Police officers, detectives, and investigators are tasked with the job of unearthing the truth in a criminal investigation. When working with witnesses, suspects, and persons of interest, police must determine the truth of a statement to move forward and identify the guilty party in a crime.
Forensic Statement Analysis specifically focuses on the words, grammar, and omitted phrases that a person uses when being questioned. Based on the analysis of the answers, police can find inconsistencies that help them determine if someone is lying and get to the truth.
While there is no one way to identify a lie in a statement, there are 7 common signs of lying that police and investigators can look for when analyzing the writing and answers of a person of interest.
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In our B.E.A.S.T.© Elicitation Training, Law-Tech dives deeper into the common signs of truth and deception by combining both Forensic Statement Analysis (FSA) and Forensic Behavioral Analysis (FBA) in one class to help police officers and investigators identify signs of truth and deception in a written or verbal statement and prepare for the subsequent interview. The more you know, the safer you can be and the more cases you can close in less time. See our schedule for upcoming online seminars or to sponsor your own training.
7 Common Signs of Deception
FSA focuses on the written and verbal indicators that police can listen for to identify truth and deception. There are no “for sure” phrases that confirm someone is lying, but there are patterns, including evasive verbal responses, omissions, changes in language, lack of commitment, and rationalizations that can be used to identify the “one true lie.” Knowing what to listen for can help police proactively change their questioning when lies are suspected.
B.E.A.S.T.© Elicitation Training takes a closer look at these signs, but you can begin today by spotting these and similar phrases to detect truth and deception.
1) Answering with a Question
“Why would I steal from him?”
There are over a dozen ways for a suspect to evade a question. One of the most common is answering a question with a question. You may ask, “Did you take the money?” and their response of “Why would I steal from him?” avoids answering the question and brings up surrounding circumstances. If you get a question in response to a question, it is time to dive deeper.
2) Omissions
“I went inside, we talked, and I left.”
FSA identifies areas where a response is vague in detail. By paying attention to what suspects leave out or avoid discussing, even when directly answering a question, you can identify gaps that need to be further explored. You may ask, “What happened inside the house?” An answer of “I went inside, talked to John, and left” does answer the question, but there are many details missing. Listen carefully to what a person is not saying.
3) Pronouns
“I stayed until 10 pm, then we all went home.”
Pronouns are key when detecting deception using FSA. Pronouns, past or present tense, and other language indicators that shift throughout a story or questioning can point to deception. If you ask a suspect where they were and when they left, and it shifts from “I” to “we” you have to revisit and clarify: which is it? Suspects are often unaware of these subtle changes in their answers and that they are providing clues that they are lying.
4) Lack of Commitment
“I don’t think I took anything.”
Suspects may answer a direct question with unsure phrases or a lack of a definitive statement. Police and detectives can use FSA to detect lies by noticing when suspects use phrases such as “I think” or “as far as I know.” They may even say “I don’t recall,” although answers earlier or later may contradict that statement. When there is no commitment, focus questioning on that particular area.
5) Reinforcers
“I swear, I would never do that.”
Suspects who answer questions with unnecessary or over-the-top reinforcers (i.e., I swear on the bible, on my children’s eyes) are often hiding something. Instead of providing a straightforward answer, their reinforcers can be an attempt to assure themselves or convince the detective of their innocence. Noticing these exaggerated assurances can help officers pivot questioning to sensitive points that may reveal the truth.
6) Rationalization
“I only did it because…”
When questioning a suspect, police often use simple, straightforward questions like, “Did you enter the house?” A simple yes or no answer is what is expected. A suspect who rationalizes their behavior, however, when not accused of a crime, may be hiding something. An answer such as, “I only entered because I thought someone needed help,” points to a feeling of guilt or something they think they need to justify. Rationalization is one of the key signs of deception that FSA explores for police and detectives.
7) The One True Lie
As part of FSA training, police and detectives are taught to look at all answers as a whole, using everything they’ve heard to piece together a story. Within this story, you must identify where the changes in language happened, where omissions were found, and when a suspect lacked commitment. All of the details will eventually lead to “the one true lie,” where a suspect outright lies based on what they said earlier or later, it is the comment(s) that go against reality 180 degrees
This may look like answers that were evasive or noncommittal until finally they outright lie, such as the statement, “I never touched the weapon.” And yet you know through FSA that they did indeed touch the gun. The one true lie allows you to proactively change your questioning with confidence to find the truth.
FSA is Not Enough – Learn FSA + FBA Through B.E.A.S.T.© Elicitation Training
Forensic Statement Analysis is a key skill in detecting deception. Police officers and detectives are better equipped to question suspects and analyze witness statements when they know what verbal cues to listen for. FSA is only part of the equation, however.
FBA is critical to accurately read body language. The use of physical cues combined with statement analysis allows police to more accurately detect deception and act accordingly. B.E.A.S.T.© Elicitation Training from Law-Tech is the only training that offers both FSA and FBA in one course, equipping officers and detectives with the skills they need in the field.
B.E.A.S.T.© Elicitation Training is offered as a free online seminar, or you can sponsor your own training for your department. Our focus is to dive deeper into verbal indicators, language modifiers, and more, so you understand what is really being told vs. what actually happened. Contact us today to get started.
View upcoming training classes here or sponsor your own training here.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common signs that someone may be lying?
FSA teaches police officers and detectives to look for evasive responses, omissions, changes in language, lack of commitment, unusual word choices, and inconsistencies in a person’s account. When looking at the entire statement and line of questioning, you should be able to detect the one true lie.
What is an evasive verbal response?
An evasive verbal response is when someone avoids directly answering a question, such as responding to the question “Did you take the money?” with the answer “Why would I steal from him?” Law-Tech’s training specifically teaches 16 categories of evasive verbal responses and techniques for addressing them during an interview.
What subtle language changes might suggest deception?
A change in pronouns, tense, names, descriptions, or other wording can be a hint that a suspect is being deceitful. For example, someone might initially refer to something as “my house” and later change to “the house.” In FSA, such changes are examined as potential clues about the person’s relationship to an event, person, or object.
What is the “One True Lie”?
The “One True Lie” is a concept taught in Law-Tech’s FSA/FBA training that focuses on identifying a particular false statement within a person’s larger account. The one true lie is any statement that goes against reality 180 degrees. For example, if they in fact did commit the robbery, the only one true lie is to say, “We didn’t commit the robbery.”
Can FSA or FBA prove that someone is lying?
No single statement, word choice, or behavioral cue should be considered definitive proof that someone is lying. FSA and FBA techniques are intended to help identify areas that might suggest a person is not being 100% truthful, so the interviewer can further adjust their line of questioning and/or investigation.
