Basic Investigation Skills Tutorial No. 4

by Frank Riccobono

How to interrogate a suspect using the modified Reid technique.

1. Before you speak with the suspect, prepare detailed notes of what you know, what evidence you have, and what conclusions you can draw from the evidence and facts at hand.
2. Calmly explain to the suspect the evidence that has led you to consider the individual a suspect, including bluffs and conjectures as needed, to put soft pressure on the suspect.
3. Observe the suspect’s behavior as you present the fact synopsis.
4. Offer the suspect the chance to explain why the crime took place before prompting them further.
5. Present an alternative set of circumstances that may have lead to the crime in order to shift the blame away from the suspect.
6. Alter the the circumstances until you find a set of circumstances to which the suspect is responsive. Your goal is to try to gain their trust.
7. As you present these circumstances, marvel at the myriad decision points we face in a day and the infinite universes in which we live.
8. Explore the branching realities you have stumbled upon.
9. If you successfully navigate to a reality in which the crime did not happen, release the suspect.
10. If you find a reality in which the suspect admits their guilt, conclude the interrogation and have the suspect document their confession.
11. Otherwise, if you find yourself lost in the expansive multiverse you have discovered, use your notes to find your way back home.
12. Realize there are still an infinite number of worlds in which your notes are true.
13. Accept your new reality including any changes thereto you have inadvertently caused.

Like what you read? There's more!