Breeann Rodriguez Is Dead

Statement Analysis principle:


The mother of a missing child will always speak of her child in the present tense as she holds out hope.  As time goes on, the mother is usually the last one to lose hope.  This principle is so powerful that when a mother references her child in the past tense, it tells us:


the child is dead. 


Susan Smith:  "my boys needed me..."     They were drowned by Susan Smith, in her car. 


Misty Croslin, step mother:  "I loved that little girl like she was my own"

Caylee Anthony's mother:   "Caylee loved the park..."   Caylee was killed by her mother, and put in the trunk of her car.    

Billie Jean Dunn referenced her 13 year old daughter, Hailey, on an appearance on the Nancy Grace Show a few days after reporting her "missing"; of which her statements contained so much deception, that the conclusion was plain:  Hailey was dead and her mother knew it.  Because the case was so fresh, the initial reaction to the analysis was anger, but as time went by, and more was learned about the mother's boyfriend, sadly, the anger turned to resignation and acceptance.  In fact, as each detail came out about both mother and boyfriend, the town manager said, "two plus two equals four. "    Hailey's remains have yet to be located and no arrests effected.   Her paternal grandmother told a national audience that she believed the mother's boyfriend raped and killed her, but could not offer why she held that opinion.  Later, we learned about the deviancy, child pornography, and violence that was her home.  The information that came out after the grandmother's statement buttressed her opinion which, at the time, was based upon instinct.  She knew.  





What of Breeann Rodriqez, 3?  Is Breeann dead?

http://www.kfvs.com/story/15237027/police-search-for-white-van-in-pre-schoolers-disappearance

 Claudia Rodriquez:

"She always wanted her nails done," said Claudia. "Every time she put a dress on she'd tell me she's my princess."

The question for us is this:   is the mother referring to her child in the past tense, or is this a past tense specific event?  If the mother is speaking of a specific past tense event, the past tense verb is appropriate.  We also recognize that the mother's first language may be Spanish and Statement Analysis is best done in the subject's original language.  Listening to the mother speak, it sounded like, at one point, she spoke of her child in past tense, without any apparent hesitation due to language change.  Although a video seemed to show past tense reference, we wanted to see if there was a clearer indication, and if so, it would mean other indicators of deception.  We called for both parents to take a polygraph. 


Was this reference in the past tense related to a specific event?  


 The answer is found in the word, "always" as a generality; not a specific event. 

Claudia Rodriqez is telling us that Breeann is dead.  The word "always" indicates that getting her nails done was not a single event, but an ongoing theme in life.  The mother references her daughter in the past tense, a powerful indicator that tells us that the mother knows or believes that her daughter is not coming home and this will not end well. 

Once the deception is unveiled, the weakness in statements and the indicators of sensitivity make sense:  

"We have two city workers that live on the end of this street," Rodriguez said. "Somebody saw something, something that didn't belong. If somebody asks me one person that would take my daughter, I don't have anybody that would come to mind."

The change from "we" to "I" is indicated.  The change to "I" becomes strong, after a weak start.  We should believe him when he says "somebody saw something" as he was not surprised that Claudia failed her polygraph.  "Person" is gender neutral.  He doesn't have "anybody" that would come to mind.   

"Maybe it was someone who saw her and thought she was pretty," said Claudia. "We just want them to bring her back."

Now when Claudia speaks, she goes from singular "someone" (also gender neutral) to plural "them" in the same statement.  This is deceptive.  

Note that she introduces the topic of "pretty"; that someone would think that she was pretty, but does not say why someone thinking Breeann was pretty would lead to her disappearance.  It is likely that many people commented about her being "pretty" but are not related to her disappearance.  Breeann's smile is beautiful and the parents likely heard people say that while food shopping or to town.  Claudia does not tell us why this would be  a link.  

Breeann's mother has spoken of Breeann in the past tense indicating to us that the mother knows or believes the child is dead.  

If the police have not told her to expect the worst (at the time of this statement), then Claudia is telling us that she knows:

Breeann is dead. 


Both parents have failed a polygraph and police have hinted that bike parts may have been planted in an area that was previously searched, in order to deceive them.  We heard as Breeann's father spoke about the bike, repeated "bike" over and over. Perhaps now we understand why "bike" was so sensitive to him.