Spy the Lie by Philip Houston

Author:Philip Houston [Houston, Philip]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: spy, CIA, criminality, deceptive behaviour
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd
Published: 2012-07-19T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

Let’s pause right there. Let’s imagine that you had been assigned to the case, and that you’re the one who is interviewing Simpson. You have an advantage that Vannatter and Lange, through no fault of their own, didn’t have—one that could prove to be an invaluable asset: You have the model. You have Simpson sitting in a swiveling desk chair that will amplify his nonverbal behaviors, and there is nothing blocking your view of his body. But as you switch on the recorder and settle into your seat, you recognize a cold, hard fact: The model is only as good as the questions you ask in the course of employing it.

You know it’s essential that you ask the right questions, and you’re aware that this particular interview is especially critical. It’s not just that Simpson is the ex-husband, and that there had been reports of domestic violence during the marriage. You had declared Simpson’s home a crime scene that morning, and obtained a search warrant, after finding an apparent blood stain on his Ford Bronco. And Simpson has a suspicious bandaged cut on his hand.

So as you begin the interview, the most important piece of information you want to know is obvious: Did Simpson commit the murders? But if you were to go straight for the jugular and ask him that question, you might have a problem. If O.J. did it, he knows he’s going to be asked that question in one form or another. If he’s made the decision to lie about it, he only has to get one word out of his mouth to accomplish his goal: “No.” He has the advantage.

To prevent that, your approach needs to focus on questions that Simpson is less likely to be prepared for, and more likely to compel him to provide information you want—or, failing that, to exhibit behavior that you can read. Take your detective hat off for a moment, and consider what your mind-set would be if you were a guilty Simpson. You find yourself in a nightmarish situation: You did something unspeakably horrific last night, and you’re not even sure why you did it. You just lost control, went crazy for a few surreal moments, and now you’re scared to death. Your only strategy at this point is to try to figure out how this whole investigative and legal process is going to unfold, and you’re simply trying to stay one step ahead of the game. You’ve found yourself having been summoned to the LAPD headquarters to be interviewed, and you know you’re a reasonable suspect because of some issues that you and Nicole have had over the years. You know they’re going to ask you if you did it, and you know you’re going to say, “No.” So you show up at Parker Center, and the detectives take you to an interview room and read you your Miranda rights. Now, imagine that the interview begins something like the following:

“O.J., first of all, thank you very much for coming in.

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