Monday, 11 May 2015

Statement Analysis of Lena Lunsford’s 911 Call


Lunsford is the mother of missing Aliayah Lunsford, 3, who disappeared from the Bendale area of Lewis County three years ago, on September 24, 2011. No one has been charged in the case.




Age 3, Aliayah Lunsford's mother claims that she last saw her daughter at home on September 24, 2011 around 6:30 a.m.




Statement Analysis
From the Statement Analysis blog (here)
The following is Statement Analysis of the 911 call, made 11 days ago, by Lena Lunsford, reporting her 3 year old child missing.
What do we look for in 911 calls?
Besides following the principles of Statement Analysis, we specifically look for some of the following red flags in 911 calls:
Does the call begin with a greeting?
Does the caller ask for help for the victim, or for herself?
Does the caller frame the words “I’m sorry” for any reason, in the call?
Does the caller disparage, in any way, the victim?
http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=109368
911 What is your emergency?
My baby’s missing.
Note that this is the first thing mentioned.
What is your address?
(address) I was out looking for her for over an hour.
Note that after answering the question that she provides additional information. When an answer goes beyond the scope of the question, every word is critical. What is it that is a priority to the caller that she goes beyond the address alone?
The subject wants police to know that she has been out looking for over an hour.
Please note that she does not say “I was looking for her” but “out” looking for her for “over an hour”. This is important as it is a reference to time; as all time references are significant.
How old? I need you to calm down.
I’m sorry she’s she’s only three.
Please note “I’m sorry”has entered into the subject’s language. This is always noted no matter why the subject is using these words (see Casey Anthony’s 911 call)
When was the last time you saw him?
It’s a girl. This morning. Real early. I went in and checked on her because she’s been sick with the flu.
Note that “because” tells us why, rather than simply answering the question. This goes beyond the realm of the question of what happened and goes to why something happened. Here she says that she checked on her “real early” because she was sick. Note that she “went in” and checked on her.
Note that sick with the flu is now mentioned.
Okay is it a male or female?
It’s a Girl
Note that “it’s” is reflective language; entering into the language of the operator.
A girl?
Yes.
Ok you saw her this morning around 6:30?
Yes
That’s the last time you saw her was at 6:30 this morning?
Yes and then she laid back down and went back to sleep. And we went back to bed.
Note that she “laid back down” would indicate that she would have to be up in order to go back down.
Note that when a sentence begins with “And” the subject has missing information here.
Note that “we” went back to bed. Who is “we”? Is it she and Aliayah? Since “we” indicates unity or cooperation, was it she and her husband who went back to bed? She and another child? Who is the other part of the “we”?
Ok was the doors open or anything?
No the doors weren’t open.
Note that she uses reflective language (the language of the operator)
Were they locked?
Yes I think.
(Inuaudible) the residence?
It was difficult to hear the question but it sounded like who lives in the residence, of which the answer is important:
Me and my other kids.
She does not mention the husband or step father. This is not lost on the 911 operator who then asks:
Ok do you live with her father?
No.
Note that other questions she answers but then adds information. Note here regarding who else resides there that she does not give additional information and is not bringing up her husband’s name.
Who is her father?
Her father is a guy named Eric Harris. He doesn’t even know that she exists.
Note that she references the father (male) as a “guy”
Ok and you’ve been looking for her for the past hour?
Yes I’ve looked everywhere (inaudible)
This is concerning.
First, “I’ve looked” is first person singular, but then she says,
“everywhere”. When someone says that they have looked “everywhere” they have no other places to search. This is akin to saying, “I’ve told you everything” therefore, there is nothing more to say. When someone says “I have looked everywhere” they are saying that there are no more places to look, a strong indication that she has no places to search; hence, out of hope.
What was she wearing when you put her back in bed?
She had a little pair of purple Dora pj’s. We went up all these streets. We went up all these streets.
The pronoun is changed to plural, “we”; which is repeated. If she is now speaking of herself and her children, please note that it is repeated:
this is sensitive.
She did not say that they searched for her; only that “we went up” these streets. If she does not tell us that they went up searching, we cannot say that they were searching. This correlates to what the lawyer said: children asked him for gas; and it fits what another neighbor said: he was out at his truck all morning and no one was searching, nor asking him if he had seen Aliayah.
If she went “up” by herself without the children, the change in pronoun is deceptive.
Also, that she went “up” ; something that is repeated. Does this mean that she went up, and that she did not find Aliayah, that Aliayah is “down” somewhere?
Have you been outside checking the area?
Please note that she checked “everywhere” but the operator asks this question anyway.
Yes I’ve drove up all the streets around here looking thinking that maybe she went outside or something. And I don’t think my mom would have came and got her because she’d have woke me up and stuff.
1. Please note that she uses for the third time the word “up” where Aliayah is not found. This may indicate that Aliayah will be found “down” somewhere; down in water, buried in a grave, et.c.
2. “all” the streets; with the same meaning at looking “everywhere”. All the streets “around here” have been looked so even though she has been thorough, she has not been located.
3. Note the inclusion of her thinking, even though it wasn’t ‘correct’ thinking.
4. Note the inclusion of “or something” which strongly indicates that Aliayah went out “or something”; what is the choice? It is she went outside “or” something else happened to her. She is giving police a choice. If she went out, we won’t find her because she has searched “everywhere” and on all the “streets around here” where Aliayah, “only three”could have gone. But since she didn’t, we then must conclude “or something” took place with Aliayah that Lena knows and is not sharing. This sentence is an indiction that Lena Lunsford is deceptively withholding information and would like to limit the searching. She does not want someone else to find Aliayah.
5. Lena introduces, with the word “And” to start the sentence (missing info) her “mom” to the operator. Her mom is significant to Lena and her mother should be carefully interviewed. Please also note that she tells us “because” which explains why something, rather than report what happened. Her mother would have wakened her “and stuff”; what stuff? Police should seek to learn if there has been any arguments, specifically about child care, between Lena and her own mother. What other “stuff” would the mother have done, besides woken Lena up?
Ok have you called your mother?
No I need to do that.
Did the operator just give Lena the idea that she should have called her mother? Now she “needs” to do it.
Please note that she allegedly drove around for an hour and did not call her mother. If she was searching for her child, would she not, after the first few minutes, called her mother? Why would she think that her mother could have had Aliayah ? Is this the type of family that takes a 3 year old without notice? How could a three year old leave without it being known?
This appears contrived and false.
Do you have a phone number for her?
Yes its (number).
What is her name?
Joanne Evans.
Joanne Evans?
Yes
Do you want to just call her real quick and call me right back so I know what’s going on ok?
This is unusual and may indicate that the 911 operator did not entirely trust the caller and wanted her to check with her mother. Better would have been to keep Lena on the line, give pauses to allow Lena to choose her own words, while the police were en route to the home. But it does not answer the question as to why she would need to call her mother when she was out searching “everywhere” (everywhere but…her mothers? everywhere, but…”down” where Aliayah can be located?)
Ok
911 what is your emergency?
This is Lena Lunsford my mom doesn’t have her.
ok
She doesn’t have her she’s coming now. Oh my god.
You don’t know of any place she would have went there in the community? Is there a friend’s house nearby or somebody that she plays with?
No (crying)
Ok. Is there any place there in the community, a playground, or does she go to church anywhere there?
No. (crying) Help me find her.
The caller specifies her request for help: “help me find her”
I have an officer on the way mam, I need you to calm down ok. You’ve looked everywhere in the house
Yes
All the closets, under everything? Under every beds
yes
Do you have a basement?
Yes
Its been checked too.
The passive language here suggests deception. It is likely that if police asked the children if they searched the basement, they would tell the police that they did not. Passive language is used to conceal identity often, or when a subject does not want to own a statement with the pronoun, “I” such as “I checked the basement too” especially since she said “I” previously, but then also said “we” drove up the streets…
Ok how about the vehicles outside?
Its been checked that’s what I used to go look for her.
She reported driving around for about an hour looking for her.
And you said that there’s other children in the residence?
Yes. (Noises)
Is she old enough where she would be able to reach the door handle?
Yes she is.
Oh my god. Here, please play with your brother for a minute. (talking to child)
What color is her hair?
She has brown hair and brown eyes.
Here the subject gives the additional info of the color of her eyes which would have been asked next. Was this rehearsed?
Do you know how much she weighs?
She weighs approximately 32 to 35 pounds.
Maybe a little more.
Ok. Do you know how tall she is?
Um I’m guessing around three feet I’m, I’m not for sure right now I’m sorry.
Please note that this is the 2nd time she has said “I’m sorry” to a 911 operator.
That’s ok. Was there anybody else in the residence with you this morning, any other adults?
No, umm the only adult that
The tape cut out here.
Other children in the residence?
Umm I have five kids.
OK so there’s 4 others in the residence?
There’s three right now.
Ok. Where is the other one?
My son is at visitation with his father.
Note: he is not visiting with his father, but “at visitation” suggests court ordered or supervised.
Ok. So you got up at 6:30 this morning with her?
Yes she got sick. Yes
This should be considered sensitive; via repetition and that the time frame is mentioned and she repeats about being sick. That the child was sick may prove vital in the investigation.
She went back to bed, went back to sleep and you laid down on
Yes
How old are your other children that are in
Ok did any of them see her this morning? What time did they get up?
The compound question is to be avoided.
They came in here umm, I’m not sure maybe around 7, 7:30, came in my room with me.
Please notice that the additional qualifiers are found when asked about timeframe.
“I’m not sure” is a qualifier
“maybe” is a qualifer
“around” is a qualifier, equally three in one sentence to this point, but then she says “7, 7″30,
which is the fourth. Investigators assuming that this is sensitive and deceptive would be correct. Overall, her time frames are sensitive and she does not appear truthful about them.
Ok you said 11 year old 9year old and 8 mos?
Yes
Ok can you look outside and see the officer?
Yes Inaudible Oh God.
In the front. Oh my god. Yes I see one out here.
Please note that in these two calls, she appeared to avoid talking about her husband, Aliayah’s step father. Statement Analysis means not only looking at the words chosen, but what is missing.
It can be assumed that the following are sensitive to Lena Lunsford:
Time Frame
Actual Searching
“Up” versus “down”
Her husband; Aliayah’s step father
It appears that she does not want them looking for Aliayah, as she has already told them that she has searched “everywhere” and that being only 3, she could not have walked far, but “we” have been “up” all the streets in the area.
It should be noted that twice she formed the words “I’m sorry” in this call. This is often an indicator of a form of regret; for some, they are sorry for what they have done (or failed to do) and for others, they are sorry for being caught.
It is likely that Lena Lunsford knows more than what she has said to police and may be directly involved, or may be covering up for someone else, including her husband. Careful interviewing and polygraphs should be conducted also with the grandmother, and from other statements, the aunt.
Others will weigh in on the crying; those trained in voice recognition, for example; though at times, to my untrained ear, the crying sounded contrived and forced.

911 Call Analysis Conclusion

Lena Lunsford is being deceptive by withholding information, and the searching, timeline and topic of her husband should all be considered sensitive areas for her.

Sunday, 10 May 2015

Statement Analysis: Indiana State Trooper David Camm 911 Call






Statement Analysis: Indiana State Trooper David Camm 911 Call



While in training this week, someone wisely asked,

"When you talk about a Reliable Denial and someone says 'I didn't do it', is the pronoun "it" acceptable?"

This was an astute question and showed the subject was paying attention. The answer is, "no", it is not reliable.

The Reliable Denial must have three components. Two, or Four, for example, are not reliable.

I. The Pronoun "I"
II. The past tense "did not", or casual "didn't" (we do not differentiate though Reid does)
III. The specific allegation addressed.


"I didn't do it" or "I didn't do this"

911 calls of Camm family murders released. John posted this for analysis...thank you, John.

Eyewitness News is hearing the first call for help made by a former state trooper after finding his wife and children murdered.

David Camm was acquitted last month in the murders after spending 13 years in prison. Camm made a frantic call to the Indiana State Police to report the murders.

Listen to the 911 call here. (Warning - this audio file may be distressing to some listeners.)

Dispatch: Indiana police radio, Patrice. Can I help you?

David Camm: Patrice, it's Dave Camm. Let me talk to Post Command right now.

Note that he did not ask for assistance for the victims, instead, asserting himself as one of authority. This is high minded. Him talking to Post Command is his priority; not the victims.

Dispatch: Okay, he's on another line.

David Camm: Right now (shouting). Let me talk to Post Command.

He still avoids asking for help. Instead, the high mindedness is confirmed. This should cause investigators to consider if he is a controlling aggressor.

Dispatch: Hold on.

Post Command: Dave?

David Camm: Get everybody out here to my house now!

He does not ask for help for the victims; he demands, on his own authority, not upon the condition of the victims. He has still avoided telling them why.

This speaks to his priority.

Post Command: Okay. All right.

David Camm: My wife and my kids are dead. Get everybody out here to my house.

If they are beyond help, what is the urgency? Note he continues to issue orders.

Post Command: Okay, David. We got people on the way, okay?

David Camm: Get everybody out here.

He wants "everybody" out there, but does not say why.

Post Command: Everything's gonna be okay.

David Camm: Everything's not okay! Get everybody out here now! (shouting)

The repetition and unusual wording should cause investigators to consider that this is scripted.

Post Command: Go to David Camm's house now. Do you know what happened, David?

Note the yes or no question is easy to lie to. We then note every word that comes after the denial:

David Camm: No. They're dead. I just got home from playing basketball....Oh, my God. What am I gonna do? Get everybody out here! (crying)

" No " is his answer. "Basketball" is very important.

After the word "no":

1. They're dead.
2. I just got home
3. I was playing basketball. This is utterly unnecessary as to what he was doing, therefore it is critical information. This is alibi building.

4. Divinity invoked
5. Open questions within a statement (rhetorical). Note that the question is not about the victims, but about himself.
6. Back to being in charge and ordering others.

this element of control may be scripted, but it also may be a window into his personality.

Note that there is no concern as to a killer on the loose.
Note there is no concern for justice for his family.
His concern is for him, and what he will do. This is too soon for him to process, regarding his own life. He has already accepted that he will be without his wife and children and wondering what he will do.

As to the immediate finding of his now dead family: it is artificial and too soon as the grieving process takes time.
Post Command: David, they're on their way right now, okay? I've got everybody coming. Listen, I'm gonna let you talk to Patrice. I've got people coming.

David Camm: I've gotta get across the street. I've gotta get some help. I've gotta go across to my parents' house.

Note the truthful words: he is the one in need of help. This call is about him.
Again, no mention of the danger of a killer on the loose.
Post Command: David, do you need an ambulance?

David Camm: I've gotta go!

Dispatch: Dave? He hung up.

The 911 call avoids all responsibility and concern. He sounds controlling.

Police found a horrific crime scene. Camm's wife and son on the garage floor, his daughter still in the family SUV, all shot to death. Bullet holes could be seen throughout the vehicle.

Camm, who resigned from the Indiana State Police just four months before the killing was now the one and only suspect.

"I cannot believe this. I cannot believe this," Camm said in an interview.

"What do you mean? You cannot believe what?" a detective asked.

"You are going to try to blame me for killing my children," Camm said. "I did not do this."

Please note that he said "killing my children" but in his denial, he avoids saying "I didn't kill my children. Follow the word "this" (closeness) and note it is what he denies rather than killing them.
Much of the evidence hinged on Camm's bloody sweatshirt. Was the blood transferred from the victims when he tried to help them or proof he was there when they were killed?

Time and again, he insisted he was innocent.

"I didn't do this. I didn't do it Mickey. I didn't do it. I didn't do it,"Camm said.

This still avoids saying, "I didn't kill Mickey."

Camm was convicted twice and successfully appealed those convictions twice. He was finally found not guilty by a Boone County jury last month.

http://www.wthr.com/story/23950005/2013/11/12/911-calls-of-camm-family-murders-released


Friday, 8 May 2015

Ryan Widmar 911 Call Analyzed

Ryan Widmar 911 Call Analyzed







The Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) system was developed by Avinoam Sapir, and it is the basis for all Statement Analysis today. Mr. Sapir's website is LSI and his work is applied to 911 calls in the same manner as it is applied to all statements. Work on 911 calls is to the credit of Mr. Sapir. Any claim to the contrary is fraudulent and is intellectual theft, whether or not the one taking credit is a trained analyst or not.


Ryan Widmer was convicted of killing his new wife. After spending 5 months in jail, he was granted a new trial after it was learned that jurors did home experiments with their own bath tubs, against the judge's order. The 2nd trial ended in a deadlocked jury, and the 3rd trial ended with a guilty verdict.

Here we view statements for truth or deception. We will look first at his 911 call, and then at his words in addressing the court after his first conviction.

We have specific guidelines to follow in 911 calls of a death in the home. The transcripts are from freeryanwidmer.com website and have commentary removed.

We have a checklist for red flags for the possibility of a guilty caller. No one single detail should make a conclusion, though some points are more weighty than others. Please see prior analysis on the 911 call of Misty Croslin, as well as "Statement Analysis 101" and "911 Calls Analyzed" links:

In addition to the points below, we follow the same principles of Statement Analysis within the language itself.

1. Does the call begin with a greeting? Given the nature of an emergency , a call that begins with "hello" or "hi" or anything similar, is a red flag that the caller is a guilty caller in a homicide.

2. Does the caller ask for specific help for the victim?

3. Does the caller say, at anytime, for any reason, "I'm sorry"

4. Order shows priority. What is the priority of the caller?

5. Does the caller ask for help for himself or herself instead of the victim?

6. Does the caller disparage the victim, even in a subtle manner?

7. Does the caller attempt to build an alibi anywhere in the call?

8. Does the caller seek to explain 'why' something has happened when he/she should be reporting what happened?



Dispatcher: 911 What is your emergency?

This question is open ended, and is the most important question for analysis. The answer is often telling.
Ryan:

"My wife fell asleep in the bathtub and I think she's dead"

Please note that this is a conclusion and not a sentence asking for help, such as, "my wife is unconscious". Here, the caller gives his opinion on what happened to her rather than simply call for assistance. How does Ryan know that his wife fell asleep? How does he know she did not pass out, or simply report it as being unconscious or a mystery?

Note the order as order shows priority.

1. Wife fell asleep
2. I think she is dead

We look for a request for specific assistance by the caller.


Dispatcher: What's the address?

Ryan: 5250 Crested Owl Court Morrow, OH

Dispatcher: Okay I need you to calm down for me..I can't understand the address, what was it?

Please note: we do not analyze Ryan Widmar, nor his voice inflection, nor his emotions. For the Statement Analyst, the "subject is dead" to us, while his statement is "alive" to us. I recognize that this principle is difficult to follow at times, but it is the words by which we learn the truth. There are many sociopaths who are amazing in their ability to cry, or carry on emotionally.

I write this but recognize how inflammatory the laughing of Sergio Celis was on his 911 call reporting a "missing person", his 7 year old daughter, Isabel.

Still, the principle should be followed. Listen to his words, not how he delivers them.

Body language and voice analysis have their places, but this is for analysis only of the words used.
Ryan: 5250 Crested Owl Court

Dispatcher: 5250 Crested Owl? in Hamilton Township?

Ryan: Yes, Morrow, Ohio

Dispatcher: Now what's going on?

Ryan: "She fell asleep in the bathtub I think....I was downstairs, I just came up here and she was laying face down in the bathtub.

Note next that he repeats that she fell asleep rather than anything else, including passed out, or just that she is unconscious and it remains a mystery.

Note the order which shows priority:

1. She fell asleep rather than she is not breathing, etc.
2. I was downstairs
3. I just came up here" is an unnecessary connection, which is extremely sensitive.
4. She was lying facedown in the bathtub.

Note the importance of speaking of where he was; his location.

Recall: excited utterance and in this, he has the need to tell the operator his location. This is sensitive and critical

Regarding an "unnecessary connection", the teaching is that this is an indication of sensitivity and likely of missing information. Here is an example:

"I was in the bathroom. I left the bathroom and went to the kitchen" is an example of an unnecessary connection. In order to go from the bathroom to the kitchen, one must leave. There is no apparent reason to say this. By adding in these words, it is an indication that it is of such importance to the subject that he is leaving out what happened between the leaving of one room and the entering of another. Crimes have been solved by this single principle and it is where investigators focus their questions. It is unnecessary to add in that one "left".

In the 911 call, the words "I just came up here" are highly sensitive and is an indication that something happened that is not included here.

Note here he adds "I think" which was not part of "she fell asleep" when he first called. "I think" reduces commitment.
Dispatcher: In the water?

Ryan: Yes

Dispatcher: How old is she?

Ryan: She's 24

Dispatcher: And she's in the bathtub?

Ryan: Yes, she's in....the water's draining right now....I tried to do everything I could I..... (1:00)

Note that a sentence that is broken is an indication of missing information.

Note the topic of the water draining out is important enough to the subject to tell the 911 operator.
Note that "tried" in the past tense, often indicates attempt and failure.
Why the need at the 1:00 mark to report "the water's draining"?

Please note "the water's draining" is passive. He did not say "I am draining the water".
Dispatcher: Have you taken her out of the water now?

RYan: Yes the water's completely drained but she's just laying here unconscious....

Please note that the question is answered with "yes" (he took her out) but then offers the additional information, seconds later, that the water is "completely" drained out. Why the need to report about the lack of water? How could the water go from draining to completely drained in a matter of seconds?

Note that he uses the body posture in his response. She would not be expected to be anything other than laying.
Dispatcher: So she's still in the bathtub?

Ryan: Yes, Yes,

If you found your unconscious wife in the bathtub, would you leave her in it? Please note the time pace.
Dispatcher: Okay Okay. So...what...you drained the water out of the tub? (1:15)

Ryan: Yes

Dispatcher: How long was she in the bathtub? (1:23)

Ryan: I....I...I have....15 minutes to a half hour...somewhere in there...I was downstairs watching TV...she falls asleep in the tub all the time but....

Repeated stuttering on the pronoun "I" is a signal of anxiety if the subject is not a stutterer. By his other words, he does not appear to be a stutterer.

Please note that "she falls asleep in the tub all the time" may be a slight disparagement or explanation rather than a cry for help.
Dispatcher: And how are you related to her? uh...Are you her mother?....er

Ryan: I'm her...I'm her husband...

Dispatcher: Husband?

Ryan: Yes

Dispatcher: What's your name?

Ryan: Ryan Widmer

Dispatcher: Spell that last name for me Ryan

Ryan: W-I-D-M-E-R

Dispatcher: Have you tried CPR?

Ryan: Yes....as much as I could....what little bit I know..

Please note that "as much as I could" signals that he was limited in what CPR he could do. This could be due to anything from limitation by knowledge, or limited by his goal of homicide. Here, he explains why he was limited. Please note that this is similar to "so, since, therefore, because" as a reason to explain why, rather than report what has happened. "...what little bit I know" explains why, making CPR sensitive.
Ryan: Is somebody coming? (2:23)

We note that this is not a call for specific help for the victim.
Dispatcher: Yeah, they're on the way Ryan...There's no way you can get her out of the bathtub?

Ryan: I can try but I have to set the phone down..

Dispatcher: Go and get her out of the bathtub and get her on a flat surface.

It is difficult to think that a young husband would allow his seemingly dead wife remaining in the bathtub and would need the 911 operator to instruct him to take her out.
Ryan: Okay, Okay.....I'm dropping the phone (Sound of phone being put down) (2:39)


Ryan: She's on a flat surface.

(3:10)

Dispatcher: What's that?

Ryan: She's on a flat surface....

She's on a "flat surface" is reflective language, which is expected.
Dispatcher: Okay, go ahead and get back to doing CPR....try to do CPR They'll be there in a little bit, okay?

Ryan: K

Dispatcher: Is your....is your doors unlocked?

Ryan: No

Dispatcher: Are you using....Okay Run and unlock the doors so when they....they can get in....when they come back

Ryan: okay they're unlocked now..

Dispatcher: Okay

Ryan: We're.....I'm upstairs..

This is a broken sentence and means that there is missing information. Initially Ryan intends to report where he and his wife are, then changes his speech to reflect that he is upstairs.
Dispatcher: You're upstairs? (3:39)

Ryan: Yeah

Dispatcher: You have more than one bathroom in the house?....er

Ryan: No, there's two but the upstairs is the only one with a bathtub
(4:02)
Dispatcher: Ry...Ryan put the phone down and try CPR for me?

Ryan: Okay....Come on baby...come on.....

"baby" is a term of endearment


(4:27)


Silence.....

Tape ends 5:52

Ryan's cell phone shows call was almost 7 minutes before his cell phone hung up

There are enough red flags in this call that indicate that he withheld critical information in the call. The red flags in the call indicate that an investigation was warranted.

Next: Ryan Widmer addresses the court after the initial guilty verdict.

Sunday, 26 April 2015

Statement Analysis of Timothy Sparks 911 Call


Statement Analysis of Timothy Sparks 911 Call

The Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) system was developed by Avinoam Sapir, and it is the basis for all Statement Analysis today. Mr. Sapir's website is LSI and his work is applied to 911 calls in the same manner as it is applied to all statements. Work on 911 calls is to the credit of Mr. Sapir. Any claim to the contrary is fraudulent and is intellectual theft, whether or not the one taking credit is a trained analyst or not.





Mason police are investigating after a 56-year-old woman, Susan Sparks was found dead at a home on Mackenzie Court.

Police originally responded to reports of a shooting around 6:45 a.m. in the 4200 block of Mackenzie Court, officials said. The caller is her executive husband, Timothy Sparks.

The death is considered "questionable" and an investigation is underway, Sgt. Craig Kline of the Mason Police Department said. An unidentified man was taken to the police station and is being questioned.

The woman's husband called 911 around 6:45 a.m. Monday and told emergency dispatchers that he needed an ambulance because his wife had been shot. Thanks to John for the transcription.


Operator: 911 whats your emergency ?

This legally sound open-ended question allows:

1. The subject (caller) to choose his own words in his answer.
2. The subject to choose where, in his account, he wishes to begin.
3. He will tell the operator what is most important to him, in the order reflecting his priority.

We begin our analysis with the presupposition of truthfulness. This is not a moral or ethical exercise, but a specific tool necessary for analysis.

We now ask, "What would I say if my wife shot herself and was bleeding profusely before me?

What would be the very first thing on your mind, as an innocent caller?

Each of us has an internal dictionary of words. This dictionary, on average, is estimated to contain at least 25,000 words. Most all of these words are subjective and personal to us, and will need clarification. A "boy" for example, could be anything from a new born, to a 21 year old soldier, and everything in between. Therefore, "boy" may need clarification by the subject.

Pronouns, however, are not subjective, but objective. "We" means more than one person, no matter who says it, when they say it, or how they say it. "I" is singular.

"4PM", that is, time on a clock, is objective and 4PM means the same thing to all of us.

Articles are also objective. "A man" will become "the" man, after introduced, to all of us, at all times.

Therefore, the three elements of English language that do not need clarification are:

1. Pronouns
2. Time on the Clock
3. Articles

When the operator asks this open ended question, the subject (Timothy Sparks) must:

Go into his dictionary of 25,000 words (those of higher intelligence may have between 30,000 and 35,000), and:

1. Choose what words to use
2. Choose what information to not include, since no one can tell us everything that happened;
3. Choose the order of information according to his priority
4. Choose which verb tenses of which words to use;
5. Choose where to place words, next to each other, to make sense

He does this in less than a measurable second of time, with the brain signaling the tongue what to say and how.

We then listen to let him guide us, by this incredibly rapid speed of transmission. In fact, it is this speed of transmission that makes Statement Analysis so accurate. A disruption of speed is stress inducing for the subject who is deceptive. We note this even in what is called, "self - censoring", that is, in this incredibly fast transmission, he stops himself from the potentially self-implicating words:

Timothy sparks: Ugh please, my wi.. i need an ambulance quickly quickly quickly.

1. "Ugh" is a pause, or signal that the speed of transmission is interrupted, causing stress.

Liars have internal stress, not so much for morality sake (though many do) but because a deceptive response interrupts the incredibly fast transmission of information from the brain to the tongue. This is a pause to think about what to say.

Ask yourself: if your wife shot herself and lay bleeding before you, would you need a pause to think about what to say? It is not likely. The pause, therefore, is the "unexpected" in analysis.

2. "ug, please, my wife..." is to begin with what we think would be most important to be said: his wife is bleeding, yet we have a self-censoring of words. This broken sentence indicates suppression of information, that is, the deliberate stopping of what he knows he should say. He successfully suppresses the most important information: that his wife is in dire trouble.

3. "I need an ambulance" is to ask for help, not specifically for the victim, but for himself.

Please note that when one asks for help for himself, it is only appropriate if the help is about instruction for CPR or First Aid. Here, he does not give any indication (or anywhere else in the call) that he needs instruction.

Guilty callers will often ask for help for their own selves, rather than for the victim.

We note that he asks for help for himself. If he is, at this time, performing CPR and is in need of instruction, it is appropriate. By adding "ambulance" he shows us that the context is not CPR or First Aid for the victim.

If he is not performing any type of First Aid in which he needs instruction, it is a red flag for possible status of "guilty caller"

We listen to the call to see if he seeks specific First Aid or CPR directives or not, in the future, but already, due to contextual wording ("ambulance") it is not so.

OP: What your address ?

TS: Er 4293 Mackenzie court.

Op: And whats going on ?

TS: Ahh my wife had a ahh a gun my gun, the gun went off the gun went off my wife she's been shot. Oh my god Susan, please baby.

First: Note the self censoring of incomplete sentences.

Next: Note the order of information represents his priority:

1. My wife had a gun
2. my gun
3. the gun went off
4. the gun went off
5. my wife; she's been shot

"My wife had a gun" is an attempt to put the responsibility of what happened upon the victim. This is called "blaming the victim."

Blaming the victim is often heard in guilty callers where a child has been shaken to death or injured. "uh, my daughter, well, she would not finish her bottle..."

This shows the priority is not asking for help for his wife. The first thing out of his mouth should be help for his bleeding wife.

He wants police to first know that it was his wife who had a gun. This strongly suggests that he, himself, may be responsible for the shooting as it shows a need to influence the police. The first statement is always important. The first statement of the call is asking for help, for himself. The first statement after being asked the open ended question of what is going on is that his wife had a gun.

Next, he admits it is his gun. The ownership of the gun is part of his priority that is above seeking medical intervention for his wife. This intervention includes gaining instruction on how best to treat her, which presupposes him saying first: "my wife is bleeding!"

Then note "the gun went off" in his speech. Guns do not go off; people pull triggers.

Note next the passivity of language. This is used to conceal responsibility for the shooting. That "the gun went off" is repeated is yet another signal of sensitivity regarding the responsibility of the shooting.

Note the term of endearment, "Baby" is often used in scripting and is a sign of a bad relationship.

Already, in the first moments of this call, there are enough indicators to conclude that this is a guilty caller, who has shot his wife.

So far, he has not sought help for her, nor has he told what happened. He has avoided saying "my wife shot herself" using his own language.

"Yes or no" questions are said to be less stressful to lie to, which is accurate. This is because the simple one word response will not interrupt the speed of transmission.

Recall former police chief, William McCollum, who not only used passive language, but made it through an entire 911 call by not using the words "wife" or "Maggie", but gave as little information as possible, so much so, that the 911 operator was forced to ask, "Who shot her?" and, "Is she your wife?"

When asked, "Who shot her?" he only said, "me", so as to avoid the internal stress of transmission disruption.

Timothy Sparks has skillfully avoided saying the words "My wife shot herself", which, if he is a guilty caller, would be a fabrication of reality.

Please note that fabrication of reality is a very rare form of deception. Most all deception is done by withholding information, which is precisely what he has been doing.

He forces the 911 operator to ask:



OP: Who shot her ?

TS: She had the gun. I tried to take it away from her, i have no idea. i was i was..

The question, "Who shot her?" is either avoided entirely, or answered in deception with "I have no idea", as his brain, loaded with 25,000 or more words, chose which words to use, how to order them, which to leave out, all in less than a micro-second. It is safe to conclude he does not want to tell police the answer to this question.

Question: Who shot her?

Answer: She shot herself.

This, itself, in context, would be "unreliable." We would not say, alone, that it is "deceptive", but "unreliable" because the speed of transmission is not disrupted in "parroting language", that is, by repeating the words of a question.

He avoids it, nonetheless, even though it would be less stressful due to parroting.



"I have no idea" is not truthful, as he will soon indicate. That he is deceptive on the call is one issue, but that he is deceptive about who shot her means the deception is specifically related to the topic of who shot her.

Note it is "the" gun. This is appropriate since he introduced "a" gun earlier.

"tried" in past tense, means attempted and failed.

We look for him, in the "free editing process" to say, "She shot herself":

By "Free editing process":

his own words
spoken in an open statement
spoken as a response to the open ended question, "What happened?"
spoken without qualifiers or anything else interrupting the speed of transmission
without using the operator's, nor anyone else's words.




OP: How old is she ?

TS: She's err err err 56.

OP: Is she breathing ?

TS: I can hear her gulping gulping, she's like gulping.

OP: Alright, where are you at at the residence ?

The 911 operator instinctively is concerned for the safety of the responders.

TS: I'm in my bedroom.

Married couples often use "the bedroom" and not "my", which is possessive. By using "my" bedroom, he is giving us an indication that the place of sleep (rest, peace) has something amiss. This should lead investigators to learn if they

slept in different locations
talked about divorce where he keeps the house and she goes elsewhere.

OP: Whats your name ?

TS: My name's Tim.

Please note that he parrots back the word "name" by entering into her sentence. This is a slight indication that he may want to be cautious with his answers. It is only a slight indication. However, when we have "self censoring", the slight indicator is taken with the other, stronger indicators, in conclusion.

Please next note that he uses his first name only; informal, or, "friendly" which shows need to "win over" or "be friends with police." See other 911 calls for this attempt to sound friendly, or at peace with police.

OP: Whats you last name Tim ?

This question is forced by him, which, by necessity, takes away from possible first aid care to his wife.


TS: Sparks, Sparks.

OP: Is your door open, unlocked ?

TS: Err No i i i..

Stuttering on pronouns indicates increase of anxiety. This principle is seen in an even more acute manner when it is the pronoun "I", which, in the English language, is a word used by our brains millions of times, and is one in which a non stuttering person will not stutter on, unless there is anxiety. A single stutter would show an increase in tension, or fear, but 3 "I's" shows a significant increase in anxiety.

Objection: his wife is dying before him, who would not be anxious?

Answer: The pronoun "I" is directed towards self, and stuttering on it shows the anxiety is directed, not towards his wife, but himself, and is consistent with him expressing a need for help, for himself. Should he stutter even further on the pronoun "I", it may be that he, himself, will need ambulatory care as he may have a nervous breakdown. "I" is the one word in which anxiety towards external circumstances will not produce stutter. It is always focused upon the self; not knowing what outcome will be upon self, rather than victim. It focuses the language upon himself, not the one in need of assistance. This is why we seek to learn if an innocent caller will ask for help, specifically for the victim, or specifically for self, if administering life saving aid.

OP: Were you guys having a fight, or what was she doing with the gun ?

poorly worded: Avoid compound questions as they let subject choose which he wishes to answer

TS: No, i was, she was she, i was getting ready for work and i just came in came in and she's standing there with the gun, i said Sue what are you doing ? Oh hurry hurry please. What do i do ?


1. Note self censoring where he stops himself from speaking a full sentence as the brain signals "shut off" in order to protect himself
2. The question about having a fight, or her having a gun, is sensitive to him.
3. Note the chronological order: "I was getting ready for work" and "I just came in" avoids, by delay, getting to what happened.

Is this because he "has no idea" how she was shot, as said above?

4. "She's standing there" gives her body posture, which is unnecessary; therefore, very important to him. It is a signal of increase tension, or stress, not for his wife, but for him. Recall the training:

"My supervisor said for me to fill out the forms" versus, "My supervisor stood and told me to fill out the forms" shows an increase in pressure, or tension, for the subject, as he recalls not only what his supervisor said, but included the additional words describing the body posture of his supervisor. The law of economy is suspended and additional effort is used to bring additional wording in.

5. Next, he tells the operator about their conversation with soft language, "I said..."

Please note that he does not answer the question, but interrupts himself giving an answer by telling them to hurry, yet does not ask for help for the victim, which is now a red flag, since he does not know what to do. He is not performing CPR or any detailed First Aid.

"What do I do?" is likely leakage and he does not know what he, himself, is going to do. This may have been in a moment of rage.

OP: Where was she shot at ?

TS: Err, it looks like right in the chest. I tried to take the gun from her she pulled it toward her.

"right" is the language of hitting the correct point in shooting. "Tried" in past tense, indicates failure.

Ask yourself, "Would you say this?"

Note that the law of economy would have said, "in her chest" and then may have asked for guidance on how to help her. Instead, he adds in his alibi building and self-absorbed view: "I tried to take the gun from her..." which he had already said that he had "no idea" how she was shot.

This repetition shows the sensitivity he has about "what happened" and should be viewed with the passivity.


OP: Can you tell where she's breathing from ?

TS: She's bleeding from the chest.

OP: Ok.

TS: She's bleeding a lot.

OP: Can you get a clean rag and try to hold pressure where the wound is ?

TS: Yes yes.

OP: And i need you to see if she's breathing when you start CPR.

TS: Err she's gul..she's gul

OP: Is she still gasping ?

TS: I'm holding my hand on her chest.

OP: Ok, can you get like a shirt or a towel or something to hold over the top of that ?

TS: Yes yes..(inaudible)

OP: Is it 4293 Meckenzie court right ?

TS: Yes yes.

OP: ok.

TS: I got the blanket i'll take the blanket. I'll hold the blanket on her.

OP: Ok. Is there anybody else in the house with you ?

TS: No no no.

OP: How old is she ?

TS: Uhg Uhg Ugh, she's 50..6

OP: And how old are you ?

TS: 58

OP: Has she ever threatened suicide before ?

TS: Uhg erm, she she she, she suffers from depression.

He stutters at this question about threatening suicide. This question has caused him anxiety.
OP: Is the depression really bad ?

TS: she would never do this..She didn't do this on purpose. I tried to get it from her.

This may be an admission.
OP: Was it a hand gun ?

TS: No, its a its a shot gun. That we keep in the closet.

The shot gun makes it more difficult to shoot "right in the chest" by suicide. Note he uses "we" regarding the gun, which may indicate need to share guilt.
OP: And where is it at now ?

TS: Uhg aahh, its laying on the floor.

Instead of "it's on the floor" he uses body posture for an inanimate object, often a linguistic signal that he put it there. This would be different than a suicide since he only "tried" to take it from her. It is likely that it did not fall to this position, but he put it there deliberately.
OP: In the same room as you ?

TS: Yes yes

While the OP is typing you can hear TS in the background saying "honey, honey, honey, honey.

OP: Is she still breathing ?

TS: Sh's..no. She was gulping..

OP: Can you feel on the side of her neck and see if you can feel a pulse Tim or..

TS: Hang on...No, i don't know how to feel it, no, i don't feel anything.

OP: Ok.

TS: Her chest was moving i can feel it now.

OP: OK

TS: Chest stopped moving, chest stopped moving

OP: Is it moving still ?

TS: No no it's not moving.


OP: Ok, take a deep breath for me. Is she on her back ?

TS: God..

OP: Is she on her back ?

TS Yes, oh my god oohhh.


OP: Can you start CPR ?


TS: Are they here, are they here ?

OP: They'er coming. It's gunna take them a couple of minits but they are all on the way. Can you start CPR again ?

TS: (Inaudible)

OP: Ok. Lets give her two breadths

TS: Ok where

OP: You are gunna tilt her head back a little bit and pinch her nose and give two breaths into her mouth.

OP: Where at in the chest was she shot at ? Are you gunna...

TS: In the middle, oh my god.

OP: Is it like between, like her breast bone ?

TS: Yes yes.


OP: Ok. Are you able to do chest compressions over the top where the gun shot wound is ?

TS: I got the blanket on her

OP: Ok

TS: Oh my god oh my god. Come on baby come on babe. Baby look at me. Honey come on, oh my god. What did i do, what did i do ? She's not breathing, she's not breathing

Note the terms of endearment spoken into the phone:
Baby
Babe
Honey

OP: Alright, ok Tim

TS: She's not breathing

OP: Alright, are you able to do chest compressions on her ? Over the top of where the gun shot wound is.

TS: Whats that, just push on her ?

OP: Yeah just give her thirty compressions

TS: Just like push on it

OP: Yep

TS: OK......Oh My God, oh my god oh my god...Baby, baby.


OP: Are you giving her compressions Tim ?

TS: Yes i'm pushing on her

OP: Ok. After you have give thirty of those, go back and give her two breaths again

TS: OK i did..Thirty

OP: Where are you at in the house ?

TS: I'm in the bedroom

OP: Is it a two story or one story ?

TS: It's a two story, do i need to unlock the door ?

OP: Are you upstairs in the bedroom ?

TS: No, it's on the first floor,. When you come in the door, turn left

OP: OK

TS: I need to unlock it though

OP: Yes, get the front door unlocked

TS: Ok i'm gunna unlock the door

OP: Do you have any dogs or anything in the house

(Dogs barking in the background)

OP: can you put the dogs in another room ?

TS: Yeah. Come here, come here. (Talking to the dogs)

TS: I don't think she's breathing ?

OP: Ok

TS: Honey

OP: Lets give her two more breaths. Did you get the dogs secured ?

TS: Yeah

OP: Ok. Lets give her two more breaths

TS: Oh baby, oh noo oh noo

OP: You are doing good Tim

(Inaudible) TS is saying something

OP: Do you have a Police Officer with you ?

Police in the background

Police: sir let me see your hands, let me see your hands, slow down

TS: She's not breathing, she's not breathing

This is a call with an abundance of indictors of guilty caller status for Timothy Sparks. He attempts to portray this as a suicide, but it is a homicide. His use of passivity shows:

Timothy Sparks deliberately shot his wife and deceptively reports this as a suicide.

What is not known from this short 911 call are issues that the subject's original written statement (if taken before the interview) would reveal, including:

*the nature of their relationship
*premeditation

The social introduction of "my wife" is appropriate in context, while the terms of endearment, if intended for the recording, is a form of 'scripting' and in general, terms of endearment are indicative of a poor relationship, just as "I love you" and others are. Here is why:

When you put your children to bed, it is likely that you say "I love you" to them.

When a person feels the need to put this in a statement, or in the case of scripting, to be heard by someone other than the children, it is indicative of:

a. Need to persuade
b. poor relationship

I have advised police to look at terms used in departures, such as, "See ya, Babe" within a statement, as this can help pinpoint the time of death. I ask that they look at the timing in the statement where this is found and ask the coroner if the time listed (or in the pace of the statement) equals, or comes very close to, the medically deduced time of death.

This analysis is not conclusive, but general, and it is not difficult to discern the status of "guilty caller" which indicates:

a. The caller has guilty knowledge of what happened;
b. The caller, himself, is guilty of what he is reporting.

Analyst Kaaryn Gough has said, "the brain knows what it knows" even as the subject attempts to deceive. This is why "I'm sorry" and/or "I need help" can enter the language of the deceptive caller.

The deceptive caller knows that he is in need of help, and may be even expressing remorse, having gone through with either his plan, or even his angry impulse.

This caller's words guide us, and reveal his need to persuade. Truthful people report simply what happened, and unless challenged, will not show a need to persuade.

What would an honest 911 call look like in a domestic situation?

I just analyzed one sent to me via Facebook by a reader who noted red flags, but sought guidance. I do not know who the caller is, but simply analyzed, in context, what the reader sent me.

It is also useful for teaching, particularly show why, in context, a caller might ask for help specifically for himself.

If we used only a "checklist" (that is sometimes used by departments), we may have erred in our conclusion of that call.

A checklist can be useful, but it also can be for the lazy-minded who wish to reduce principle to the most simplest of forms.

Detecting deception is hard work, and it is not easy.

When I teach law enforcement, I encourage supervisors to send their "best and brightest" for this reason. A checklist, while convenient, is a temptation to rush to a conclusion, the very element that a good investigator must not possess.

The analysis is found HERE and should be studied. Note how the check list mentality would have worked in this call. Read the analysis at the link, but also note the abbreviated points that follow:

8/9/13 Call to 911:

911: what is your emergency?

Caller: yeah I need some help. I found my wife on the floor. She’s passed out and unresponsive. I can’t wake her.

In the checklist, asking for help for himself here is a "red flag" checked off. Slavish devotion to simplicity can backfire. Here is why:
The caller asks for help for himself rather than the victim, which is something we look at, specifically, in context.

If the caller is administering specific First Aid or CPR, he, himself, does need help to save the victim.

This is not inappropriate if the caller is administering first aid, CPR, attempting to revive the victim, etc, showing a need for help, for the caller, specifically. Even if the caller is knowledgable (like a nurse, for example), if success is not forthcoming, the caller may still ask specifically for help. A doctor trying to save someone's life and is not having success, will want help.


911: okay, address?
Caller: 45** 8 Street.

911: 8 Street?
Caller: 45** 8 Street, in Addis.

911: Oh okay, I’m sorry.
[pause]
Caller: Send somebody quick.

This would be seen as not asking help specifically for the victim, and might have ended up on the "check list box"

911: Okay Sir, I am taking down the information.

Caller: She’s not breathing. [long pause] I can’t wake her up.

In the original analysis, he had strong pronoun use of responsibility for her revival, which is indicative of someone with First Aid and CPR training. EMTs, for example, often feel personally responsible for outcomes.


Dispatcher: alright…
Caller: I don’t have a pulse.


The caller is taking ownership of his wife's pulse here. This pronoun ("I") strongly connects the caller to the well being of the victim in the context of his care for her. This could be misinterpreted as not asking for help for her, since it is only a check box.


Dispatcher: Okay — [pauses]
Caller: She’s not breathing. I can’t wake her up.

The same pattern of responsibility for her care continues.

Dispatcher: Okay, I need you to get him flat on his back on the floor, okay? Flat on the floor.
Caller: She’s on the floor!

noted exasperation and frustration with the 911 operator. There is no need to "make friends" or show friendliness or even make a show of cooperation to 911, which is the police.

Compare this with the Sparks call in which he gives his first name only. Compare it also with initial (this is important: "initial") response of parents of missing children when they praise police for not finding their child. Later, when police accuse them, this "make friends" attitude or display, usually disappears. See Justin DiPietro and the Celis family.

...


Caller: uh, she’s not breathing, she has no pulse. Her eyes are open. I can’t wake her up

Note that he already gave her name, so he does not repeat it, instead, the information of her age is "overruled" in priority by the extremities of the situation:

a. She is not breathing
b. She has no pulse
c. Her eyes are open
d. I can't wake her

Note that, again, he takes responsibility for her care with "I can't wake her." Guilty callers often find subtle (and strange) ways to distance themselves from their victims and even blame them, with "she won't wake up", whereas he, instead, blames himself and it is his own frustration, as seen in the instinctive use of the pronoun "I"

Dispatcher: Hold on Sir, I need you to stay calm with me. Did you see her stop breathing or did you wake up ——

Caller: [interrupts] No! I got up and I came downstairs!

The interruption was added by the transcriber, yet it shows how quickly he responded. This is the opposite of the sensitive "pause" of "well, um, "I'm sorry" and so on.

This establishes an alibi; he was not there when it happened. The location of the alibi is critical.

In guilty callers, the priority is the alibi.
In innocent callers, the priority is helping the victim.

Please note that in alibi building this information is likely found earlier in the call as the guilty caller's priority is himself, and not the victim. The location of this information suggests that his priority is her lack of breathing, that is, her condition.

Recall Misty Croslin's 911 call in which she was asked what the emergency was and her first words were:

"I was sleeping..."

Dispatch: Okay. Once again, I want you to —she’s on the floor? I want you to go ahead and I want you to put your uh, place the heel of your hand on her breastbone, right between her nipples —

Caller: [interrupts and talks over dispatcher irritated] I know how to do CPR!

Thus showing why he needed help. He knows how to do CPR but it is not working revealing why he, himself, asked for help.

Dispatcher: okay well I want you to do that 600 times. I want you to feel the chest come all the way up between pumps and count loud so that I can hear you, and count with you, okay?

Caller: How many times do you want? I’m sorry

We note the inclusion of "I'm sorry" within the call. In context, he has used the pronoun "I" repeatedly, in taken ownership of the CPR care. Here, "I'm sorry" is produced in context to the specific count of CPR, which he has stated, is not working. This is likely an appropriate response and not "leakage" due to the context.

Dispatcher: it’s okay, you’re going to go 600 times. Go!
Caller: 600?

In the interview, my guess is that he did not know that "600 times" was supposed to be done, prompting the answering of a question with a question.


The "check box" used to make things easier for police would not have served justice in this case.

Always beware of short cuts and anything that promises to make Statement Analysis easy. 101 courses are good for introductions, but it takes years to learn Statement Analysis to the point of it being a sharp tool.

A detective recently told me that Statement Analysis is a "short cut to success" for his career, but a "life long learning process."

What prompted this?

In a recent college rape case, (another involving 'rough' violence) his analysis, which was sharp and distinct, indicating deception in both the alleged victim's and the alleged perpetrator's statements.

Working with the statement, trusting the subjects to guide us, he saw:

They had a prior relationship;
He had sexual dysfunction;
She had bitterness...

and both had reasons for deception.

It was not rape, however, in the legal sense, but yet another case where the influence, perhaps, of "50 Shades" has set upon college kids.

In the second call, the caller is innocently seeking help for his wife.

In the case of Timothy Sparks, he should be charged in the

murder of his wife.


By Peter Hyatt.

Monday, 2 February 2015

911 Call: Mother of Two Beaten To Death By Boyfriend

911 Call: Mother of Two Beaten To Death By Boyfriend




The Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) system was developed by Avinoam Sapir, and it is the basis for all Statement Analysis today. Mr. Sapir's website is LSI and his work is applied to 911 calls in the same manner as it is applied to all statements. Work on 911 calls is to the credit of Mr. Sapir. Any claim to the contrary is fraudulent and is intellectual theft, whether or not the one taking credit is a trained analyst or not.


Mother-of-two 'brutally beaten and left for dead by her new boyfriend' who she went to visit for the weekend
Emily Lambert, a third grade teacher, was found dead after being beaten to death and now her boyfriend Robert Earley is under arrest. Thanks to John for posting.

911.

Operator-"911 what is your emergency?

Caller-"Yeah erm, my girlfriend whe..left last night er we were at the Stevens bar inn (inaudible) and she hasn't made it back to the hotel. She-i don't know where she went. She left with, she was talking about leaving with someother guy, and she hasn't made it back."

First note that there is an incomplete introduction; "my girlfriend" but without her name. He is reporting her missing.

A truthful report of a missing person should be where the subject tells us what he knows, what he saw, thought, etc.

Here we have two "lefts" indicating withheld information regarding what happened to her in this time period of missing info.

Note also any struggle with a pronoun. "She, I..."

Pronouns are instinctive. There should be no mistake with pronouns.

Note the change from "left" to "talking about leaving"

When one mentions speech in the statement (call to 911) it may be the reason for the crime.
Operator-"Ok, and where you at


Caller-"The Stevens Inn"

Operator-"What room"?

Caller-"Er 402"

Operator-"What is your name?"

Caller-"Its Robert Early"

Operator-"How do you spell your last name?"

caller-"E-A-R-L-Y"

Operator-"And you phone is--------------------"

Caller-"Yes, yes"

Operator-"And where do you live Robert?".

Caller-"Er, er,er US Texas"

Operator-"And is (Inaudible)

Caller-"Yes Mamm"

Operator is typing. The Caller fills in the silence by saying "Ive been pacing since 5:30 this morning"

Operator-"Ok"

Caller-"Erm, just because--she was pretty intoxicated and she has some insecurities and..

Note the need by the caller to disparage the victim.
Note the need to express his "pacing" and the reason.
operator-"Ok, What is her name?"


Caller- "Emily Lambert, i just, i didn't know maybe she got picked up for PI" (maybe she walked down the road, she was, she was in a really cute dress and some high heels, and i had her ID, and her phone was in the room on the charger. We took my phone. And, i really didn't think anything of it because she was like, she was like, well this guy over here has been hitting on me, and he said if you arn't going to treat me right that he will take me home.And i was like whatever if thats what you really want"

Note that he not only tells us what he did not think, but also the reason. This is very sensitive.

Note also the attempt to once again, disparage the victim, and seek to cast blame away from himself.

He also verbalizes the argument between them. (see the mention of speech above)


Operator-"Ok, what kind, what color dress?"

Caller-"Erm, it was like white and black (pause) with black high heels, with little biddy silver balls, i think on the bottom of the heel. And her purse is in the car and she doesn't have anything with her. Ive driven up and down the street, and looked to see if she was walking down the road or something."

"to" here is the same as "because" as he feels the need to say why he looked for her.
Operator-"uh uh"

caller-"And havn't seen her. I mean ive called, ive talked to her parents, her ex husband, she aint, nobody has heard from her"

In an open statement he is reporting a missing person yet feels the need to say that he has not seen her. This is a very strong indication of deception. He was not asked if he had seen her. A person should tell us what they saw, heard and said, not what they did not see, did not think, etc.

He also reports what she does not have.
Operator-"Ok, is her phone in the room, or, her purse is in the car?"

Caller-"Yes, her phone, her phone is here. she didn't, she was wearing a little, she was wearing, she didn't have any pockets"

Operator-"Ok, let me have an officer come and see you2

Caller-"Ok, thank you"

Analysis by Peter Hyatt.


http://statement-analysis.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/911-call-mother-of-two-beaten-to-death.html






Sunday, 4 January 2015

Statement Analysis of 911 Call of Police Chief William McCollum Shooting Wife:

Statement Analysis of 911 Call of Police Chief William McCollum Shooting Wife:





The Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) system was developed by Avinoam Sapir, and it is the basis for all Statement Analysis today. Mr. Sapir's website is LSI and his work is applied to 911 calls in the same manner as it is applied to all statements. Work on 911 calls is to the credit of Mr. Sapir. Any claim to the contrary is fraudulent and is intellectual theft, whether or not the one taking credit is a trained analyst or not.



The importance of obtaining and analyzing the 911/999 calls made by individuals during homicides, alleged suicides, alleged accidental deaths, alleged abduction, kidnappings and thefts Etc. Do the callers words indicate innocence, and NO involvement of the crime, or do they indicate deception, guilt or guilty knowledge of the crime being reported?: Statement Analysis Gets To The Truth.




Statement Analysis of 911 Call of Police Chief William McCollum Shooting Wife


Police Chief shoots wife 911 call has now been released.



In Statement Analysis, we view the Expected versus the Unexpected in 911 calls. In a domestic shooting, how the caller relates to the victim is critically important. He will either show a good relationship in the call, or he will show a troubled relationship.



Presuppositional Thinking in Statement Analysis means going word by word, first, presuming innocence (de facto innocence, not judicial), seeing if the language "fits" or is appropriate.



Then, re-do the analysis presupposing that the caller has had a domestic dispute with his wife and see if the language is fitting with this presupposition.



The Expected Versus The Unexpected.



We set up what we expect to hear from an innocent caller, who's wife has now accidentally been shot. What do we expect to hear, in such a case as this?



It is expected that the caller will:



a. ask for help for the victim, specifically for the victim; not in general, and not for himself.



b. show concern for the victim not for the caller himself. His wife is, perhaps, mortally wounded, and we expect to hear him care only for her.



c. use direct language befitting an emergency not staged language for the recording. This should sound like "excited utterance" and be helpful.



Given that he is law enforcement, we expect him to not only answer the questions, but to offer relevant information to the operator.



Remember, this is an Interview. The 911 operator is asking questions because she needs information.

In every interview, there is an impression:



Either the subject is working with the Interviewer to get the information, or the subject is showing resistance or reluctance, to impede the flow of information. This also can be where the subject impedes information by using tangents or avoidance.



d. Passive Language: passivity is used to conceal identity or responsibility In an accidental shooting, it would be expected about the gun going off, but nothing else. If there is passivity, it must be noted. The passivity should not be coupled with distancing language, since passivity already shows distance.



e. The social introduction is key to understanding the relationship at the time of the call.



If he and his wife fought, and this caused him to threaten her, perhaps, and the "gun went off", we may see him distance himself from his wife by avoiding her name, coupled with her title: "my wife______"



I expect him to say, "This is William McCollom, I just shot my wife, Margaret. She needs help." and give the address. Then when he is asked for details, he will say that the gun went off accidentally.



Order teaches us priority.



Police Chief William McCollom's 911 call analyzed.





911: Fayette county 911, what’s the address of your emergency?



Chief: 103 Autumn Leaf.



911: What’s going on there?



Chief: Uh, gunshot wound…accidental. Need medical asap.



Note the order shows priority.



Gunshot Wound is first, and not his wife.
Accidental --alibi set
Medical is asked for after responsibility for shooting.



The priority is not the victim.



Please note:



Here is where we expect him to say he shot his wife, If it is his gun, using her name, and asking for help for her.



If she owned a gun, and slept with it, it may be appropriate.
If this is his gun, we expect him to take responsibility because his concern is not being blamed or not being blamed, but his wife, Margaret's, condition.



Instead, he speaks in short, broken sentences:



1. "Uh" is a pause to think.



2. "gunshot wound" avoids saying "I shot my wife" or "my wife needs help!" He does not say who has the gunshot wound, or how she got it.



2. "accidental" is not to say "I shot her by accident"



3. "Need medical asap" is without a pronoun.



He does not ask for help for her, specifically. This is not expected. This early in the call we looked for a complete social introduction which would tell us that it is a good relationship.

Note that "I just shot my wife, Margaret, by accident, she needs medical assistance asap!" would:



1. Use the pronoun "I"
2. Give the complete social introduction "my" showing ownership, "wife" is her title, and "Margaret" her name. A complete social introduction indicates a good relationship.



In this opening, he has indicated that there is a problem in their relationship.



Their history will have to be explored.




911: OK. Where are you shot at?



Because of his failure to properly inform the operator, she has to ask where he has been shot. It is not clear to her what has happened. This is coming from a man who has likely spent many years in this specific field of information. His wording appears careful and cautious. We now look to see if he will give indication of a good relationship, and care for her life and get the flow of information to the operator.



Chief: What’s that?



911: Where is the person shot at?



Chief: In the back.



He gives short answers. Because he has yet to give a social introduction, he forces the operator to ask:




911: Is it a male or female?



The 911 operator had to ask this. She should not have had to ask.



Chief: Female.



Here is where we expect him to now use the introduction since he has not used it yet.



He continues to avoid saying, "my wife, Margaret" This is another place where he could identify that it is his wife in need of assistance.



That he has not yet used his wife's name is distancing language indicating a poor relationship and/or a need to distance himself from her.



This is not expected when there is a good relationship and the married couple are "one", in their minds and in their language.




In a close, married relationship, the couple often feel like "one", so that when one suffers, they both suffer.



Here, in the midst of a life or death trauma, he will not even use her name.



911: How old is she? How old is she?



Chief: 58





he does not use her name.



*911: She’s shot in the back and in the side?



Chief: Yes…and numb in back. Come on. Let’s get them here.



He does not ask for help specifically for her. He has not used her name.



911: Somebody else is dispatching help. I need to get some more information from you. You said it was an accident?



Chief: Yes.



911: She was shot twice accidental?



That she was shot "twice"
The gun went off twice? This is not something expected in a shooting where a trigger is pulled accidentally, by, for example, someone rolling over on it in bed.



Chief: Yes.



**At :58…911: Who shot her?



Chief: Me.



911: How did you shoot her?



Chief: I was…the gun was in the bed. I went to move it…uh, put it to the side and then it went off.



"I was" is broken off: this is self-censoring. Note "the gun" and not "a" gun. This means that there is something sensitive about ownership of the gun.



If the gun went off inadvertently, passive language is appropriate because one does not know how it went off, therefore, no responsibility is assigned. This is especially true if it is her gun, and she generally sleeps with it.



However, we note here that



"the gun was in the bed" uses passive language.



This conceals or refuses to identify how the gun got into the bed. Is it possible that she brought her own gun to bed?




As police chief, if it is his gun, we expect him to take ownership of it.



Please note: "I went to move it" tells us what he intended to do. We let his words guide us.



Question: Did he say he moved the gun and it went off?



Answer: No



He only "went to" move it. He does not say he moved it.



He further distances himself from the gun.



Please note that "the gun" is not "my gun", nor even "her gun." This is a strong indication that the gun belonged to him and he does not want ownership of it.




"Went": this word is important. "I went to move it" means that he knew it was there. This indicates intention, but not action.



Where was he when he "went" to move it?
Was he in the bed with her?
Was he in a different room, realizing that it was left in the bed where she was sleeping?





This is an important place to focus the interview.



Please note that this use of "went" could be a figure of speech, or even a regional expression.




911: Is she awake?



Chief: No. Everybody was sleeping.



note "everybody" is not defined.
He has not used his wife's name; this is distancing langue. We must now learn who "everybody" who is in the home as this is an indication that there are more people in the home than just he and his wife.



What caused him to say "everybody was sleeping"?



a. If it was just the two of them, it may suggest editorializing (story telling)
b. Was he thinking of someone else?
c. Was someone else there previously?
d. Had he plans to leave to meet someone else, a love interest, who was sleeping?



This is very strange and not something expected from one who is alone with his critically bleeding wife.



911: No, is she awake now?



Chief: Huh?



911: Is she awake now?





Chief: Yes.



911: Is she breathing?



Dispatch is asking questions because the subject is only answering specific questions and not giving any additional details. In a marriage, this is most unexpected.



Chief: Yes.



911: And…103 Autumn Leaf. What’s your nearest intersection or street?



Chief: Uh we’re in Center Green



**At 1:32…911: Where’s the gun at?



Chief: Uhhh, geez I don’t know. I threw it to the side. It might be in the bed here. I don’t know.



The location of the gun is important for the safety of the responders.



Note throwing the gun produced the pronoun "I" and he had the presence of mind to "throw it"; why the need to throw it?



Also, if he threw it, was this in anger? staging?
**At 1:43 Chief: You having trouble breathing Dear?



This is a term of endearment. Investigators will need to learn if this was a usual term used by him, or something for the call.



911: Alright, I want you to…you are with her now?



**At 1:50…Chief: What’s that? I’m the Chief of Police. It’s a…the bed, the gun is on the dresser.



**At 1:57…911: OK. You’re the Chief of Police in Peachtree City?



Chief: Yeah, unfortunately. Yes.




Here, we have the subject showing concern for himself. This is not expected. This may have prompted the next question:


911: Alright, is this your wife?



Chief: Yes.



911: OK sir. Um, I do want to ask you some more questions about her health right now. Somebody else has already dispatched help so we’re not delaying that OK?



Chief: OK.



**At 2:25…911: Is that her crying?



operator shows concern. Also, did operator feel need to identify who it was that was crying, thinking that someone else might have been there, based upon his language?




Chief: Yes, she’s having trouble breathing now.





911: OK.



**At 2:35…(you hear moaning/crying in background)



911: OK. (more moaning) This just occurred now right before you called?



Operator is suspicious of a possible delay.



Chief: Yep..yep went off in the middle of the night.



Note "yep" instead of formal "yes."



Some people use "yep" when they are agreeing with someone else.



We will note where he uses "yep" versus where he uses "yes."



I am concerned that this call was not made immediately after the shooting, based upon his response:



"yep" is repeated, as if 'agreeing' with the 911 operator
then taken with "in the middle of the night" rather than "just now" in his language.



This suggests a delay in calling.



This may be difficult to understand on the audio but the call should be right after the shooting. "went off in the middle of the night" sounds more like editorializing, or story telling.



Note that he even drops the pronoun "it"



This is more distancing language.



The passivity over a gun going off is expected if the subject does not know how it went off, but the dropped pronoun is not expected. Let's say that one rolled over and the gun discharged, it would be passive, since the caller did not know which of them caused it, but might say, "it went off" with the pronoun, "it." He wants to distance himself from the gun.



"in the middle of the night" is not necessary because it just happened. This is something that sounds more like story telling.



"Middle of the night" could cover a great deal of time. The expected answer is "just now" and nothing else. Even a slight delay for trying to stop the bleeding would still be an immediate response. His need to editorialize may have confirmed the intuitive suspicion of the 911 operator.



911: Is there any serious bleeding?



Chief: Well, it’s internal but yes there is.



She is in critical condition, shot in the back. The only answer to this question is "yes"



He uses "yes" after the word "but"; note it is not "yep"



911: OK, is she completely alert?



Chief: Yes



"Yes" rather than "yep"



911: OK



Chief: And you already told me it was the back.



Chief: She’s starting to have trouble breathing now so it must be internal.



It would be important to ask him about her breathing earlier (not in this call, but the investigative interview).

911: OK. Is she on her back?

Chief: She’s laying on her stomach.

911: She’s laying on her stomach. OK. If you see any external bleeding, we’re going to apply direct pressure to that OK? Is she bleeding where you can see it?

Chief: Yes.

The expectation is that with his background, he had already begun basic emergency care applying pressure to the wound.

This is also "yes" and not "yep"

911: OK, I want you to get a dry clean cloth and I want you to apply direct pressure to the wound.

Chief: OK.



(sound of moaning) Chief: Ok



911: Ok I want you to hold the cloth there. Do not lift it to look at it. Just keep applying pressure …



Chief: (hard to understand)



would one of his background have already put pressure on the wound?



911: Ok. You want them to enter through the front door?



Chief: I don’t care if they come in the side door. It’s fine, I don’t care.





He should give the answer in which the victim is accessed in the quickest route. That he does not care may be an attempt to sound cooperative, as if coming through a different door does not inconvenience him.



He should have told them to come in the most direct route.




Chief: aLright, come on guys…get here.



This is still not to ask for specific help for the victim.



Chief: Yeah, I got the door open for them.



Chief: Oh my God.



Note the use of Divinity:



He does not ask God to help or save his wife.




911: What’s your name sir?



Chief: How did this happen?



Note the open question by the subject being asked out loud. Only he can answer this question yet he asks it, anyway. This is another red flag. This is concerning and may be a play for the recording.
911: What’s your name sir?

Chief: Will McCollum

**At 4:15…911: Were you asleep also sir when it happened?

Chief: Yep, are you alright dear? I know you are not alright. I mean, are you still breathing? Still alert for me?

"Yep" is not "yes" but more casual. "Yep" is often used when one finds an answer within the question, to agree to.

Please note: he affirms that he was asleep when it happened, making it an accident where one rolls over in his sleep, yet only uses the weak "yep", rather than stronger "yes", which must be compared with:

"I went to..." contradicts being asleep.



Regarding speaking to his wife:



She may have answered him harshly. This may indicate that an argument took place before the shooting.



911: Is there anybody else there with you guys?



That he said "everybody was sleeping" has likely prompted this question. Since "everybody" was sleeping, who else is there?



Chief: No.



Did he say "everybody" was asleep earlier? This is concerning. It could point to the attempt to build 'a crowd of support' due to guilt and the need to share guilt.



Guilty parties often feel that if others are around, they can spread the guilt out. We see this in school children. Yet, there was no one there but the caller and the victim, who's name is avoided.



Chief: Come on. Hurry, hurry, hurry.



Please note that he knows how the system works; dispatch while he is speaking.



This sounds staged, just as his other phrases, including "God" and "How did this happen"" do.



911: I hear them in the background. They are coming as fast as they can. Ok?



Chief: I can hear them.



911: Do we have that dry clean cloth on her wound?



This is intuitive. She uses the word "we", as cooperation, instead of saying "Do you have that dry clean cloth on her wound?" revealing her own suspicion.



To use "we" indicates a need for cooperation. She does not sense he is cooperative and she has her doubts that he has tended to her wounds.


Chief: Alright come on guys.



He is not engaged with the 911 operator.
911: You see them sir?



**At 5:30 Chief: Right there on the dresser is the gun.



911: Is there an officer there?



Chief: Jamie is here, yeah.



Please note that he used the officer's name while avoiding his wife's name in the entire call.

911: Ok, Chief I’m going to let you go…

There are enough red flags in this call for police to consider the chief a suspect and seek to learn about the marital relationship's discord. From this call alone,



I conclude that their relationship is not good;





that he uses distancing language from her;



he uses distancing language from the gun;



he inappropriately uses passivity in language, avoiding the responsibility of how the gun got into the bed.



He expresses concern for himself, but not for her, who's name he was unable to use in the entire call.



If I did not write the word "Margaret", you would not have known her name.
If the 911 operator had not specifically asked, she would not have been identified as his wife.



How does he get through the entire call without calling her his "wife", nor use her name?



He should be a suspect in this shooting. The sensitivity indicates trouble in the relationship.



Presuppositional Statement Analysis:



1. Presume innocence. Ask yourself, "What would I say?"

Could you make it through an entire 911 call without using the word "wife", in his shoes?

Could you make it through the entire 911 call without once using your wife's name? (or knickname)



Walk yourself through the call, putting yourself in his shoes. You have law enforcement background and may even use "cop speak", with such things as "ASAP"



Ask yourself what you might say if your wife was laying in the bed, internally bleeding from not one, but two gun shot wounds, and may not survive. Loving her, would you care about yourself, or your job, or reputation? Would you need to "not care" which door paramedics enter through?



If you are married, work it through with your spouse.




2. Now, Presume a poor relationship, an argument, and a guilty caller. Presume guilt.

Work through the statement again, presupposing that this was a domestic dispute in which he shot her twice.

Follow the same as above, even working it through with your spouse.

With presupposed guilt, does the language now "fit"?




Conclusion:

The chief is deceptive. He was not asleep when it went off.
He is concerned about himself, more than her.
The relationship was bad. His distancing language is acute. He was unable to use her name nor did he even use the word "wife" in the call.
He did not help the operator gain information but showed restraint and reluctance.
He likely shot her twice in an argument. There may be a third party in their relationship, who may not have been in the home, but was in his mind during the call.
He likely did not call 911 immediately.




Pray for Margaret to recover.