jesus (he starts gesticulating with his hands now like a preacher does, for emphasis on words) and because of that, because Jesus had changed her heart, and, and, Jesus was living inside of her , he was living thru her, she loved everybody around her, so she , she had this incredible way of seeing potential in people that, ah, most people didn’t see in themselves, an, and, I feel like she did this in everything in her life, ya know, one a, one a, the things that she’d been doin’ over the past 4 years was buildin’ this business where she restored furniture. She would take what looked to be trash and turn it into somethin’ that was, that was beautiful, that was treasure, I, I’d joke with her all the time, she’d have me pickin’ up furniture off the side of the road, and I’m like, Babe, you can’t do anything with this, and she’s like, just trust me, gimme time, I’ll, I’ll make it into somethin’ beautiful , and I think that’s what’s so, what’s so, great about, um, ya know, e..even, in what Jesus has been showin’ us in the process of all of this, is that we serve a God , Jesus Christ, who takes what the world says is a tragedy, what the world says is trash, and in time he makes it beautiful, and, and, I love the fact that now, she’s in heaven, and with Jesus, and she sees that end result because she was always the one that could see the end result in the furniture and in people before anybody else could, and so, man, we’re just, we’r, that’s what, that’s where we get hope in this whole situation. It’s a hope that doesn’t make sense , it’s a peace that doesn’t make sense, even to us, and I know ta the world , but we know that she loved Jesus, we love Jesus, and uh, we have that , that, perspective that has really helped us ta, ta, derive strength thru this whole thing.
I: Sure. Such lovely words about your wife. I’ve read that you had said that the hardest thing going forward is gonna be , ya know, just pickin’ up the pieces with your CHILDREN , and try to live a life without her.

Amy Smith said...

‏@JakeMillerNews
BREAKING: LAWYERS FROM BROWN, TOMPKINS, LORY AND MASTRIAN CONTACTED BY POTENTIAL SUSPECTS
https://twitter.com/JakeMillerNews/status/667356793929113600

lynda said...

continued ...

DB: (Davey’s been nodding his head up and down while Interviewer speak
DB: Yeah, yeah, absolutely , ya know, I mean, she, we were expecting, um, our second, um, we were gonna name ha..her..Evie Grace, um, and a, um, an, and we have little Weston, ah, h.he’s 15 months old, and I think the, THE hardest thing, um, even just in the midst of dealing with loss, in the midst of dealing with um, losing the person that you feel like, ya know, completed you and we shared so many great memories and we shared everything that we did together and , and, there’s not one aspect of my life that she wasn’t a part of ..not one aspect of hers that I wasn’t part of, and so I think thru all of that ..it’s really difficult just to start, to try to figure out what’s next, ya know, an, an, we’re, we’re hopeful in the fact that, that, re..really, throughout this tragedy, the best really is yet to come, that everything good in my life has been given to me by a gracious God, and so everything good moving forward , the Lord is going to provide , and so we’re hopeful in that, but, but, we’re tryin’ to figure out what that it looks like. What is the new normal for us? How do I, how do I father Weston , um, and grow him up to be, to be a man of God as well, and that’s exactly what she would’ve wanted in this process.
I: All right. Pastor we thank you very much for joining us today to talk about your wife and the investigation and we’re gonna keep folks posted on developments out, ah, regarding..
DB: (Interrupts) Thank you Steve
I: her murder, the senseless murder of your beautiful wife. Alright, Davey Blackburn, thank you.
DB: Thank you very much.

Tania Cadogan said...

What's with all the WE?

Who is the WE he keeps referring to?

For someone so used to public speaking he is all over the place coherent wise

lynda said...

DAvey had a chance, right at the beginning, to offer a reliable denial..he didn't take it.

Tania Cadogan said...

When talking about jesus he is fine, hardly any stuttering or nonsense sounds, as soon as they conversation goes back to Amanda and th4e investigation he becomes almost incomprehensible.

He just just leaking.

Anonymous said...

He didn't need to take that chance; he was never accused!

CJ said...

As regards the latest interview, given that his statements are now so similar and repetitive, it is interesting to focus on what new words/phrases are emerging:

Interviewer: ...to have this suspicion hanging over you, what was it like for a man of God to have something like that to worry about something like that?

Davey: "Yeah, I mean we ce—I certainly understand that that's always the first place they are going to investigate—"
(note word choice: "Place" rather than "person")

"and so I guess that was to be expected on some level, you know, but on another level, just going through the—this trying time, as, as, you know with our family, it-it-it was definitely difficult to kinda even swallow that.

(Phrase choice: "difficult to kinda even swallow that.)

Davey: "the investigators are takin’ a look at that, um, they’ve assured us that they have the full breadth of resources at their availability, um, they’ve assured me that they’ve never, um, this kind of a blank a, a, check that they’ve been given to be able ta, ta, further the investigation"

(Blank check imagery)

Interviewer: Has that [video of suspect] been helpful to the police?
Davey: Well I'm sure it's been helpful to them, they're the professionals, they do this, they're very good at what they do, so, um it's not been helpful for US, we obviously don't recognize who that is...

(obviously!)

KD said...

Wow wow wow, I just want to say thank you to Peter / this blog for introducing me to Statement Analysis! Such great work going on here....I am definitely going to look into some of the past cases on this blog.

lynda said...

If he has nothing to hide..why did he run to South Carolina?

This interview, he was so bright-eyed he didn't even attempt to "choke up" or display any sadness.

You're right Davey, Amanda DOES see the end result and come judgement day, you will NOT end up in the same place she is. God does not look kindly on false prophets.

John Mc Gowan said...

A powerful article.

Thanks, Peter

Anonymous said...

I think there may be one aspect of his life that she wasn't a part of. Never heard of her going to the gym.

GeekRad said...

Is he in South Carolina because that is where family is? I think I remember reading early on that they moved from South Carolina to Indy.
Agreed Tania, he's fine talking about Jesus but practically incoherent when talking about Amanda and the investigation.

Anonymous said...

Because that's where his family and closest friends are.

KD said...

"Christian chatter" as well? Not sure what that means but:

https://christianpundit.wordpress.com/2015/11/18/people-suspect-pastor-davey-blackburn-may-have-something-to-do-with-his-wifes-murder/

Anon said...

I hope the police are looking into his relationship with their friend/babysitter Megan Griffith. I see some red flags there.

Anonymous said...

I hope they are looking into all his relationships, friends, etc. and looking everywhere and at everyone EXCEPT those caught on video.That's what they are hired to do, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

Not one single tear for his wife and unborn child. Not yet. If you chalk it up to shock at first, well, it's time for real grieving. Still, no tears.

Anonymous said...

Excellent, this is something I would like to augment my Masters in counseling with.

KD said...


The parent church to DB's generates this much money and NOONE has offered to add to the paltry $1000 reward. That is a DISGRACE.

The release of NewSpring’s annual report in February generated a bit of discussion about how much of NewSpring’s $34.3 million income goes to Perry Noble. NewSpring and Noble keep his actual salary under wraps, but we do know that he is extraordinarily well compensated.


http://www.pajamapages.com/in-which-i-argue-that-perry-noble-and-steven-furtick-are-not-overpaid/

Anonymous said...

Maybe the hiring of wailers would be in order, eh? Just like the good 'ole Biblical days.

Anonymous said...

Surely there are other members you could extort from and not the church as a unit.

Anonymous said...

Guilty

Anonymous said...

Was it his normal routine to be at the gym every M-F from 5:30 until 8:30? That seems so self-indulgent and really uncaring towards his wife. If I were Amanda, busy parenting a toddler and working at building a small business to bring in extra income for the family, I think I would feel really abandoned and unloved. And to add insult to injury, he admits he feels so much temptation in that setting. Doesn't the bible say something about how wrong it is to lust in your heart?

Is there some reason he couldn't figure out a way to do his workouts at home? Maybe she was relieved to have him out of the house on a regular basis to give her a break from having to walk on egg shells around him. I know the church services were at a school but was he pretty much home during the week doing work out of a home office?

I don't know, it just seems like three hours of almost daily gym time for a father of a young child seems excessive so just trying to get a sense of whether that's what he actually did to understand how his normal routine fits with the timeline of Amanda's murder.

Weiner said...

Peter, am I to gather from some of your posts that you at least think it is possible that CD got "lucky" in the fact that someone murdered his wife, but that he actually had nothing to do with it?

Shannon In CA said...

He started to say we again and self corrected to I rift at the beginning. You're right about place vs person.bbut I'm also really concerned that immediately after that he says "you know, with OUR family"....again...who is our? His and Amanda's (i.e. Davey and son)? Because she's dead, so saying I would've been more appropriate yes? And he shouldn't be speaking for her side of the family. And he's never even mentioned his side specifically.

Shannon In CA said...

Yeah kind of. Not that he wanted her dead per se but he didn't want to be married so the fact that this happened is convenient at least.

Anonymous said...

DB says " I love the fact that now, she’s in heaven,"

wow

CJ said...

I just posted on the earlier thread that Davey is leading us by the hand to the conclusion that GOD killed Amanda (the actual killer was just doing God's work, and is already forgiven).

I'm awaiting the next (logical) revelation: that Davey believes he IS God. (Does anyone else think we may be watching a full psychotic break developing, live, on national TV?)

It's hard to look away.

lynda said...

If Davey had nothing to do with it...yes, he is NOT unhappy that his wife and unborn child were murdered. He sure is getting mileage out of his metaphor that people are like the trashy furniture she "restored" isn't he?

Anonymous said...

I got the feeling he was calling Amanda 'trash' that God restored, that or he can't keep his analogies straight....

Anonymous said...

That depends, CJ. what type of tracking device did you attach to his vehicle? Is he to be paranoid first, then blame the murder, then think God abandoned him, too? Bet you are watching the TV closely.

ranger said...

@Anon 12:31
um...what???

XianJaneway said...

My blog post on why everyone should stay away from his church, even if he's 100% innocent: http://iprefercaptain.com/2015/11/why-davey-blackburns-church-culture-is-toxic/
(Potentially disturbing image in the post)

CJ said...

@Anon 12:31

At this point I have watched all of the interviews with Davey, several of the church videos, and Amanda's live celebration.

I wish we had a transcription of the Celebration.

It was Perry Noble who introduced the concept of "crazy Davey." He noticed from day one that something wasn't right about Davey. He was talked into a second look at (interview with) him by other staff members. Before hiring Davey he asked to meet Amanda, knowing that they were engaged. Right then, Perry tells the audience why: you don't want to let crazy people into your organization, as they can do too much damage. It was only when he saw Davey in the room with Amanda by his side that he considered him finally "right."

Was Noble joking? Sure. (Because roasting the husband of a murder victim at his wife's funeral is such a cool, hip, godly thing to do).

I'm curious, what do you see when you watch Davey talking on TV?

CJ said...

The corollary to option "C:"

If what we are seeing is a good man, with normal marital stress, who loved his wife and is innocent of her death, then (IMO) he is in desperate need of intervention and support right now.

The reality of her death hasn't hit him yet, and God help him when it does.

I don't understand why his family, friends and mentors aren't actively trying to pull him back from the spotlight. (Maybe they are, and he just won't be deterred in his mission).

KD said...

CJ - I've wondered that as well. Maybe he is in a state of shock/breakdown? How long could that last and I wonder what it culminates into?

CJ said...

KD,

I addressed this on the article thread upstream.

Anonymous said...

@CJ
I keep wonder that same thing.
Maybe that's why he's in SC- maybe his loved ones are hoping to better help (supervise) him?

CJ said...

KD, Never mind, lost my bearings there for a moment.

I have no idea where all this is leading to. Davey's behavior is so markedly different from what we would expect in this situation that EVERYONE sees it as remarkable. Just for different reasons ... his family, friends, and church are going on and on about how amazing his faith is.

Most of us here (including me) see something else.

lynda said...

he's not in shock. Watch everything, his videos and such. This is his NORMAL behavior. He only starts moving his hands around and "pounding or pointing" his finger when he is trying to emphasize Jesus, or what can be done with Jesus. He's regurgitating his normal stuff, adding some here, and taking away (after he has been reading online I'm sure) some other things. But he is who he is, he just can't help himself. Narcissism doesn't go away over night, if ever..he can't help himself. He worships the spotlight, money, attention, his sexual needs, etc. This guy is empty, VOID. I feel so sorry for his little boy. Hopefully, if he had something to do with this, Amanda's family will raise the little one. Even if he didn't have something to do with it, he should not be raising that boy.

I suppose I shouldn't be shocked by I am by the amount of money flowing into NewSpring. The fact that Perry's salary is secret, says alot. Guess they never heard, Matthew 19:24 "I'll say it again-it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of A needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!

Skeptical said...

I hope there is a thorough investigation of this murder. Murder within religious communities seems to be becoming more and more common. I enjoy watching Investigation Discovery ID. It is often noticeable that even years after persons have been found guilty of a crime, they still cannot offer a reliable denial. Some of the cases they have profiled are Couty Alexander who murdered his pregnant wife in Louisiana. Pastor Matt Baker in Waco who murdered his wife due to an affair. Joyce Meyer's bodyguard Chris Coleman murdered his wife and children. Rabbi Neulander had his wife murdered. Nick Hacheney, a minister in Washington, and Arthur Schirmer dubbed the "sinister minister" also murdered their wives.

JenB said...

" think thru all of that ..it’s really difficult just to start, to try to figure out what’s next, ya know, an, an, we’re, we’re hopeful in the fact that, that, re..really, throughout this tragedy, the best really is yet to come, that everything good in my life has been given to me by a gracious God, and so everything good moving forward , the Lord is going to provide , and so we’re hopeful in that, but, but, we’re tryin’ to figure out what that it looks like."

He started with "we, we, we," then switches to my/me, then back again. I think it's interesting that what got "me/my" was about God giving DAVEY good things. The switch was jarring to me. I think I'd be inclined to say, "that everything good in our lives has been given to us by a gracious God." That is a topic where I'd be likely to speak in general terms, so as not to claim God's blessing for ME, as though I am somehow worthy -- or more worthy than others.

OPN said...

Steve Jefferson @scoopjefferson Crime Beat Reporter with WTHR Television Indianapolis that sources say Amanda was raped. This wa posted 20 minutes ago.
https://twitter.com/scoopjefferson

rob said...

http://www.wbrc.com/story/30560274/police-questioning-people-in-killing-of-amanda-blackburn

At least there appears to be progress.

Amy Smith said...

@scoopjefferson: IMPD to suspect: "You left behind evidence". (DNA) Sources confirm Amanda Blackburn's killer sexually assaulted her. https://t.co/C9QEbYe75P

JenB said...

Okay. This guy is claiming "sources" say Amanda was sexually assaulted.
https://twitter.com/scoopjefferson/status/667408871573557248

That breaks my heart, and I hope she was not conscious at that time.

Shouldn't this make the crime even more horrifying for Davey & Co.? Peter, you were talking about ways the crime could have been any more personal and violating -- I would say this is it. Even if he didn't love Amanda, he clearly regarded her as his belonging. Shouldn't he be outraged?

M said...

I already said this in another comment section, but since someone brought it up, I'll say it again. I know the identity of 'we'.

'We' is Legion (Mark 5) - and I hope the police are able to perform an exorcism soon.

Statement Analysis Blog said...

M,

you're wrong.

It is Mr. Lenoge.

M said...

I'll be a little more serious about it. Toward the end of his interview with Doocey it sounds like CD is preaching or teaching Doocey. CD says that Jesus is where we get our hope - listen to how he says it. He's including the interviewer in the word 'we'.

M said...

Peter - I had to look that up! yikes!

Rachel said...

She was sexually assaulted and we're just hearing about this from LE now? And not even LE, from a "source". That's unbelievable! To me that changes the whole aspect of this crime, and if true, now would make sense why a burglar would enter an occupied home. I can't believe LE would tell the public it was a robbery gone wrong, when it was really a rape. That's unforgivable. They should have alerted the women in the area.

I'm truly confused, though, because in the other vid I watched, the journalist said they have DNA from items pulled from the home. Not once did he mention sexual assault.

OPN said...

Amanda Blackburn was sexually assaulted, four suspects being questioned
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/three-suspects-being-questioned-in-connection-to-death-of-amanda-blackburn

Joni said...

Did the suspects go to talk to police about their involvment with the burglary down the street or the rape and murder of Amanda? Have those crimes been 100% linked? Is the gun that was turned in related to the murder or the robber? Neither? One? Both?

Rachel said...

If she was sexually assaulted, then that explains why LE cleared DB right away. I would agree with them. If that's the case, then I doubt he had anything to do with it. That doesn't change the fact that his behavior has been strange and that he's weird, but I don't think he's involved.

Joni said...

There was a good sized dog in the house (Boxer looking) that was unharmed. It greeted investigators at the door like nothing was wrong.

So a random man raped & murdered Amanda while the dog quietly sat by and was never harmed?

Anonymous said...

Rachel - I can't imagine a scenario where ANYONE would be cleared right away...at least as quickly as DB was.

Skittles said...

Rachel- why does her being sexually assaulted clear DB right away?

Rachel said...

@Skittles

Because then what seemed like an atypical robbery to me now fits a case of sexual assault/and if not planned then crime of opportunity: home occupied and she was shot in the head, which in my opinion fits with a rapist. DB had an airtight alibi and the police had footage of a stranger near her home. I think they probably have other evidence they haven't released to the public. But that's just my opinion. I'm going to wait to hear more info from LE before I make any further conclusions. But for me personally the sexual assault, if true, changes everything. Until I hear anything further, of course.

Skittles said...

Rachel-

Thanks for clarifying your thoughts.

I don't share the same ones though. For me, if it's true she was sexually assaulted, I'm now MORE suspicious that DB was involved in some way. I actually have thought several times in the past week "If DB had anything to do with this, I'm surprised that she wasn't found sexually assaulted." He has historically (on video after video) been so caught up in sex. In discussing it, preaching about it, talking about his drive, talking about his need for web monitoring, talking about how he's been unsatisfied by Amanda, etc. etc. IMO, he's obsessed with it. Sexual assault is actually, very very sadly, something I naturally would have "expected" should he have had any involvement.

Anonymous said...

Latest IMPD are NOT able to confirm #AmandaBlackburn was sexually abused https://twitter.com/woundedchristn/status/667439702836908032

Rachel said...

@ Skittles

I can definitely see where you're coming from, and what you say definitely makes sense.

And so now IMPD is saying they don't know if she was sexually assaulted! This to me is more believable than the earlier "source" because I find it so strange that a rapist murderer would be on the loose, and LE would fail to mention the rape to the community at large.

Here is their statement:

"At this point in the investigation, we cannot confirm, nor do we know that Amanda Blackburn was sexually abused.

That information may change as more evidence comes in, but at this time nothing in our investigation shows that."

Lt. Richard Riddle, IMPD Spokesperson

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/three-suspects-being-questioned-in-connection-to-death-of-amanda-blackburn

Melissa M. said...

What do Davey and Amanda's parents have to say about all this? DB seems to be "standing alone" (in the spotlight, his fave place) as far as interviews go. The lack of family around him seems strange. I'm also really curious why the reward is so low (last I heard it was still at $1,000), but "the neighbors" were trying to raise more money. Just the neighbors? What about DB, the family, the congregation?

When I read he was leaving town to grieve, my first thought was "oooooh, interesting." NOW he decides it's time to grieve? Someone finally got the message through (God? Jesus? An attorney we don't know about?) that "a few days" wasn't going to cut it. And/or the pressure of the investigation is started to weigh on him. He's bordering on sarcasm the way he keeps praising the cops, saying how much he "trusts them," and how "professional" they are.

Does anyone else notice that DB almost seems annoyed that interviewers keep asking about Amanda, as if she's the furthest thing from his mind? Like her murder ("oh that?") is getting in the way of the message he's trying to spread?

I think DB was hoping that this case was going to garner A LOT more national/world attention (e.g. Scott & Lacey Peterson) and thus bring in a lot more followers, but that pesky ISIS attack in Paris is foiling all his (God's) plans for publicity. I think he's bummed about that more than anything and one of many reasons he's skipping town for awhile.

Anonymous said...

"Alrighty "anonymous'; thank you, I will have a great night, hopefully. Sorry I misspelled your name. Oh, in case you didn't know, Tania and Shannon are two different people, not the same. BTW, I am not anon, I am ABB, which happens to be my real initials. I post it under anony because I have not registered my initials, see? YOU have a good night as well! ABB"

Peter- I wanted to email you about this and couldn't find an email address.

So you have this 'anonymous' abb person who can make vague threats to posters on this site, and has indicated that you are good with that? This is what 'ABB' has done.

Jill S. said...

7:33 PM
::Alrighty Jillian; thank you, I will have a great night, hopefully. Sorry I misspelled your name. Oh, in case you didn't know, Tania and Shannon are two different people, not the same. BTW, I am not anon, I am ABB, which happens to be my real initials. I post it under anony because I have not registered my initials, see? YOU have a good night as well! ABB::

OK, the above is scary. And I deserve this because I posted here? With a slightly unpopular opinion?

Is there a moderator here?

Anonymous said...

Peter Hyatt is the principal and the main moderator here. It is his website. He knows that Tania, Shannon and I are not the same person.

Scary? Have you been drinking? Stop making false accusations and you might find that yours is not an unpopular opinion, or at least worthy of respect. Got it? ABB

Foolsfeedonfolly said...

Weighing in late here, but Peter is spot on with the language here. Several months ago, a landlord temporarily housed a tenant next to us. He seemed polite enough, but something seemed off (as in solicitously polite). Up late one night, I overheard their very loud, heated argument. Apparently said tenant and a buddy perpetrated a home invasion of their next-door-neighbor and his significant other was desperately trying to get him to confess (= lesser sentence). A neighbor, who was friends with the victim's next door neighbor told me the details of the home invasion a few days later (having no clue the perp was living next door now).

As his "new" next-door neighbor, I lost quite a bit of sleep that week. I had run an errand the day LE came calling, but my spouse and family were home. I promptly had a pointed discussion with that landlord about endangering my family, as well as my elderly neighbors. I was livid and my home wasn't even invaded...much less my pregnant wife murdered! Our security being seriously threatened, as well as that of our elderly neighbors, was enough to provoke me to anger. I think I was more angry about that than Davey has been about this.

Anonymous said...

This is so bizarre, Lt Riddle IMPD spokesperson denied that they have determined Amanda had been sexually assaulted as earlier reported by a high ranking source within IMPD. He goes on to say they do have DNA evidence in this case. He then does a very interesting thing and changes the term assault to the term abuse when he says they have not confirmed or been able to say that Amanda had been sexually abused. I believe this means they've found a whole different ball of wax and are having a hard time definitively tying it down to abuse or as related to the murder.

I would really like to hear if others are thinking this is as significant as I do.

I'm going to close with saying, I would have loved to have known Amanda. She has touched my heart with her pure loving spirit. I believe she was a very wise woman who was strong enough to do what I'm almost certain she had come to realize she had to do.


CJ said...

Blackburn's neighbors pleased at progress in case
http://news.georgiaworld.com/blackburns-neighbors-pleased-at-progress-in-case/

“Several of us in the neighborhood have said whatever it takes, however long it takes, we’re on board to do this,” he said.
McConnell said the investigation has consumed the lives of many people in this neighborhood, for better or worse. He said it just shows how passionate they are about bringing Blackburn’s killer to justice."



CJ said...

To Anon at 12:59,

The shift in terminology is interesting. It is possible that LE would use the terms assault and abuse interchangeably, I don't know.

But in general I think the term "sexual abuse" implies that the attacker has a relationship with his/her victim, and is often an authority figure. A teacher, a priest, a counselor, a stepparent, mom's new boyfriend, an older sibling ... a husband.

Bas (The Netherlands) said...

I: But still in the very beginning, to have the suspicion hangin’ over you, what was that like for a, a, man of God to worry about somethin’ like that?
DB: (He’s been slightly nodding with furrowed brow and his lips thinned out, pressed together)

--------------

It looks like that question is causing him stress, because he 'tightens up'. Probably because he feels the need to put up a show to answer the question and talk 'around' a direct lie, which would be even more stressfull.

Anonymous said...

ARE the terms abuse and assault interchangeable?

Anonymous said...

I think assault is used as a one time event where as abuse can be, and often is,over extended periods. You often hear of victims suffering years of sexual abuse or was being sexually abused as in plural incidents of assault. You also never hear it said that a rape victim was sexually abused by an assailant. I can't see an LE "spokesman" using that word interchangeably especially when he is trying to clarify an earlier statement made by LE.

Anonymous said...

Why is it still being reported that Amanda had been sexually assaulted? Yesterday Lt Riddle IMPD spokesperson denied the previous report that they had determined she was sexually assaulted. He said they have DNA evidence in this case, and have not confirmed and are unable to say if she has been sexually ABUSED. The term being changed to sexual abuse says they are looking at a whole different scenario surrounding their physical findings. This is so key, why is it not being pointed out?