CHAP 3 (Police Investigations) Flashcards
Central park Jogger case
Trisha Meili, 28
April 19th, 1989
Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise (14-16)
Confessed and they were videotaped
Important to know that the Interrogations beforehand were not
“Defendants’ statements were not
corroborated by, consistent with, or
explanatory of objective,
independent evidence.”
In the Central Park Jogger Case, it is important to know that
Even though they Confessed and they were videotaped
Important to know that the Interrogations beforehand were not
In the Central Park Jogger Case ________ admitted guilt in _____
Matias Reyes admitted guilt in 2002
There are two goals of a police interrogation (Kassin, 1997
- Obtain a confession
- Gain information that will further the investigation (e.g., the location of evidence)
Other examples of false confessions
Jon Benet (December 25,1996)
In the Jon Benet Case
- Jon Benet was found dead in her parents home after being bound and sexually abused
- Ransom note discovereed on table
2006, former schoolteacher John Mark Karr was arrested after confessing to the murder; however, Karr’s DNA did not match samples found on JonBenét’s body and he was released.
Are interrogations coercive?
History of coercive measures
Mid-1900’s: whipping suspects to get a confession
1980’s: Stun guns used by the NYPD to extract confessions
More recently: Psychological Methods such as trickery and deceit (e.g; lying about evidence, “we have your DNA”)
Canadian Example Of A Coercive Technique and what it does
“Mr. Big” Technique (aka “The Canadian Technique)
- Police may have used it in alleged B.C Bomb Investigation: Lawyer
Police Pretend that they are already criminals in organised crime, and recruit him saying that there will be benefits
- work their way up to a full confession of serious crime
Most common Interrogation technique is the “________”
“Reid Technique”
Build a rapport with a suspect, in which the rapport can be defined as, “heightened attention leading to increased suggestibility”
“Reid Technique”
The Reid Technique involves 3 Stages
- Gather Evidence
- Interview (non-accusatorial) to assess deception / guilt
- Accusatorial interrogation to obtain a confession (9 Steps) (Supposed “failsafe” so that the following steps only happen when they already believe suspect is guilty
In the third stage of the Reid Technique there are 9 Steps used to interrogate and get a confession
1.Direct Positive Confrontation (I already know you did it)
- Theme development (Here’s how I think you did this, ie. you were drinking to much with friends and you ended up robbing someone)
- Handling Denials (Refuse any denial that suspect provides, ie. “I didn’t do it”, “well we already know you did”, and don’t let them finish their denial”)
4.Overcoming objections (You say you weren’t there, but we have __ that says you were / “I definitely understand your anger, and why you would do it”)
- Procurement / retention of attention (any lengths of though processing or zoning out are interrupted, i.e “uhhhh I can’t remember exactly, I’m not exactly sure let me think, “snap fingers - focus, dont lose track, we need you to answer, trying to stop them from forming a lie or deception)
- Handling passive mood (If they are unengaged or very calm, “take this seriously, why are you so relaxed”
- Presenting alternative question (ie. “Did you hurt the individual with a gun or knife?” Person will hesitate or be stunned if they are innocent because its hard to answer an unrelated question to your guilt)
- Orally relate crime details (Re Engagement of theme development, but continue to orally repeat full streamlined story)
- Convert oral confession to written (signature can be required sometimes)
Summary of Reid Technique
Confront their guilt
Provide them with justification
Interrupt denials
Get them to sign a confession
Ideally anxiety associated with deception outweighs concerns about confession
Saul Kassins notes two strategies in most interrogations
1.Maximising Strategies
Plays up the “moral wrongness”
Innocent Victims, “you did something very wrong”, “think of the people you hurt”
- Minimising strategies
Downplays the “wrongness” of the offence
Allowing “scapegoat” for problems (“everyone would react like you did, you were angry, its ok”)
Both of Kassins and even the Reid Technique Help to change “perception” of the crime
What are the problems with this type of technique?
- Assumption of guilt (starting interviews “weed out” the innocent, “only supposed to be used on likely guilty subjects”. Completely subjective)
- Confirmation bias (Not whether your guilty or not, interrogator believes you are and I need an answer)
- Tunnel Vision (Leads to distractions and can make other details or likely suspects overlooked)
- Cases of False Confessions
Under the law, only “voluntary confession by someone competent” is allowed - Reid Technique brutal for false confessions (up to 50%), but still legal
Brendan Dassey Case
October 31, 2005, disappearance of photographer Teresa Halbach.
- no corroborating physical evidence
- Dassey confessed the murder and said he had cut Halbach’s throat—played a significant role in his conviction for Halbach’s murder.
- Dassey was intellectually challenged and only 16, gave confession alone in a room with two police with no lawyer or guardian.
- Told he could go back to school and see his mom if he confessed
- Sentenced to life, and terrible lawyer ruined any chance of appeal
3 Main Types of False Confessions
Voluntary
Protection, reward, alibi, fear, fame
Coerced-Compliant
Escape or reward (instrumental reasons)
Coerced- Internalised
Creation of false memories
To reduce risks of False Confessions
- Videotape the interrogation (will this help jury understand?)
- Research on video camera angle (e.g Lassiter)
Camera is only on suspect and not interrogator (can’t see what interrogators are doing), leads to people less likely to believe suspect, whereas with both in frame, jury more likely to believe coercion
Interrogations/ False confessions also hard to study in lab, Kassin and Kiechel (1996) Study “Alt key”
Participants were accused of committing a “crime” hitting alt key which they were told explicitly not to do at all costs
Many conditions were used but usually the computer would crash and the participant was accused.
Suspects vulnerability was manipulated as was the presence of false evidence (diagram showing recent keystrokes, etc)
Results?
No evidence shown (did you hit the key?)
35% admitted without anything for proof
Added evidence (printout)
65% admitted with proof
Large evidence (confederate sitting next to them also verifies they hit the key which was not pressed)
80-100%
IN ALL OF THESE SCENARIOS NO KEYS WERE PRESSED!!!!!
____ of all Criminal Cases solved by confession
80%!!!!!!!!
______ account for the most wrongful convictions next to _______
false confessions, eyewitness misidentification
Two Approaches of Criminal Profiling
- Deductive
- inductive
Profiling an offender from evidence relating to that offender’s crimes
Deductive Profiling
Profiling an offender from what is known about other offenders who have committed similar (solved)
Inductive Profiling
Early Case: Mad Bomber of New York City
30 bombings or more over 10 years
Psychiatrist looked at pictures of crime scenes and letters sent by bombers
He said to look for a heavyset, middle aged Eastern European, and Catholic man who is single and lives with a sibling, and loves his mother. He will be wearing a suit
George Mensky
all was true ! (By chance)
Boston Strangler
Said there was two killers; lived alone and was a schoolteacher
Albert da Salvo was a construction worker with a wife and kids
Proves that ________
Not all profiling is successful
Major Source in U.S is the ________ has used criminal profiling since the 1970’s
-now a part of the national centre for the analysis of violent crime
-Agents from behavioural science and mental health professions
-Focus on bizarre and violent crimes (rape, arson, mass and serial murderers)
FBIS Behavioural Science Section
The Value of Profiling?
Surveys of police officers indicate profiling is useful in investigations (Copson 1995)
-provide a greater understanding of the case (60.9%)
- Reinforce judgements about offender (51.6%) ( also could be confirmation bias)
BUT
Only 2.6% of respondents indicated profiles led to the identification of the offender
Some criminal profiling / asessments for
e.g brutal face injuries -> ______
e.g murder from closeby weapon -> ________
e.g early morning murder -> __________
knew the victim
greater impulsivity
seldom involve drugs / alcohol
Better ways to profile?
Geographic profiling
prioritizing suspects who live close to crime scene
Usually also for homicide and rape
An example of a profiling system in Canada
Violent Crime Linkage Analysis (ViCALS)
Since Bernardo, more effect in this area
