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Believe the Evidence – AFI-LLC – October 2023 5 of 8
Why does this happen? Most often the family and PI are focused on the circumstantial drama – family relationships,
personalities, unusual behavior, anger and grief. For example, we often hear of abuse and neglect or even affairs and
acting strange. These may be valid concerns. Imagine if a person were arrested, charged, tried and convicted based on
these circumstances? It has happened – a bit simplified, but it has and does. The damage and harm is to more than the
defendant. It is to review and analyze the facts and evidence independently and with no bias or desired outcome.
If there are concerns from the official investigation, and particularly in developing the fact-based legal strategy in civil
and criminal litigation, the independent investigation is the next stage of the investigation. As part of our review and
analysis we then make recommendations. This is part of the overall team work with the attorney, investigators and
other experts. Specific to family questioned deaths, it can be a big hardship on the family to have them convinced of
homicide and the evidence doesn't support it - and they will live with the unanswered grief the rest of their lives. This
hardship is financial and emotional. We have had families, attorneys, and PIs come to us with how much they have spent
and are now ready for our expertise. This is often $2,000 to $10,000 (more than our base fee to families), only for us to
tell them their findings or legal strategy are without fact and evidentiary basis. This has happened to such a degree, we
now have law enforcement and prosecutor offices coming to us to independently review their cases as expert
consultants and to tell them which of the four possibilities their cases fall.
We strive to do the best we can for our clients, colleagues and profession. We are passionate about our civil and criminal
roles, and about helping families. Our first recommendation for any investigation is to follow a simple process – from
intake to investigation to conclusion:
1. Prepare
2. Inquire
3. Analyze
4. Document
5. Report
(see the PI Magazine article – ‘A Look Into the Practical Methods for Legal Investigations’ at
www.DeathCaseReview.com/uploads/8/7/3/8/8738199/beers_-_pmli_pi_mag_082014.pdf
Doing so provides for the Passionate Search for the Facts, and as legal investigators, this is our only true purpose. This
includes extenuating, aggravating, mitigating, objective, and subjective information. Anything that supports or refutes
any or all of the components of the death, or serious bodily injury, investigation is evidence.
Legal investigators have professional obligations to themselves and all clients to be: 1) Informed, become informed, and
to inform; 2) Unbiased and open minded; 3) Conscientious of their fiduciary responsibility; 4) Honest and ethical; and 5)
Unrelenting in their search for the facts.
Thank You!
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