U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Polygraph in a Complex Narcotics-Related Homicide Case: A Case History

NCJ Number
236171
Journal
Polygraph Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Dated: 2011 Pages: 100-121
Author(s)
Michael Walsh
Date Published
2011
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This article is a case study in the use of polygraph to solve a complex narcotics-related homicide.
Abstract
This article was written by a detective from the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office in Sioux Falls, SD. The article details the use of the polygraph in less than ideal conditions in order to solve a complex narcotics-related homicide. The case involved the murder of a drug-dealer in the town of Sioux Falls, and the subsequent interrogation of a prime suspect using the polygraph. The author discusses his use of the Polygraph Validation Test in conjunction with the Zone Comparison Test to question the suspect in less than ideal surroundings. By examining the results of these tests, the detectives in the case were able to remove any doubt that their suspect was the person who actually committed the crime. The author believes that the information obtained from the polygraph was a major reason that the police were able to solve this case. The author also states that while polygraph examiners may be biased towards a particular technique, they should understand that all validated techniques have something to offer investigators. Charts