Page 254 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

Conducting Tough Interviews 255

You say: ‘Are you absolutely certain this is everything?’
Suspect: ‘To the best of my recollection, yes it is.’ (Lack of commitment)
You say: ‘If you believed that you had done nothing wrong, why did you tell me that
you always travelled by yourself?’

You continue to press the point and the suspect admits that he knew he was breaking the
law. Now you turn to the deep truth and ask him to tell you who else does the same thing.

An answer that is already known can be used to test the subject’s honesty

This sequence can be regarded as the ‘naughty puppy rule’: the suspect does not want to
get immediately found out in another lie and is likely to answer honestly or, if he does not, he
is likely to push his anxiety further up the scale.

Example : ‘Bill, we have got off to a bad start and you tried to mislead me over [x]. I am now
going to ask you about [y] and I want you to think carefully before you try to answer it. Now
what did you do with the money?’

QUESTIONS ON THE KEY POINTS

You should ask questions on the key points and seek the subject’s detailed responses to them.
Specific indicators of guilt and deception – in addition to those explained in Chapter 4 – are usu-
ally as follows (Table 7.12).

Table 7.12 Most likely reactions to questions based on key points

Reactions indicating innocence Reactions indicating guilt
Clear answers with consistent detail Evasion, subjective truths and inconsistent detail
Commitment Lack of commitment
Quick responses Slow, censored replies
Refusal to change an explanation in the light of Changes story to fit emerging evidence
new evidence
Positive non-verbal clues Negative non-verbal clues

RELUCTANCE TO PROVIDE DETAIL

Ask control and relevant questions to test the subject’s memory and recall of detail. Do not
permit him to deceive you through concealment lies. When in doubt push for more and more
detail and take your time (Table 7.13).

Table 7.13 Most likely reactions to requests for detail

Reactions indicating innocence Reactions indicating guilt
Evasion and inconsistent detail
Consistent, free-flowing detailed answers to
both control and relevant questions