What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? KY
Some of you may remember me asking advice about to take or not to take a polygraph a week or so ago. I want to tell you all my experience with it, I'll give a brief rundown on the situation and conclusion.
A close friend of mine was murdered. This was a person I spent alot of time with, almost like a brother to me try to imagine yourself in this situation. Granted you should know my friend was into buying, selling, trading, and nothing was out of the question he would buy a pair of socks off you lol. The night it actually happened I was at his house looking for him but he wasn't home.
I called the investigators because I saw other people also at the scene when I was there, they were on foot but were always on foot and I gave them a ride home. I also told them that because I spent so much time with my friend I will know a great many of the people that come in and out of his house.
The very morning after the wake the investigators showed up. I had just spent the entire night crying and being cried on by family members and other friends.. we were all grieving still. Then these guys come in your house and you are trying to help them but all of a sudden you realize these guys think YOU are a suspect!!!!! You are shocked, you tell them they are nuts, you go through everything you did supplying witnesses, locations but they aren't believing you basically calling you a liar, then they dare you to take a polygraph.
Now your really in torment, if you have faith in the justice system like I do then you are immediately wondering why the heck they wouldn't believe you. You come to the conclusion that somebody has told these investigators it could have or was you... now you are wondering why would someone say that??? BINGO thats the killer... now you are scared for your life, anyone logical will know the penalty for taking life is DEATH as it should be, if these investigators think you could have done it then who else might? Who else has this person tried to lie to? Needless to say you spend the next week scared to death and not sleeping much lol.
Then you google polygraph and find out they can be as unaccurate as 50/50, you find people routinely fail them regardless. BUT you also know you are telling the truth and have a chance of clearing yourself and maybe even helping this case progress. You call a lawyer and he tells you not to take any lie detectors and this guy even calls the investigator and tells you that if you go into that room you won't come out of it, that they are going to charge you with 1st degree murder.
I had to stop and think.. instead of being scared of a chance that I'll fail the test took some hope in the chance that the truth will be enough no matter. I took the polygraph, I told the lawyer I won't talk to somebody that doesn't care if I'm guilty or not, that he scared me far worse than these investigators and hung up lol.
The examiner giving the test made me feel much much more confident about the polygraph, I realized he was probably lying to me but the fact he was making me feel better really helped. I got the impression that these guys want to get to the bottom of it, they aren't just looking for somebody they might be able to charge and lose the case against.
He reviewed the questions with me, there were control questions I was instructed to lie to.. but not just to lie to. Lets say the question was "have you ever cheated on someone" You need to think about a specific time you did cheat and it hurt someone else and made you feel awful, then lie and say NO. The exam questions were surprisingly short I noticed immediately, only 3 questions 2 of them are different wordings of "did you shoot your friend" and one question was "do you know for sure who shot your friend" I had expected they would ask was you here, did you see this person, at this time was you were you say you are, are you telling the truth.. etc etc. This worried me slightly, they are only asking questions that naturally invoke strong emotions basically.
They tell you every question they are going to ask you, then they run the test 5 times but they WILL intimidate you during the exam. Example, don't conrol your breathing your breathing to slow... your thinking wtf this is how I breathe.. he is telling you if you breath slow your going to fail. So even if its subconsciously he has affected your breathing rate by doing that, then he may catch you looking at a picture and say "stare forward only please".. just generaly bossing you around and letting you know he has authority over you and you are vunerable.
The test ends, he leaves the room for 5-10 minutes.. they are probably watching you and already have the results and are talking all about it in the next room. The guy comes in, you feel confident and good still.. heck after 5 tests even with the drama you think you have passed your test.. after all these are police officers and you are a victim. He turns his screen around and you see in bold letters "DECEPTION INDICATED". He asks you "I want to know why would you have failed this test", you are shocked.. but you knew this might happen and you also know the facts always support the truth even if a fancy toaster doesn't. You tell the investigator straight up, first off you only asked me questions that made me think of my dead friend, secondly you kept telling me to change how I'm breathing, I don't believe you i know I passed this test.. and if I didn't then you need to learn how to do this right, I want to take another test with a real polygraph expert and not a cop.
The head investigator then comes in and you volunteer to talk to him, you stick to what happened even though this guy is scaring you to death. Now it is coming out exactly why you are here, you discover someone told the investigators you were at your friends house and arguing with him that same day at 4pm. I looked him in the eye and said, that is your killer right there. I told him where I was at 4pm again, I gave him the phone number to the witnesses, and even told him who I was babysitting and who their parents are lol. Now there is a twist and he says, I believe you.. but I think you know who did it.. why are you so scared, your fear isn't rational. Who is rational who just lost their bestfriend? Who is not scared of being killed? If someone tried to implicate you in a murder would you not fear for your life detective? I told him I came here scared to death, knowing full well how serious this situation is, and instead of worrying about my own ass I came here to help you officer based on the slim chance this machine would back up the facts.. but I also know facts speak for themselves. As bad as I would like to tell you that the man who implicated me shot my friend and I saw him, I WILL NOT LIE what if that guy didn't do it I don't know so I can't tell you. But if you would like to know who I think you should question I'll be glad to tell you that again.
Bottom line is I was cleared by the questioning not by the machine, though I did learn I did pass the exam and what was on the screen was a control question. I believe I must have given them at least one false reading on the question do you know for sure because they pounded that issue forever until they realized I didn't know. The fact is I do think I know who the killer is, whoever he is I knew almost all my friends associates so that was a poorly worded question he should have asked if I saw it or if I could identify who did it instead of simply if I knew them.
So I went through hell, but on the bright side once I knew who lied I did gain evidence for the case by asking my own questions to other friends. They still haven't arrested him yet but I am 99.9% sure they know who it is they just need more evidence.
I think if I was a lawyer I would want to sit down and listen to my defendant and maybe even check up on his story myself. I believe if you are 100% innocent, if you have facts that back up what you are saying, and if you can stave off anxiety attacks and take the drama then maybe just maybe you should take the test. However if you would panic and lie.. think about it I believed at that minute I knew for sure who killed my friend.. I wanted so bad to say "YES I SAW THAT ******* DO IT", I knew deep down I couldn't lie. I thought for a minute this investigator was going to literally ask me to lie and help put this man away.. that was the implication I got. If you can endure that then and only then should you even consider taking one.
It may be that if I lived alone and stayed secluded that I could not have backed up what I was saying with facts, so if you can't backup anything with facts the DON"T TAKE IT PERIOD. I also learned you shouldn't say things on emotion like offering to take a polygraph, all those guys had to do was actual INVESTIGATING and I wouldn't have even needed to take that stupid thing.. but to be honest with you all.. had I not been scared to death, had I not found out who was lying to those detectives.. then I would not have investigated that person and found evidence that may end up breaking the case. So I am happy I went there, I also learned that when I was looking for my friend he really wasn't home. I was worried that I might have been there while he was being held and might have helped him had I simply looked in the window, that tormented me and they told me my friend didn't get back home until 11:30 so wasn't anything I could have done.
I want to thank all of you for all your help, I promised I would let you know how it plays out. Though they haven't arrested this guy yet at least I helped them move on and I cleared my name.
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Kentucky
Some of you may remember me asking advice about to take or not to take a polygraph a week or so ago. I want to tell you all my experience with it, I'll give a brief rundown on the situation and conclusion.
A close friend of mine was murdered. This was a person I spent alot of time with, almost like a brother to me try to imagine yourself in this situation. Granted you should know my friend was into buying, selling, trading, and nothing was out of the question he would buy a pair of socks off you lol. The night it actually happened I was at his house looking for him but he wasn't home.
I called the investigators because I saw other people also at the scene when I was there, they were on foot but were always on foot and I gave them a ride home. I also told them that because I spent so much time with my friend I will know a great many of the people that come in and out of his house.
The very morning after the wake the investigators showed up. I had just spent the entire night crying and being cried on by family members and other friends.. we were all grieving still. Then these guys come in your house and you are trying to help them but all of a sudden you realize these guys think YOU are a suspect!!!!! You are shocked, you tell them they are nuts, you go through everything you did supplying witnesses, locations but they aren't believing you basically calling you a liar, then they dare you to take a polygraph.
Now your really in torment, if you have faith in the justice system like I do then you are immediately wondering why the heck they wouldn't believe you. You come to the conclusion that somebody has told these investigators it could have or was you... now you are wondering why would someone say that??? BINGO thats the killer... now you are scared for your life, anyone logical will know the penalty for taking life is DEATH as it should be, if these investigators think you could have done it then who else might? Who else has this person tried to lie to? Needless to say you spend the next week scared to death and not sleeping much lol.
Then you google polygraph and find out they can be as unaccurate as 50/50, you find people routinely fail them regardless. BUT you also know you are telling the truth and have a chance of clearing yourself and maybe even helping this case progress. You call a lawyer and he tells you not to take any lie detectors and this guy even calls the investigator and tells you that if you go into that room you won't come out of it, that they are going to charge you with 1st degree murder.
I had to stop and think.. instead of being scared of a chance that I'll fail the test took some hope in the chance that the truth will be enough no matter. I took the polygraph, I told the lawyer I won't talk to somebody that doesn't care if I'm guilty or not, that he scared me far worse than these investigators and hung up lol.
The examiner giving the test made me feel much much more confident about the polygraph, I realized he was probably lying to me but the fact he was making me feel better really helped. I got the impression that these guys want to get to the bottom of it, they aren't just looking for somebody they might be able to charge and lose the case against.
He reviewed the questions with me, there were control questions I was instructed to lie to.. but not just to lie to. Lets say the question was "have you ever cheated on someone" You need to think about a specific time you did cheat and it hurt someone else and made you feel awful, then lie and say NO. The exam questions were surprisingly short I noticed immediately, only 3 questions 2 of them are different wordings of "did you shoot your friend" and one question was "do you know for sure who shot your friend" I had expected they would ask was you here, did you see this person, at this time was you were you say you are, are you telling the truth.. etc etc. This worried me slightly, they are only asking questions that naturally invoke strong emotions basically.
They tell you every question they are going to ask you, then they run the test 5 times but they WILL intimidate you during the exam. Example, don't conrol your breathing your breathing to slow... your thinking wtf this is how I breathe.. he is telling you if you breath slow your going to fail. So even if its subconsciously he has affected your breathing rate by doing that, then he may catch you looking at a picture and say "stare forward only please".. just generaly bossing you around and letting you know he has authority over you and you are vunerable.
The test ends, he leaves the room for 5-10 minutes.. they are probably watching you and already have the results and are talking all about it in the next room. The guy comes in, you feel confident and good still.. heck after 5 tests even with the drama you think you have passed your test.. after all these are police officers and you are a victim. He turns his screen around and you see in bold letters "DECEPTION INDICATED". He asks you "I want to know why would you have failed this test", you are shocked.. but you knew this might happen and you also know the facts always support the truth even if a fancy toaster doesn't. You tell the investigator straight up, first off you only asked me questions that made me think of my dead friend, secondly you kept telling me to change how I'm breathing, I don't believe you i know I passed this test.. and if I didn't then you need to learn how to do this right, I want to take another test with a real polygraph expert and not a cop.
The head investigator then comes in and you volunteer to talk to him, you stick to what happened even though this guy is scaring you to death. Now it is coming out exactly why you are here, you discover someone told the investigators you were at your friends house and arguing with him that same day at 4pm. I looked him in the eye and said, that is your killer right there. I told him where I was at 4pm again, I gave him the phone number to the witnesses, and even told him who I was babysitting and who their parents are lol. Now there is a twist and he says, I believe you.. but I think you know who did it.. why are you so scared, your fear isn't rational. Who is rational who just lost their bestfriend? Who is not scared of being killed? If someone tried to implicate you in a murder would you not fear for your life detective? I told him I came here scared to death, knowing full well how serious this situation is, and instead of worrying about my own ass I came here to help you officer based on the slim chance this machine would back up the facts.. but I also know facts speak for themselves. As bad as I would like to tell you that the man who implicated me shot my friend and I saw him, I WILL NOT LIE what if that guy didn't do it I don't know so I can't tell you. But if you would like to know who I think you should question I'll be glad to tell you that again.
Bottom line is I was cleared by the questioning not by the machine, though I did learn I did pass the exam and what was on the screen was a control question. I believe I must have given them at least one false reading on the question do you know for sure because they pounded that issue forever until they realized I didn't know. The fact is I do think I know who the killer is, whoever he is I knew almost all my friends associates so that was a poorly worded question he should have asked if I saw it or if I could identify who did it instead of simply if I knew them.
So I went through hell, but on the bright side once I knew who lied I did gain evidence for the case by asking my own questions to other friends. They still haven't arrested him yet but I am 99.9% sure they know who it is they just need more evidence.
I think if I was a lawyer I would want to sit down and listen to my defendant and maybe even check up on his story myself. I believe if you are 100% innocent, if you have facts that back up what you are saying, and if you can stave off anxiety attacks and take the drama then maybe just maybe you should take the test. However if you would panic and lie.. think about it I believed at that minute I knew for sure who killed my friend.. I wanted so bad to say "YES I SAW THAT ******* DO IT", I knew deep down I couldn't lie. I thought for a minute this investigator was going to literally ask me to lie and help put this man away.. that was the implication I got. If you can endure that then and only then should you even consider taking one.
It may be that if I lived alone and stayed secluded that I could not have backed up what I was saying with facts, so if you can't backup anything with facts the DON"T TAKE IT PERIOD. I also learned you shouldn't say things on emotion like offering to take a polygraph, all those guys had to do was actual INVESTIGATING and I wouldn't have even needed to take that stupid thing.. but to be honest with you all.. had I not been scared to death, had I not found out who was lying to those detectives.. then I would not have investigated that person and found evidence that may end up breaking the case. So I am happy I went there, I also learned that when I was looking for my friend he really wasn't home. I was worried that I might have been there while he was being held and might have helped him had I simply looked in the window, that tormented me and they told me my friend didn't get back home until 11:30 so wasn't anything I could have done.
I want to thank all of you for all your help, I promised I would let you know how it plays out. Though they haven't arrested this guy yet at least I helped them move on and I cleared my name.
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Kentucky