Interview and Interrogation

Those of us that follow true crime are well aware that sex crimes, including crimes against children, are an unfortunate reality of our time. We also know that after the crime has been reported one of the keys to identifying, apprehending and successfully prosecuting the perpetrator, are the police interviews of the victim and suspect. 

Investigators must gain the trust and cooperation of the victim. This can be especially difficult when the victim is a child; and even more so if the child’s family doesn’t want to expose their loved one to the emotionally difficult process of taking the case to trial.

And as the investigation moves forward, the suspect will need to be talked with. What can be learned in these sessions – especially before the suspect retains a lawyer – can be critical to the outcome of the case.

What techniques should the investigator use during interviews and interrogations? What methods have the best chance of gaining cooperation or eliciting a confession?

On Wednesday, June 17, at 9 pm Eastern, I’ll ask those questions of retired Hunting Beach, California police detective Don Howell. As a detective for more than 15 years, he specialized in the investigation of sexual assaults and child abuse. He is a court certified expert in these areas and is a highly sought after consultant to agencies on complex cases. As a consultant to the California Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and training (P.O.S.T.), Don was considered to be one of the best in his field and was selected to assist in making a teleconference course on rape investigations. He has written three police procedurals on interview and interrogation techniques.

You can listen to the show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dennisngriffin. You’ll be able to ask questions or make comments via call in or through the show’s chat room.

Casey Anthony & Haleigh Cummings

Due to a combination of other commitments and a lack of major developments, I’ve been lax in posting here.  But there are a couple of things I want to say.

Casey Anthony’s defense team continues to grow with the addition of a “death penalty” attoeney. Although there seems to be no end to the number of  lawers and other staff working on Casey’s behalf, the source of funding for this version of the “dream team” remains unclear. Do we the public have a right to know how the Anthonys are financing their legal battles? Probably not. But are we curious? I know I am.

And what about Haleigh Cumings? A few weeks ago the police investigating her disappearance said they have reason to believe the girl is still alive. And others on the ground following the case have shared that opinion. I pray they are right.

But how long can a young girl that has been the subject of so much media attention – and with her medical problems – be secreted? I’d like to believe she’s alive and safe; but I just don’t know if that’s realistic.

What do you think?

OJ Simpson and Drew Peterson

This Saturday, May 30, I’ll be a panelist on the Simon Barrett show on Blog Talk Radio. His guest will be Peter Haven, a lawyer representing Fred Goldman in his efforts to recover monetary damages from OJ Simpson following a civil trial in which Simpson was found responsible for the geath of Ronald Goldman. 

We’ll discuss both Simpson and the latest developments in the Drew Peterson case. You can catch the show live at 3 pm Central at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Simon-Barrett.

Haleigh Cummings: Keeping hope alive

As the number of  days and weeks since Haleigh went missing continue to mount, there is some reason for hope.

Although there have been no reported major breaks in the case, law enforcement investigating the disappearance believe the young girl may still be alive. That opinion is shared by others that are actively involved in reporting on and trying to find Haleigh. Those sources include reporter TJ Hart,  journalist Art Harris and private investigator “Cobra” Staubs.

I have to admit that I think finding Haleigh alive and well is probably a long shot. But until there is proof to the contrary I’m going to continue to hold onto that possibility.

Caylee & Haleigh Show

Tomorrow at 3 pm Central, I’ll be a panelist on the Simon Barrett Show on Blog Talk Radio. We’ll talk about the latest developments in the Caylee Anthony and Haleigh Cummings cases. Florida bail bondsman and private investigator William “Cobra” Staubs will make a guest appearance to discuss the Cummings case.

You can catch the show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Simon-Barrett

Show Announcements

As parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, or simply good neighbors, what can we do to help keep children safe from the predators that stalk them? Next week on my Blog Talk Radio show I’ll address those questions from two different perspectives.

On Tuesday, May 5 at 9 pm Eastern, my guest on the Juror Thirteen show will be Marc Klaas. After his 12-year-old daughter Polly was kidnapped and murdered in 1993, he established the Klaaskids Foundation to give meaning to Polly’s death. Its sole mission is stopping crimes against children. Marc is now a renowned expert on missing children and the perpetrators that commit crimes against them.

 Joining Marc will be a Juror Thirteen member whom is a certified foster mother and lifelong child advocate. She’ll discuss her belief that the system is failing to put the welfare of endangered children first when considering placement in foster care.

On Wednesday, May 6 at 9 pm Eastern, my guest on Meet The Author will be Los Angeles County child sex crimes prosecutor Robin Sax. For over fifteen years Robin has prosecuted some of the most despicable defendants who committed the most heinous crimes.  

We’ll talk about Robin’s new book, Predators and Child Molesters: A Sex Crimes D.A. Answers 100 of The Most Asked Questions.

You can catch both shows live or archived at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dennisngriffin. Please join us and call in with your questions or comments.

Denny Griffin

http://www.dennisngriffin.com

 

Juror Thirteen – Children Under Siege

The media play a key role in what the public learn about current events, including crimes against children. How are they handling the coverage of cases like Caylee Anthony, Haleigh Cummings, and Sandra Cantu? Are we hearing too much or not enough? What should we expect from the media in the way of fair and accurate reporting; and are we getting it? 

On Wednesday, April 29, at 9 pm Eastern, I’m going to address those questions on my Blog Talk Radio show. 
My guests will be reporter TJ Hart of Florida talk radio station The Sky. Joining TJ will be Simon and Jan Barrett of Blogger News Network and Blog Talk Radio. 

TJ has been providing in-depth reporting on the Haleigh Cummings case for his station. He’ll provide an update on the status of that investigation, as well as a reporter’s perspective of the media’s performance in covering these stories.

Simon and Jan also follow the murdered and missing children cases closely; and have a weekly Sunday afternoon show on BTR dedicated to discussion of these tragedies.

Please join us on Wednesday evening at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dennisngriffin. And please call in with your questions or comments at 646 478-0982.  

  

Discussion of the Caylee and Haleigh cases

This Sunday at 3 pm CDT I’ll be a panelist on the Simon Barrett show on Blog Talk Radio. We’ll be talking about the latest news in the Caylee and Haleigh cases, and maybe Sandra Cantu also.

You can catch the show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Simon-Barrett

Analysis of the Anthony depos

The Juror Thirteen site has posted an analysis of the Anthony depos you might find interesting. The URL fror Juror Thirteen is http://www.jurorthirteen.com.

 The direct link to the article is http://www.jurorthirteen.com/GeneralCategories/UpcomingTrials/CaseyAnthonyTrial/tabid/1126/Default.aspx

The Cindy and George depositions

The depositions of Cindy and George Anthony caused a buzz among Anthony case watchers, to say the least. Emotions are running high, and the comments on my “A kinder, gentler George and Cindy” post were almost exclusively negative. I saw similar reactions on other sites I monitor. Even people that expressed sympathy toward the grieving grandparents early on - especially George - were turned off by their conduct. 

However, a reporter on the Nancy grace show Friday night stated that Cindy and George are receiving a lot of sympathy locally. If I understood her correctly, she was referring to feelings after the depositions, and not just to the early stages of the case. While I know that the public are not 100% against them, I have a hard time believing they are being viewed in a positive light by a substantial percentage of the people in any location – including their home turf.

I’d like to hear other thoughts on this – particularly from anyone in the Orlando area. Are Cindy and George still looked upon as sympathetic figures by a majority of the people in some parts?