Ryan Ferguson Loses Appeal

I have been following the Ryan Ferguson case since 2006 when I first saw it air on 48 Hours.  I immediately believed Ryan Ferguson was innocent from the very first interview I saw of him, and I was sad that he was serving time for a crime that he didn’t commit.
I held out great hope that Ryan would be freed as people came out and started backtracking on their stories–the stories that were used to convicted Ryan.  And I held out the greatest hope that his latest appeal by Kathleen Zellner, who I highly respect, would be granted, but sadly last week while I was out of town training professionals, I got the word his appeal was denied.
To say that I am very upset is an understatement.  This is a huge injustice being done to an innocent man.  The judge in the case, Green stated in his ruling that Ryan did not prove his “actual innocence” in the killing of Kent Heitholt, a sports editor at the Columbia Daily Tribune.
Eriely, Green’s ruling came exactly 11 years to the day that Heitholt was killed.
As someone who is an expert in deception, I have always struggled with proving, and showing innocence.  How do you do it?  I think for someone to have to prove this standard, we need to define exactly how this is done because the only way I know to prove innocence is to show any lack of involvement, which Ryan has proven without a doubt.

I’d personally like to ask the judge, how does one meet this standard of actual innocence?  How does one prove it? What are the guidelines for this?

It’s easy to prove guilt.  It is much, much more difficult to prove innocence.

Joe and Sheena on Dr. Phil: Murder or Suicide?

I watched this story on Dr. Phil, and I do not see any evidnece to support suicide.  I also do not believe Joe is telling us the truth.  He is slippery and doesn’t answer questions.  Then he denies anything when put in the hot seat.

I feel for Sheena’s family.  I hope the truth comes out.

Today on Dr. Phil, Joe will take a lie detector test. He should fail it, if you ask me. Will he? 

48 Hours: Robbie Walters

If you missed this weekend’s 48 Hours, you missed a fascinating study of one human being:  Robbie Walters.  He was a vacant-eyed, cold, haunting individual who was convicted of killing his girlfriend.  Robbie talks about what happened the night they “supposedly” had a car accident and what you see when you watch Robbie talk is chilling!

Robbie’s emotions are flat out inconsistent with what he wants us to believe. He smirks and smiles at times it completely contradicts his message, and he seems obviously to it.

It shows the power of facial expressions in stark contrast to the spoken word!

Jessica Ridgeway: Her Parents Plea

Many of you have asked what I thought of Jessica Ridgeway’s parents as they plead for the return of her daughter.

While police are saying that Jessica’s parents are not suspects, her mom’s behavior is notable in one area.

She gives us a fake cry.  We see no oblique eyebrows, no stress in the forehead and no tears when she “breaks down”.  We don’t see fear either.

Why?  There is no urgency on the mother’s part as well.

I would like to see more interviews with Sarah before I come to any determinations.

Sadly, Jessica’s body was found and police are saying it was not intact. Police are saying that the parents are not suspects.

Did Jessica’s mom have any boyfriends — past or present?  I’d be curious to know.

When I watch the father, I see genuine and true sadness.

Lastest News on Tiffany and David Hartley Case

KLTV.com-Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville, Texas | ETX News

Many of you probably remember the story told by Tiffany Hartley over two years ago now.  She told of the nightmare of being chased by pirates on Falcon Lake in Mexico while they were sightseeing and riding their jet skis. David Hartley protected Tiffany, and was fatally hit by gun fire and died.  Tiffany tried to rescue David, but couldn’t do it and was forced to flea.  She said the pirates cornered her, but let her go.

I’ve always found Tiffany’s story inconsistent and full of hot spots.

According to news outlets, the Mexican authorities have made an arrest of one of the top Zeta drug cartel leaders who controlled the area and is believed to have killed over 200 people.  Police in Mexico are blaming him for causing David’s death.

You can read more here.

Sigifredo Gonzalez, sheriff of Zapata County, Texas has always believed in Tiffany’s innocent and he is now saying, “Based on the information I have, he may have been the one responsible for that area, but not the one responsible for the actual killing,” said Sigifredo Gonzalez, sheriff of Zapata County, Texas.

What do you think of the latest developments?