Criminal Investigations- Final Review

Chapter 7: Interrogations and Confessions

• Interrogation

  • Any questioning intended to elicit incriminating information for criminal prosecution.

• Confession

  • Statement by a subject acknowledging they committed a crime.

• Persuasiveness of Evidence

  • Confessions are considered more powerful than eyewitness accounts or DNA.

• False Confession

  • A statement made by a subject admitting to a crime they did not commit.

• Reid Technique

  • A guilt-presumptive model using confrontation and stress to obtain confessions.

• Components of the Reid Technique

  • Factual analysis.

  • Behavioral analysis.

  • Interrogation process.

• Key Interview Model Steps

  • Preparation and planning.

  • Engage and explain.

  • Account.

  • Clarify.

  • Challenge.

  • Closure and evaluation.

• Basic Ingredients of Productive Investigation

  • Control of the interrogation.

  • Understanding of case facts.

  • Familiarity with the suspect’s background.

• Method to Reduce False Confessions

  • Peace Model: emphasizes respect for the truth.

• Strategy to Elicit Suspect Confessions

  • Utilizes deception.

Chapter 8: Behavioral Evidence and Crime Analysis

• Persuaded False Confession

  • Confession given after being convinced one committed the crime.

• Stress Complaint Confession

  • Given to end stress from the interrogation.

• Factors Increasing False Confessions

  • Claims of scientific proof of guilt by interrogator.

  • Demand for acceptance of the interrogator's version of events.

  • Inducing fear of consequences for repeated denials.

• Voluntary False Confession

  • Given without coercion due to personal motivations.

• Handling False Confessions

  • Police awareness of reasons behind false confessions.

• Indications of Verbal Deception

  • Sentence structure and grammar issues.

  • Premature excuses or explanations.

  • Delays in answering basic questions.

• Guilty Knowledge Technique

  • Uses multiple-choice questions in polygraph tests.

• Most Frequently Used Polygraph Examination Method

  • Control Question Technique.

• Relevant-Irrelevant Test

  • Involves asking relevant and irrelevant questions; usage has declined.

• Types of Profiling in Behavioral Evidence Analysis

  • Criminal profiling, geographic profiling, linguistic analysis.

Chapter 9: Digital Evidence

• Burner Phone

  • Inexpensive cell phone with no internet connection, easily disposable.

• Legal Access to Smartphones

  • Requires a warrant, consent, or exigent circumstances.

• Gray Key

  • Device to unlock smartphones by guessing passcodes.

• IP Address

  • Unique identifier for devices accessing the internet.

Chapter 10: Information from Social Media and Other Sources

• Tip Line

  • Allows public to submit crime information via phone or internet.

• Amber Alerts and Family Abductions

  • 97% involve family.

• Code Adam

  • Alert system for missing children in stores.

• Limitations in Public Information Gathering

  • Awareness of crimes may be low among the public.

  • Police may be overwhelmed with leads.

  • False information can mislead investigations.

• Limitations with Video Evidence

  • Time-consuming to locate relevant videos.

  • Quality of footage may limit usefulness.

Chapter 11: Death Investigations

• Factors in Determining Manner of Death

  • Nature of injuries.

  • Characteristics of the deceased.

  • Circumstances surrounding death.

• Suicide Considerations

  • Weapons or means of death.

  • Self-inflicted wounds.

• Homicide Victim Age Range

  • Largest proportions are ages 20-24.

Chapter 12: Investigation of Sex Crimes, Assault, Domestic Violence, and Child Abuse

• Most Common Drug in Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assaults

  • Rohypnol.

• Challenges in Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Investigations

  • Victim consent issues.

  • Evidence of drug ingestion.

  • Victim’s inability to provide details.

• Most Traumatic Assault Type

  • Sexual assault.

• Contact Rapist

  • Offender known to victim, motivated by sexual pleasure.

• Characteristics of Sexual Aggressors

  • Power reassurance.

  • Power assertive.

  • Anger retaliatory.

  • Anger excitation.