Emotions In a Statement: Susan Smith

When someone puts emotions in the statement, flag it.  Here is why:


It is not so much the inclusion of emotions that we are looking at, it is the location of the emotions that is important to the analyst.

When emotions are placed in the 'perfect' or logical place of a statement, it is an indication of deception.  


Why?


Because emotions take time to process and in statements given to police, there is an element of stress involved. Honest, truthful people include emotions, but normally after the 'event' or most important part of the statement.  This is natural.


Dishonest or deceptive people will place their emotions in the part of the event where one would expect (logical) to  find emotions:  right at the moment.  It is a strong signal that deception may be present.  


When Susan Smith first 'confessed', she said this:  

Emotions in the perfect location:  Susan Smith feigned suicide:  “When I was at John D. Long Lake, I had never felt so scared and unsure as I did then.  I wanted to end my life so bad and was in my car ready to go down that ramp into the water, and I did go part way, but I stopped.  I went again and stopped.  I then got out of the car and stood by the car a nervous wreck.” Later, it was learned that she was trying to kill her children, and not herself, as she wanted to be  free to be with someone else.  Emotions in the perfect or logical place in a story indicate that it very well may be... a story.   Note here that we not only have the emotions in the highlight of the story but it is reported in the negative, garnering attention from the analyst.  Question:  Where are emotions located in a truthful statement? Answer:   Post event.  Emotions in truthful statements do not come during the "action" part of the account, but afterwards  as it takes time to process.  It should be noted that the further away a subject gets to the event, and has processed emotions, they may be within the 'action' part of the statement indicating, for example, that the account has been  fully processed.  A good example would be when a soldier is recounting something that happened years ago.   But when a subject is speaking or writing about something recent, emotions should not be found in the action part of a statement. For more example, see statements made by Tiffany Hartley shortly after reporting her  husband was shot allegedly by drug pirates on the Texas Mexico border.