Death Penalty for Holmes a Foregone Conclusion

By Harry N. MacLean Although District Attorney Carol Chambers will undertake an apparently thorough and deliberate process in deciding whether to seek the death penalty in the trial of James Holmes, the end result is a foregone conclusion. The law, her inclination, and the politics of the situation leave her no choice. The law in this case is pretty clear. In Colorado you only need one of seventeen aggravating factors to qualify a defendant...

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James Holmes: Mass Media and Uncovering a Motive for Murder

By Michael Tabman Another mass shooting.  Another day of agony for our country.  A time for us to question, debate and jump to conclusions.  And ultimately, another lost opportunity to learn lessons from a tragedy that will get overshadowed by more recent news and shocking events.  Except of course, for those who suffered through the unimaginable; they will never forget.    In March 2005, I was the FBI Special...

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Interview: Catching Liars with Statement Analysis

By Joe McKinney Talking to people who don’t want to talk to you is hard.  And it’s a skill that most cops have to learn on the job.  We get extensive training with our guns.  We’re taught how to drive our patrol cars under just about every condition imaginable.  We even get put in computer simulators that gauge our ability to diffuse domestic disturbances.  And yet, for all that, very little attention is given to the...

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Interview: Former FBI Agent Talks About Oklahoma City Bombing

By Michelle McKee On April 19, 1995 the people of Oklahoma City fell victim to the worst case of domestic terrorism in United States history, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building. I had an opportunity to speak with Jon Hersley about the investigation, conspiracy theorists and law enforcement in general. Hersley’s position within the investigation was as the FBI's Lead Case Agent responsible for the United States government’s case...

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