Monday, December 5, 2016

"AstroTurf" Discernment

Here is why journalists, bloggers and writers should all receive training in Statement Analysis today.  It is not just for law enforcement, human resources, insurance, therapists, and so on. 

Our course is designed to be taken at home, and should be completed in under 12 months.  We check everything and work with you for the purpose of you becoming an expert at detecting deception.  

This is well worth the 10 minutes it takes to watch.   

This speaks to a cultural shift that warrants discernment:


19 comments:

Shannon In CA said...

Peter, I have a question for you.

I'm an attorney (civil, not criminal) and I don't work anymore because I have an autoimmune disease that causes me severe pain...I just can't sit through a day at the office anymore and finding attorney jobs that let you work at home on your own time is nigh on impossible.

For the past year or so I've been kicking around the idea of trying to become a consultant...an SA consultant to other attorneys. Like sitting in on depositions or interviews or reading depositions and the like and then using statement analysis to guide the attorneys to the right questions to ask so they can get as close to the truth as possible. As you know, people lie (or use selective truth) in depositions and responding to questions all the time. You can't even trust that your client is telling the truth...and that's the worst because it's bad to be surprised when you find out something that is harmful to your case and your client "forgot" to tell you...or told you in a different way.

So my question is, would I be able to use SA in this way? To try to help other attorneys? Would training actually be worth my time?

Statement Analysis Blog said...

Shannon,

I am sorry for you being in this condition. I know of a deception detection expert who is severely limited in the same way. I will answer your question in a post...but for now:

There is an acute need for Statement Analysis professionals to work for companies. No one analyst can take on many companies due to limitation of time.

First, there is "Employment Analysis" where, using advanced techniques, we weed out deceptive and exploitative (and even dangerous) potential employees before they are hired.

Then, there is the need to analyze the many (and popular) claims of exploitation made by employees. Companies routinely settle and lose money and watch insurance rates rise.

When a statement analyst is involved, they are going to be spared the loss because those who make fraudulent claims are caught.

Attorneys sometimes do not welcome this for obvious reasons. but business owners love it.

I have several attorney clients with more in actual training. They make for excellent analysts because they love critical thinking.

No matter how intelligent one is, there is no substitute for formal training.

Putting yourself to work with, for example, 4 or 5 other analysts who each have more than 10 years experience, means not only learning from them and contributing to the work, but to learn the self discipline of staying within principle as we face even exceptions.

Human nature is so complex, as seen through the language.

We routinely face unusual and even bizarre statements, but in working, as a team, through them, we get to the truth.

This is confirmed by confessions, admissions, polygraphs and convictions.

When one enrolls in the training course they are given one free invitation to the live monthly training.

Most always, one invite is all it takes.

It is addicting.

Peter

John Mc Gowan said...

OT Update:

Justin Ross Harris sentenced to life for son's hot-car death

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/05/us/justin-ross-harris-sentence/index.html

Tania Cadogan said...

Off topic

A Georgia dad convicted of murder after his 22-month-old son died in a hot SUV was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.

Jurors last month convicted 36-year-old Justin Ross Harris of malice murder and other charges in the June 2014 death of his toddler, Cooper. The malice murder conviction means they believed Harris left the young boy to die on purpose.

Prosecutors said at trial that Harris intentionally killed his son to escape the responsibilities of family life. They showed evidence he was engaging in online flirting and in-person affairs with several women who were not his wife, including a prostitute and an underage teenager. Defense attorneys said the boy's death was a tragic accident.

Harris wore an orange jumpsuit and showed little emotion, often looking down at the ground, as Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark read the sentence. Malice murder carries a sentence of life in prison, either with or without the possibility of parole.

Cooper Harris died after sitting for about seven hours in the back seat of his father's SUV outside the office where Harris worked in suburban Atlanta on a day when temperatures reached at least into the high 80s.

The dad said he forgot to drop his son off at day care that morning, driving straight to his job as a web developer for Home Depot, not remembering that Cooper was still in his car seat.

Harris had moved from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Georgia for work in 2012.

After determining during nearly three weeks of jury selection in April that pretrial publicity had made it too difficult to find a fair jury in Cobb County, where the boy died, Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark granted a defense request to relocate the trial.

A jury in Glynn County, located on the Georgia coast about 60 miles south of Savannah, spent about a month listening to evidence in the case and deliberated for four days before finding him guilty last month of all eight counts against him. In addition to malice murder and felony murder charges, Harris also was found guilty of sending sexual text messages to a teenage girl and sending her nude photos.

Harris moved from Alabama to Georgia for work in 2012.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/12/05/georgia-dad-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-sons-death-in-hot-suv.html


Good!

Tania Cadogan said...

off topic

Sherri Papini and her family have left their home in Redding, California and moved to an undisclosed location in the wake of her abduction.

In an interview with ABC News Sherri Papini's husband revealed that it was too difficult for his wife to be at the home given what happened to her in the 22 days that she was held captive, and that he was not sure that they would ever return to the house.

Keith said this while being interviewed for an episode of 20/20 that was aired last Friday, and conducted at a secret location.

Meanwhile, the family decided to also leave their dogs behind when they skipped town.

A friend of Keith's was spotted at the Papini's house on Saturday by the New York Post and said he was there to walk the family's two dogs while they were away.

'I don’t think they’re ever coming back here again,' said one neighbor.

Another neighbor meanwhile said that the couple and their two children were 'way up north' with 'wealthy relatives.'

It has now been almost two weeks since Sherri was released by her captors, and there are still many questions that remain unanswered in the case.

Sherri is also having difficulty describing the two women who held her captive because in addition to keeping her isolated and shackled in a basement they also covered her head with a hood, making it hard for her to see anything but their eyes.

Sherri was also starved, beaten, branded and brutalized by the two Hispanic women, who remain at large and are armed according to police.

Keith also detailed the 'very mixed emotions' he felt when he heard his wife's voice for the first time during his interview.

He said that he received a call from the police officer who arrived on the scene after his wife was released by her captors on a California freeway, and in the background he could hear his wife screaming his name.

'It's very emotional. And, "I love you, I love you, I love you, Oh my God, you're here. You're back. Where are you?"' said Keith.

The phone was then taken away from Sherri said Keith while officer attempted to keep her calm as he tried to understand what had happened to the 34-year-old mother of two.

'I'm panicked but I'm happy because at this point this is the first time I've heard her voice,' said Keith.

'I know she's alive.'

The Shasta County Sheriff's Department is still looking for clues to determine why Sherri was targeted and the motive of her kidnappers in their ongoing investigation.

Tania Cadogan said...

cont.

Bill Garcia, a private detective who has been looking into the case, said in an interview with Today last week that he believes that Sherri may have been sex trafficking victim.

'I suspect based on the types of injuries Sherri incurred, the beatings, the broken nose, the cut hair, especially the chains and the branding, indicate that most likely it was one of these sex trafficking groups,' said Garcia.

When asked about sex trafficking being a possible motive Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko would only say: 'We don't know if this was related to any cartel or sex trafficking.'

Sheriff Bosenko told DailyMail.com on Wednesday: 'Right now we have no known reason why she was abducted, we do not know if she was specifically targeted or if this was a random abduction.

'It's still an active and ongoing investigation and we're still looking for the reasons or the motive for this abduction.

'Abductions are generally rare, especially in this area, but I mean in general an adult abduction is an unusual occurrence.'

He also spoke about the fact that Sherri's captors branded her with some sort of message, which neither he nor her husband Keith with share details about.

'I would think that that was some sort of either an exertion of power and control and or maybe some type of message that the brand contained,' said Sheriff Bosenko earlier this week.

'It is not a symbol, but it was a message.'

Keith previously revealed that his wife's captors kept her in restraints at all times, whether she was inside the house or out with them in a vehicle.

'She had a metal chain around her waist. She had a bag over her head,' said Keith.

'She was chained anytime she was in a vehicle. They opened the door... they cut something, freed her restraints that were holding her in the vehicle and they pushed her out.'

They even kept her chained up after releasing her on the side of the road at around 4am on the morning of Thanksgiving.

Police said the women may be travelling in a dark SUV and that the younger of the two has long curly hair and a thick accent. She also has pierced ears and thin eyebrows.

The older woman has thick eyebrows and straight black hair with streaks of gray.

Keith said his wife told him that she screamed until she was 'coughing up blood' trying to get a motorist to stop before realizing that her chains might be scaring them away because it looked like she had broken out of prison.

After she realized this Sherri hid the chains and was able to flag down a driver according to Keith.

He made his first statement to the media about his wife's disappearance earlier this week after spending the weekend alone with his family.

In addition to describing her injuries, he also lashed out at those who have implied that his wife is lying about the kidnapping.

'Rumors, assumptions, lies, and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting. Those people should be ashamed of their malicious, sub human behavior,' said Keith in the statement, which was released just four days after his wife was found safe.

'We are not going to allow those people to take away our spirit, love, or rejoice in our girl found alive and home where she belongs.'

Tania Cadogan said...

cont.

He later stated: 'I do not see a purpose in addressing each preposterous lie. Instead, may I give you a glimpse of the mixture of horror and elation that was my experience of reuniting with the love of my life and mother of our children.'

Sherri was reported missing by Keith after going out for a jog near their home in Redding on November 2 and failing to return.

Keith said he first grew concerned when he learned that his wife had failed to pick up their two children from daycare.

He traced her discarded iPhone to the side of the road about a mile from their home where he found it tossed on the ground with her running 'ear buds'.

A missing persons appeal was launched soon after, with posters littering the local town of Mountain Gate and scores of social media pleas for Sherri's return.

Within days Sherri's disappearance had become a national news story.

Keith was later named as a potential person of interest in the case but ruled out when he passed a lie detector test.

In an interview with DailyMaill.com on Monday, California resident Christine Everson revealed that she spotted a woman who looked remarkably similar to Sherri just two days before she was found last week.

Everson said that she was at a rest stop on the outskirts of Redding, just miles away from Sherri's home, when she noticed a woman looking 'scared' while sitting in the passenger side of a vehicle.

She attempted to speak with the woman, who she described as 'subdued,' but could not get her to engage in a conversation.

At one point she even asked the woman point blank if she was Sherri, but did not get a response.
Sighting: On Monday, Christine Everson told DailyMail.com that she believes she spotted Sherri last Tuesday at a rest stop in Redding (above), just miles away from her home

Everson said she later called police to report the possible sighting, and it is unclear if they followed up on her tip.

The woman that Everson saw was in a dark SUV, just like the one police have stated they are searching for, but was with two men and not two women.

Everson also noted that while her hair was unwashed, it had not been chopped off, and there were no visible marks or bruises on her face or body.

She also revealed that she believes her senses were heightened in the moment due to the fact that she was also abducted as a young girl.

Another red flag she revealed was the fact that the men had both left the vehicle while the woman remained inside.

Everson described the driver of the blue truck as around 5ft 6’/5ft 7’ tall, wearing a beanie, jeans, dark shoes and a dark jacket.

She said he was Latino in appearance, but lighter skinned.

The second man was tall and was wearing Jeans and tennis shoes. He was Caucasian and had reddish/brown hair.

Sherri was found roughly 36 hours later, 150 miles south of that rest stop in the town of Woodland.

From there she was transported back to Redding to receive medical treatment.

Keith shared the shock he felt when he finally saw Sherri later that day in his statement on Monday, and the extent of her injuries.

'My first sight was my wife in a hospital bed, her face covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black because of the repeated beatings, the bridge of her nose broken,' said Keith.

'Her now emaciated body of 87 pounds was covered in multi colored bruises, severe burns, red rashes, and chain markings. Her signature long, blonde hair had been chopped off.'

He then added: 'She has been branded and I could feel the rise of her scabs under my fingers.'

Keith will be sharing more details about his wife's kidnapping and the ongoing investigation into why she was targeted on 20/20, airing Friday night at 10pm on ABC.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4003236/California-supermom-flees-family-home-husband-children-investigation-disappearance-continues-leaves-dogs-behind.html

Tania Cadogan said...

off topic husbands statement

Keith Papini gave a statement to Good Morning America on Tuesday:

The first thing I would like to address is the overwhelming amount of gratitude our entire family has for the thousands of people that have been on this torturous journey with us. I cannot possibly name each and every person, although their names are eternally etched in our hearts.

Thank you to our strong family, devoted friends, the entire Redding community, and countless communities around the world. Specific thanks to the Shasta County Sheriff's department, FBI, NorCal Alliance for the Missing, The Lost Coast Trackers, Shasta Support Services, The Guardian Angels, my own personal A-Team, Cameron Gamble, Cody Salfen, Jim Linnan, Sean Ditty, Don Armstrong, Yolo County Sheriff's department and hospital, the medical personnel that helped our dear Sherri, social media, and many news outlets.

Thank you to LRT Graphics and Signarama. Thank you to the extremely generous, anonymous as well as named donors all over the world whom selflessly gave to our family. Thank you to the many incredible humans that have never known Sherri that facilitated in sharing our heart break across the globe.

Sherri has always captured my heart and it is no surprise that she has captured the hearts not only through the country, but throughout the world. Thank you, truly, immensely, sincerely, and with my entire heart.

Secondly, we live in a nation of free speech, accompanied with an era of technology that provides immediate gratification. This is a double edged sword. I am grateful for this system as it is what spread my wife's face quickly throughout the world, gaining the attention of thousands. The unfortunate side is that some people have been sitting in angering, expectant, positions waiting for the gory details

Tania Cadogan said...

cont.






Rumors, assumptions, lies, and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting. Those people should be ashamed of their malicious, sub human behavior. We are not going to allow those people to take away our spirit, love, or rejoice in our girl found alive and home where she belongs. I understand people want the story, pictures, proof that this was not some sort of hoax, plan to gain money, or some fabricated race war. I do not see a purpose in addressing each preposterous lie. Instead, may I give you a glimpse of the mixture of horror and elation that was my experience of reuniting with the love of my life and mother of our children.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see upon my arrival at the hospital, nor the details of the true hell I was about to hear. The mental prison I was in over the past three weeks was shattered when my questions of my wife's reality became known.

The officers warned me to brace myself. My first sight was my wife in a hospital bed, her face covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black because of repeated beatings, the bridge of her nose broken.

Her now emaciated body of 87 pounds was covered in multi colored bruises, severe burns, red rashes, and chain markings. Her signature long, blonde hair had been chopped off. She has been branded and I could feel the rise of her scabs under my fingers. She was thrown from a vehicle with a chain around her waist, attached to her wrists and a bag over her head. The same bag she used to flag someone down once she was able to free one of her hands. Sherri was taken from us for 22 days, and suffered incredibly through both intense physical agony and severe mental torture. My reaction was one of extreme happiness and overwhelming nausea as my eyes and hands scanned her body. I was filled with so much relief and revulsion at once. My Sherri suffered tremendously and all the visions swirling in your heads of her appearance, I assure you, are not as graphic and gruesome as the reality.

We are a very private family whom do not use social media outlets prior to this grotesque tragedy. My love for my wife took precedents and it was clear we had to be exposed in ways we never would have been comfortable with. So please have a heart and understand why we have asked for our privacy. This will be along road of healing for everyone. Ultimately, it was Sherri's will to survive that brought her home. Thank you.

John Mc Gowan said...

OT:

Reports abducted jogger Sherri Papini has skipped town with family



http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/reports-abducted-jogger-sherri-papini-has-skipped-town-with-family/news-story/966d6355eb96845cee3e64137541078c

LisaB said...

Tania...
Weird that she would leave her home (safe place) because of things that transpired elsewhere.
The articles you posted seem to suggest that she looked fine just a few days before she was found, but that, although found 150 miles from home, she was, apparently, held close to home for almost 3 weeks!
Her captors (if the sighting of her is accurate) were a Hispanic man and a Caucasian man.
I have not had a chance to watch 20/20 yer, but am looking forward to seeing it.

Nic said...

'We are not going to allow those people to take away our spirit, love, or rejoice in our girl found alive and home where she belongs.'

Not my wife? Sherri is "our girl" (shared equally by all) at home?


Instead, may I give you a glimpse of the mixture of horror and elation that was my experience of reuniting with the love of my life and mother of our children.'

Change in pronoun. Not mother of "my" children?

A lot of what he reports is about himself, his feelings, his experience; Sherri's trauma and injuries are subordinated to what he has lived through.

jmo

Tania Cadogan said...

Why would they leave their dogs behind?
When they skipped town, it sounds like they left in a hurry, if so why?

Is it fear of attack from whomever 'abducted' Sherri, especially if it was a gang of some kind, perhaps drug dealers or the like?

Is it because they wish to avoid being questioned by LE, something which might reveal the truth of what really happened?

Is it guilt and they want to avoid justice or at least make it harder for them to be arrested, requiring perhaps extradition?

In the meantime what is happening to their home?
Is it left as is, fully furnished?
Will they permanently move and have their items collected and moved to their new home?

I bothers me that the reward offered was 'withdrawn' the day before she was released, me being a tad cynical wonders if there was a genuine reward offered by a good Samaritan or if perhaps the money was actually handed over.
Was it a reward of was it payment for something else, perhaps money owed?

I haven't looked but has a fund been set up to support the family?
If so, how much has been raised?

Was this whole thing a hoax?
The husband loves the media attention and has been quite vocal about what he and his family have gone through as well as graphically describing what his wife went through.
He has been vocal and descriptive despite LE advising him not to say too much so it doesn't interfere with the investigation.

Are LE letting him speak freely so they can let him implicate himself and his wife?

What are the family dynamics?
Domestic violence?
Alternative lifestyle?
Financial difficulties?
Any criminal history?
Living a lifestyle not appropriate to their income?

Who benefits from all this publicity and attention?

If she was branded as claimed with a message, who was the message aimed at?
Was it a brand meant to permanently scar or was it a minor burn enough to cause reddening and a blister?
Its location could reveal a lot< meant to be seen by everyone to send a message/warning or in a place where it would be concealed?

There is something off here and i can't put my finger on it and this bugs me.

Foolsfeedonfolly said...


Nic @ 9:57 PM December 6, 2016- You said...

"A lot of what he reports is about himself, his feelings, his experience; Sherri's trauma and injuries are subordinated to what he has lived through."

Nicely put and very accurate assessment! I agree and thank you for pointing that out! So, the question now is why does his "experience (including his emotions)" take precedence over Sherri's "kidnapping"/"abduction"/"torture"/"abuse"/"injuries"? Is Keith just naturally a narcissist? A dominant personality (within and outside of the home and marriage relationship)? I found his Linked-In bio page interesting, in a somewhat self-aggrandizing sort of way.

Anonymous said...

Seems like guilty parties like to relocate after a crime.

Leaving the dogs behind is weird. Most people are extremely attached to their pets. They couldve provided great emotional support for Sherri. Im sure that was another keith-decision.

I believe Keith doesn't want her interviewed by anyone so their stories don't contradict each other. He has gotten all the attention and sympathy he needs until the book or lifetime movie comes out.

Anonymous said...

Keith couldn't just say "relatives". He had to specify "wealthy relatives" (true or not). Typical boasting of a narcissist.

Anonymous said...

"an exertion of power and control"

Yeah. Compliments of her husband, Keith. So she'll always be reminded of what can happen if she tries to leave him.

Anonymous said...

Whats the reason they feel they cannit stay in their house now? She wasnt abducted from their house. Whats the connection?

LisaB said...

Tania said:
I bothers me that the reward offered was 'withdrawn' the day before she was released, me being a tad cynical wonders if there was a genuine reward offered by a good Samaritan or if perhaps the money was actually handed over.
Was it a reward of was it payment for something else, perhaps money owed?

I haven't looked but has a fund been set up to support the family?
If so, how much has been raised?
--------------------
As I understand it, they raised over $49K of their $50K goal, and the money was withdrawn.

Anonymous (December 7, 2016 at 4:15 AM) said:
Whats the reason they feel they cannit stay in their house now? She wasnt abducted from their house. Whats the connection?
--------------------
I'd like to know this as well. She was not taken from her house/home. That should be where she WANTS to go!


Nic said:

A lot of what he reports is about himself, his feelings, his experience; Sherri's trauma and injuries are subordinated to what he has lived through.
--------------------
I thought it was sort of odd that he would be running his fingers over her wounds and feeling the scabs/scars. I'd be worried about hurting them or infecting their injuries.