Interview and Interrogation Articles
Evidence-Based Interview & Interrogation Insights by Stan B. Walters
Acceptance Is Not Authorship
The Subject’s Words Matter More Than Yours by Stan B. Walters – The Lie Guy®ORCID: 0009-0002-1063-0519 Whose Words Are Building the Statement? In every effective
Mislabeling Common Stress as Deception: The Error of Biased Analysis
Behavioral changes may identify pressure points, stress, topic sensitivity, or areas needing verification, but they do not prove deception. When common stress is mislabeled as deception, the interview can begin to feed its own assumptions — and those assumptions can follow the case into the report, the investigation, and eventually the courtroom.
Interviewing – What’s Body Language Got To Do With It?
Long before “body language experts” became mainstream, this article raised a critical warning:
Not every behavioral change signals deception.
Stress, emotion, fear, confusion, and deception can all produce similar behaviors — and misreading them can send an interview in the wrong direction.
In this archived article from The Interview Room, Stan Walters examines the strengths, limitations, and dangers of relying too heavily on nonverbal behavior during investigative interviews.
Will Your Interview Training Survive a Daubert Challenge?
In the courtroom, it’s not your experience that’s on trial—it’s your methods. A Daubert challenge exposes what your training can’t defend. Would yours survive?
Insuring the Confession Against the Allegation of False Confession
False confessions don’t happen by accident—they’re often the result of poor interview practices. Learn how causation and intent protect your case from collapse.
Confession Motivation: Gain vs. Pain
People change decisions based on one thing: perceived gain or perceived pain. Understanding that internal calculation can determine whether a subject resists, cooperates, or confesses.
Pre-Conception: An Interrogation Assassin
Preconceived beliefs can silently destroy an interrogation. Learn how the “pre-conception assassin” leads investigators to ignore deception cues, assume guilt, or ask only confirming questions—undermining the search for truth.
The Truth About Body Language & Deception
Many investigators are taught that body language reveals deception. In this classic Interview Room article, Stan B. Walters explains why most so-called deception cues—like eye contact or posture—are actually signs of stress, not lies.