Eyes for Lies Blog

Opinion Poll: Amanda Knox

2009-12-07T12:56:00.004-06:00

Amanda Knox Guilty of Murder

2009-12-04T18:33:00.005-06:00

Breaking news just in...

Amanada Knox Guilt of Murdering Meredith Kercher

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

To read my thoughts about this case, click on the labels below. If that doesn't reveal any results, use the search bar to the left.

While I don't know that Amanda is guilty of outright murder, I personally believe she had some knowledge or involvement on some level with this crime. Her behaviors were too out there and inconsistent to support complete innocence. Her story of covering her ears still haunts me to this day. People don't create such incredible stories out of thin air that aren't logical unless they are twisting reality. You don't cover your ears when you hear a blood-curdling scream unless you know what is going on, but don't want to stop it, or can't stop it (to which she would have confessed). Also, the fact that she pointed a finger at Patrick Lumumba, an African, when in fact it was another African's DNA that was all over the crime scene, is highly unusual for her do, unless she knew more as well.

What a sad day for everyone involved.

Facial Expressions

2009-12-03T09:03:00.004-06:00

Can you identify them as they play in this video?

I'm off to the dentist for an extraction of my wisdom teeth. Wish me luck, please. I'm so nervous!!!

Duchenne Smiles

2009-12-02T13:26:00.003-06:00

I absolutely love Dr. Matsumoto's humor at the end of this video. I needed a laugh today and I got one! I hope you enjoy this...

Brittany Higgs

2009-12-01T11:08:00.007-06:00

Brittany Higgs asked her friend, Vincent Marchese, to come with her to the hospital to watch her son. She had back pain. She had left her one year old baby girl with her grandma. Marchese just got out of jail the previous weekend. He then supposedly disappeared with her son, Alexiou, while she was in the exam room saying that he and Alexiou were going to get a drink, but after the drink, they never returned. Once Higgs was discharged, she then called 911 to report her son missing. You can watch Higgs in an interview here.

Marchese tells a very different story in these interviews. He says he told Higgs he was going to take the boy to the park, while she got treatment, but instead took the boy home before stopping at the store to get him bubble gum.

Read moreAccording to police, Marchese was seen at a store with the boy (in video tape survellience), but then got into an altercation with police when they spotted him, fleeing the scene of an accident, and leaving the tot in his crashed car. The tot, Alexiou, wasn't injured.

Someone is obviously lying here. I've watched both of them, and the one who raises the most red flags here is clearly Brittany Higgs.

Higgs is a master at evading questions, if you want my opinion. In this interview, she only says what she feels she has to say. She clearly doesn't want to say anything and just follows along with the reporter agreeing with her more than anything else.

Watch Higgs response to the reporter, when she is asked why she decided to invite Marchese to begin with. Higgs gets very uncomfortable when answering this question, and she is unable to answer it. She obviously doesn't want to tell us the real reason here. She replies, "It was just kind of one of those things, I dunno..."

She repeatedly smiles at odd times, and shrugs her shoulders. She doesn't show fear at all, which is strangely missing.

Watch how many times Higgs purses her lips, which is suggestive that she is holding back thoughts that she doesn't want to share.

Watch Higgs response to the reporter's question, "Why were you friends with him?" She couldn't be anymore squirrely. She finally says, "He never hurt me." Pair that with what Marchese says, that her husband is abusive, and it paints a picture of the truth. I suspect these two were romantically interested in each other as Marchese says.

Then reporter says, "I don't have to tell you, if you've been living around here that some things in the last year or so...did those things cross your mind...?" Higgs replies, "I'm sure they may have..." What? Higgs says whatever she has to just get through the answer. Either the thoughts did or did not cross her mind--saying they "may have" is just babble.

Marchese was supposedly driving his grandmother's van. Was this the vehicle he took the hospital? Did he drive Higgs to the hospital? When asked in the interview if Higgs thought Marchese had a valid driver's license, she said she didn't think so.

Could that be why she is being so evasive? If she admits to police she agreed to let Alexiou go in a vehicle with a man she knew that didn't have a valid driver's license, wouldn't she be the one charged with child neglect or endangerment? It sure makes you wonder.

Did Higgs not have a ride home at that point? Did she get discharged sooner than she thought? To get to the truth, I'd need more info, but at this point, Higgs clearly raises my eyebrows. I have a few questions for Marchese, but not near as many as I have for Higgs!

Dr. Paul Ekman on NZ's 60 Minutes

2009-11-30T10:22:00.004-06:00

Click here to watch the video.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T13:10:00.001-06:00

I hope you have a Happy Holiday, if you are celebrating! If you are in another country, may you have a great day, too!

Kelle Jarka

2009-11-25T09:35:00.006-06:00

Police Interrogate Kelle Jarka in Murder
(You can read the story here)

ABC's 20/20 featured the Kelle Jarka story last Friday. Jarka comes home to find his wife, Isabelle, dead after running morning errands. He believes it is a break-in and denies any involvement. He is later convicted of murder.

In this interview we get to see Jarka talk and his behavior is fascinating.

Read moreJarka, an hour after his wife's murder in a police interrogation tape, says the following about finding his wife upon his return, "I ran over there, 'Babe, Babe' uh, what's w... , you know, and I couldn't move her."

What flags me instantly when I listen to this is how Jarka's voice inflection changes when he says the words "Babe, Babe". It's a telling clue for me. For some reason when people are deceptive and put on an act, they often add in emotional inflection in the middle of normal conversation. It's like what they would envision they would do, if they actually did this. When honest people recollect facts, they don't do this at points where they "think" they should be emotional. I've seen this time and time again. It's a pretty reliable clue to deceit. Probably one of the most reliable across the board.

Notice how he was about to say, "What wrong?" but stops himself? Then later he tells us he thought she was dead, so why on earth would he ask her what's wrong? It makes no sense, likely because it never happened. I suspect he is just babbling up a story here, and got caught!

I love when the investigator says no innocent person is going to let me accuse them of brutally murdering their wife of 19 years. Bingo! And what is so fascinating is how Jarka responds to the questioning. Notice there is no anger? No negative emotions whatsoever? Instead, we get this subdued response--so classic of people who are deceptive. It's what I call the "nice-guy-facade syndrome". When people lie, their biggest goal is to be believed and they think if they are going to be trusted, they have to be liked, so they don't ever get mad! Another very common clue to deceit seen in high stakes lies.

I also find it strange that Jarka says he couldn't move her. What would be the reason for that? I wish that was questioned. It would have revealed his senseless babble.

I also noticed how Jarka's voice is devoid of any stress whatsoever, and when he recalls what should be painful details, he is like a drone, devoid of normal emotional memory recall. Two more huge red flags.

Clearly, the jury got this case right on the money, circumstantial evidence and all.

Behavior Detection Officers....

2009-11-24T20:23:00.003-06:00

...will likely be at an airport near you, if you fly this holiday.

Here is an interesting article on it.

What do you think about BDOs?

I think the concept is great, but I believe similar to what Dr. Ekman said --that training is essential and I, more than that, personally, don't think basic training will cut it. We need to screen people for this job who have above average ability to understand human behavior (I'm not saying Truth Wizard), and help them improve their abilities before we ever put them on the job. Just hiring anyone to do this job, in my opinion, is useless. But I think the idea has great future rewards if we refine it appropriately.

Remembering Somer

2009-11-23T11:22:00.004-06:00

From the Website

http://www.rememberingsomer.com/

I saw this link today and I was surprised they require you to sign-in to see much of the website. I thought that was odd for a memorial website. Do you?

I have no idea who created the website.

I have a toothache today, and I am off to the dentist again. I may have to have my wisdom tooth pulled this week, so I may be MIA, if that happens. I don't know yet. It's hard to concentrate when you are in pain!

A Very Different Diena Thompson

2009-11-20T11:24:00.007-06:00

Watch CBS News Videos Online

As many of you have suggested to me that Diena is different in this interview. She is dramatically subdued compared to her other interviews, yet I see still Diena making numerous subtle smiles (or hints of positive emotion), and I even see an expression of disgust when she talks to the reporter.

Read moreDiena shows disgust when mentioning Somer's name, sadly. She says, "It's been difficult, but I owe it to the other children, and Somer (expression of disgust, sigh) to get up every day and continue to just...go on."

Why does saying Somer's name make her feel disgust? This is painful to look at.

I can't help but feel that someone has asked or suggested to Diena to "tone down" her responses, because her emotions we've seen from day one are still present. At one point, Diena even gives a sideways glance to her attorney, as if seeking his approval, though she never looks at him directly. We've seen this behavior with Ronald Cummings in some of his interviews.

I also find it interesting that the reporter says that Diena attorney is her "liaison" with police investigators. Did you catch that? If my child was missing, I wouldn't want facts lost between a liaison. I would want direct contact. I would demand it. It makes you wonder if the police have questioned Diena, doesn't it?

Diena seems to be breathing heavy in this interview, which I haven't noted before. It caught my attention. Do you see it? It's contradictory to her calm facade. It's most notable after her attorney talks about how the police are likely honing in on a suspect.

Diena looks the most sad I have seen her when she says, "I can't believe a parent could be involved in hurting their own child." I can't help but wonder if this rings a bell with her in some way. While Diena shrugs her shoulder here, this does not signal doubt to me. Many times when people say "I don't know" or "I can't believe" they often shrug their shoulders. This behavior is actually supportive that can't believe it or don't know.

"Like she's ordering a cheese sandwich"

2009-11-19T10:26:00.007-06:00

Dalia Dippolito hired a hit man to kill her husband. What she didn't know was this hit man was an undercover cop. The story is fascinating because we get to see a suspected psychopath do her dirty work. The police have recently released a video of Dalia talking to the uncover cop, asking him to kill her husband. It's bone chilling. You can read more here and see another video as well.

Read moreMike, her to-be-killed husband says when he watches her on tape, "It's like she is ordering a cheese sandwich asking someone to kill me. It's unbelievable."

I've pointed out countless times that killers often are lacking the appropriate emotions and when they discuss topics that should elicit a notable emotional response, they often come across as if it is just another typical day, in essence, totally flat. A lack of emotions is equally as important as inappropriate emotions, it is just so many people discount it.

Oprah once said, "When people tell you who they are, believe them." Dalia doesn't hesitate to tell this undercover cop who she is. She says, "I'm a lot tougher than what I look. I know you are thinking, 'What a cute little girl, or whatever. You know, but I'm not.'"

How many times has someone said to you, "I'm not half as nice as you think I am" and you just discount it? Many people often think people are hard on themselves, so when they say something negative like this, they immediately respond back, "Oh no, you aren't like that at all." More often than not, when someone puts themselves down in a negative light like this, we actually sympathize and empathize with them. We feel sorry for them, which is counterintuitive.

Denial is a very dangerous thing. When someone says something negative about themselves, I take it as gospel. I believe them. This is very important advice. It can save you from heartache, or much worse. Let's put it this way, I would never call myself something I don't think I am. Would you?

One last thing, Michael Dippolito met Dalia when she was working as an escort. He should have always calculated in that Dalia would do anything for money, or she likely wouldn't have worked in the shadowy business of escorts. Had he done that from day one, he would have likely been suspicious of her and acted a lot sooner, which could have saved him from a lot of heartache.

Just food for thought.

Actors and Acting

2009-11-18T10:56:00.007-06:00

A reader asked me:

I was wondering if you go to the movies? If so, do you spot the 'lies' as actors are being someone they are not? I ask because I read that truth wizards and people like Dr Elkman turn the sound off of their TV and try to construct the story just by watching people's expressions - does this relate only to 'real' TV like news stories/interviews or do they do this for entertainment shows like Friends as well? If actors have different skill levels as I suspect, who do you find most convincing in their roles?

I actually do not go to the movies nor do I rent them. Fictional TV shows don't interest me much. It isn't because I feel the actors are lying. It's simply that they miss the mark and can't keep me in the moment, so I end up getting bored. Other times, the acting is so bad that it feels so phony, I can't even concentrate on the storyline.

Read moreIt's rare when an actor can pull off an emotional scene and make it believable. Or if one actor manages, often times another will blow it for me. I think back to one of the last movies I saw, the Pursuit of Happiness, with Will Smith in the bathroom on the floor with his son when he tries to get all emotional, and he missed the mark before he pulled of the scene. It throws me out of the moment and I lose my emotional investment in the film. I must say overall, though, Will Smith did good in that movie for the most part.

I am not one who enjoys turning off the sound. I don't relate to that so I can't answer those questions.

Since I watch very little fictional TV, I don't know a whole lot about actors, but ones that come to mind that I have enjoyed in the past are Helen Hunt, Dustin Hoffman, Tim Allen, Ray Romano, and Meryl Streep. A strange mix, I know!

Several years ago, my husband was watching Everybody Loves Raymond and I sat down, waiting to turn the channel, when I actually started laughing at the current episode. My husband was shocked because he knows sitcoms and me don't get along. I don't know if it was Ray's acting, or the character plot that I enjoyed, but I got swept in and enjoyed that show. I liked the interaction between Ray and his wife a lot. It was plausible and realistic.

I am sure you guessed it, I can't stand slap stick comedy or science fiction. I go absolutely nuts! I did strangely enjoy Scrat in Ice Age. His emotional responses were so on par, it was fabulous. I loved that movie!!! I didn't go see it, my husband was watching it when I walked in the room and he refused to change the channel. I could watch Scrat and his friends for hours and hours and hours and hours. Those animators deserve the biggest award for their work. It was phenomenal!!

Reading Faces: Article

2009-11-17T15:21:00.004-06:00

"Hub lab writing the book on face-reading," from the Boston Globe.

Nelson said that his research has revealed that by adulthood, people’s abilities to read faces are fairly established and they can only learn more through deliberate learning, much like being taught a foreign language.
“By adulthood, the window is not permanently closed, but with age, it’s increasingly difficult to learn new abilities,’’ said Nelson, 56, a high-energy researcher who travels frequently to talk about his work.

What do you think?

Thanks to my Boston reader for this article!

Poll: You Decide Curtis Vance

2009-11-16T15:10:00.005-06:00

I wrote about Curtis Vance back in January when he was arrested. He was charged and sentenced to life in prison last week for murdering Anne Pressly.

Should we put Curtis Vance in "Dishonesty caught before truth was known" column?(survey software)

Blog Search Option

2009-11-14T09:23:00.002-06:00

I was wondering if you can help me. The blogger search box above doesn't seem to be searching through my blog anymore. It comes up blank most of the time and I don't know why. With over 1,000 posts now, I need a good search option. Without it, people can find my posts on topics and I get many emails a day asking me if I have reviewed this or that case.

Does anyone know of a good widget we can use? While blogger has one, it is for their new template and I am currently using their old, so it won't work for me.

Just thought I would ask for help. Thanks in advance!

Second Dental Opinion

2009-11-13T11:35:00.002-06:00

Well, I finally went and got a second dental opinion. I thought you would find this interesting. The dentist was a woman about my age. She had a fresh and honest face. Her opinion? I had all the cavities the other dentist said in my wisdom and molars, however, she only saw calcification on my front tooth. She said that is the earliest hint that decay could form, but she didn't see any decay, and she wouldn't fill that tooth at this time. She saw no point, but would keep an eye on it.

Then she told me, she thought I needed to have 5 other molars filled that the other dentist didn't!! I think she truly believed it, too.

She told me she was conservative and thought her instrument stuck in each of these molars and hence they needed to be filled. She then told me, I could wait on them if I wanted, and she would prioritize them.

Does this make your head spin, or what?

Excellent Article on Preventing Rape

2009-11-12T09:53:00.003-06:00

I saw this excellent article the other day from Susan Murphy Milano, who is a domestic violence expert, called Preventing a Rape: Yours! and found it fascinating.

Does your body language or actions say you are distracted?

When you see someone threatening, do you let them know you see them?

Did you know public restrooms were not a place to let your guard down?

What you do and how you behave can directly affect your safety, though you may never even know it!

I think this article is a must read for all women. Pass it on!!

Curtis Vance Found Guilty

2009-11-11T15:53:00.004-06:00

Curtis Vance was found guilty today in the capital murder of Anne Pressly. ABC news 24 is reporting that Vance faces the death penalty. It took the jury just over two hours to make the decision.

To read more about the latest news, click here.

I reviewed a very short interview of Curtis Vance in January and I was without a doubt chilled. What a sad story all the way around.

The Victim: A Study of Honesty

2009-11-11T14:37:00.003-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Notice she laughs at one point, and it is totally natural and normal. I wish I knew how to define it when it is not. That's something I need to work at understanding. Maybe I can verbalize how I know the difference one day.

My Thoughts: Sarah Snead

2009-11-10T09:46:00.007-06:00

When I watch Sarah Snead speak in this video, I do not see anything in Sarah's behavior that concerns me.

While Sarah isn't stressed out or showing deep concern for her friend, she may believe that Morgan simply ran off by her own choice. When you are young, you feel invincible, and Sarah could feel (it is not implausible) that foul play is unlikely. She may be more inclined to believe that Morgan ran off intentionally, but may not be willing to say that publicly. Hence, I can't put much weigh on her lack of emotions here as this could be a logical explanation for her response.

Read moreWhen I was 16, a friend in my circle of friends disappeared. Everyone was concerned and panicked for the girl after she was missing for several days. I was like, "Oh she always talked about running away. She wasn't happy. She probably just did it. She'll be back." I didn't even blink an eye. How wrong I was. She was murdered and they finally found her body in a cornfield. Had I been interviewed at that point, and been the last person with her, I would have likely been much like Sarah, or worse.

Furthermore, while Sarah laughs in this video and smiles while talking another time, that in and of itself is not a red flag for me either. Sad people and worried people laugh, even in difficult times, especially when they are distracted in a group setting. The timing and content of laughter makes all the difference. More importantly, I do not see her laughter or smiles as "inconsistent" or contradicting.

When I listen to the facts, I do, however, find it odd that her friends would leave Morgan there, outside alone and not worry about her. To think that she would simply find another ride home 150 miles away (if my calculations are correct) is highly unlikely -- especially if her car was in the parking lot (even if she didn't drive it).

I would think Morgan would have (a) asked her friends for the car keys and waited for them in her car, or (b) told them she'd meet them back there later, but her friends don't say that. I mean Morgan had a car there, her car, if I understand it right and all she had to do was get the keys and she could have gone to a coffee shop. Why would she set out on foot, in the dark? That makes no sense--especially in an unfamiliar place.

I'd be curious to know if there are cell phone records of Morgan's friends trying to find her after the concert to make sure she is okay. Did they ever call her cell phone? Did they ever get worried? That is odd and unusual. That fact piques my interest more than anything else.

From what I have read in the news, the first time anyone knew Morgan was gone was when she didn't show up at home the next day.

Could Morgan have planned to run away? It's possible. Could her friends know? Of course, but I can't discern that from this video. I'd need to see more.

Nicholas Francisco Found Alive and Well

2009-11-09T17:55:00.009-06:00

Do you remember Christine Francisco in February of 2008 pleading for help to find her missing husband? Well apparently, Nick is alive and well living under another name in another state.

Read moreWhen I watched Christine speak back then, she raised several red flags for me that are now eerily reminiscent to Diena Thompson's behavior. She wiped away non-existent tears (I forgot that!), she grinned at odd times, it appeared that she had to stop herself from laughing several times, too, when she was supposedly distraught! You can read my assessment of Christine Francisco here.

Christine Francisco originally thought her husband met with foul play and was "murdered". Then she turned around and divorced him four months later citing "willful abandonment" and a "'history of acts of domestic violence or an assault or sexual assault, which causes grievous bodily harm or the fear of such harm' under a section requesting restrictions on Nicholas Francisco's access to their children (source)."

What do you think of the latest development? I can't help but wonder what, if anything, Christine might have known.

Thanks, A, for the update!

Somer Thompson Police Report

2009-11-09T15:39:00.007-06:00

I know many of you are trying to put the facts together in the Somer Thompson case. Here is the police report. While I don't depend 100% on police reports, because there can be errors, it is a starting point to find more information and compare it to other reputable sources. I shared my thoughts about Diena Thompson, Somer's mother, a few weeks back here.

Morgan Dana Harrington's Friend Speaks Out

2009-11-09T10:31:00.010-06:00

Topic Suggestion from Anonymous (Anonymous' thoughts below):

Her name is Sarah Sneed...
I get a strange vibe from her. She seems so unemotional. When discussing Dana being missing she says, "YOU just put the focus on getting HER home, that's all YOU can do....." distancing. Read more

Also, when discussing why they left in Morgan's car without her that night she states, "I mean obviously if we thought.... something bad....we wouldn't have done it if we didn't think it was ok. uhmmmm, but.......you know...." and then she seems to almost grin or show happiness a bit when she continues with her thought, "obviously....we wish things had taken place differently".

I don't know about you or anyone else but if one of my best friends of ten years went missing... I'd maybe say her name or tear up or feel guilty.... maybe that's just me though. this girls seems like a stepford friend in her lack of emotion.

Are you suspicious of Sarah Snead?(online surveys)

Blowing Air Out Your Cheeks

2009-11-06T08:49:00.011-06:00

In regards to this guy, and this video, I asked people what they thought about this man's behavior of blowing air out of his cheeks. Specifically, what did it mean?

People can do this for a variety of reasons and I don't think there is one correct universal answer, but in this video, I would suspect this guy was very nervous and stressed, and when people are under stress, they "blow off steam" so-to-speak, but in reality, it is blowing off "stress".

For me, in this snapshot, he is locking in the air, if even for a second. Notice the bulge in his upper lip area? He tightens the ends of his lips. It's almost like we forget to breath, for an instant. When people are relieved and do this, they often don't lock in the air. They just blow it all out. It's a slight variation, if you can picture it.

It's a classic sign of stress.