Over the years there have been tons of in depth, gruesome, and totally fascinating cases. In fact, some of these cases are so bizarre that you would think they came right out of a true crime novel. Tons of work, investigative research, and evidence collecting went into each one of these cases, but at the end of the day it was the lie detector test that truly solved the entire case. Below, you will learn about some of these cases and how the lie detector broke them wide open.
The Case Of Renee Walker
Bloody and stabbed to death, Renee Walker’s body laid in her Manhattan apartment three days before it was discovered. The 31-year-old woman lived alone with her 11-year-old son; there were absolutely no suspects, no witnesses and very little evidence. To the least, it looked like the case was going to go unsolved.
Fortunately, for Renee and her family detective Charles Mattson was quickly on the trail and solved the case in less than four days. Charles tracked down an 18-year-old by the name of Matthew Johnson. Matthew Johnson eventually confessed after being interrogated for 11 hours, failing three lie detector tests, and answering multiple questions. However, recently Matthew appealed the case from prison, saying that his confession was false and he was coerced into giving the confession.
It seems that the case is now falling apart as the 18-year-old was recently just released from prison. Matthew was issued another lie detector by an outside expert, which he passed. It seems that the lie detector test was able to convict and free this young man. So, you can see that the examiner and the questions that are being asked are crucial when it comes to getting down to the truth.
The Weleetka Murders
One of the most notorious murder cases of the year 2008 was finally put to rest thanks in huge part to the assistance of a polygraph test. The Oklahoma Police say that the test was absolutely crucial when it came to putting this case to rest.
During the course of the investigation the Oklahoma State Bureau Investigative Unit got Kevin Sweat to agree to take a polygraph test. The test eventually led police to Sweat’s father’s land where they discovered the charred remains of his fiancée, along with several .40 caliber casings. However, the interesting this is that the .40 caliber casings matched a gun that was used in the Weleetka murder, which was another case that had gone unsolved.
The funny thing about the situation is that Sweat wasn’t even on the police’s radar until he agreed to take the polygraph test. Sweat is now awaiting sentencing for the murder of his fiancée Ashley Taylor and the murder of Taylor Paschal-Placker of Weleetka.
Joseph Cambron
On September 30, 2014, Louisville detectives investigating a fatal stabbing of a 12-year-old boy conducted a lie detector test of a suspect. The results showed the suspect was involved in the death of the juvenile. With these results, the detectives were able to get a confession from 21-year-old Joseph Cambron.
Cambron admitted that he “engaged in a physical altercation” with the 12-year-old victim, at which time he stabbed the victim to death. Detectives were also able to recover a 7-inch knife that was utilized in the slaying of Ray Allen Etheridge.
The autopsy report revealed that the victim suffered two stab wounds, in his back and chest. Cambron’s statement was not included in the initial evidence that was filed against him in Jefferson Circuit Court. Since the polygraph test results were not allowed to be utilized in the trial, Cambron was able to deny knowing who Ray was, which played in his favor.
Employees at Mid-City Mall said Ray and Cambron visited the mall library often and they were observed leaving together on September 30. During the initial interview, Cambron admitted to being accused of sexually abusing a total of five juveniles.
Luke Mitchell
Luke Mitchell was previously convicted of murdering a young girl. While Mitchell was serving a life sentence at Shotts Prison, officials agreed to allow him to take a lie detector test. The test would be recorded and later released on YouTube.
The examiner asked Mitchell several questions including:
- “Did you stab Jodi on 30 June, 2003?”
- “Were you present when Jodi was stabbed?”
Mitchell answered “no” to both of those questions and the test revealed that he was telling the truth. He continues to profess his innocence. However, since the polygraph test is inadmissible in Scottish court, he will remain behind bars until more evidence is available to proof his innocence.
Adrian Prout
The case of Adrian Prout is definitely a strange one. The 47-year-old millionaire was actually convicted of killing his 55-year-old wife, Kate. The killer then dumped his wife’s body in a woodland grave. The killer has since been locked away in prison, but none of that would have been possible without help from a lie detector test. In March of 2012, it was reported that Adrian Prout took and failed a lie detector test. After answering the questions, Prout surprised detectives when he stood up and admitted to the validity their test. It was alleged that Adrian told detectives that their test was not wrong.
The test was actually paid for by his fiancée, Debbie Garlick, in an attempt to prove Prout innocence. Ultimately, the move backfired and provided further evidence pointing to Prout’s guilt. The test’s administrator explained that Prout displayed no emotion whatsoever when he admitted to the crime shortly after failing the lie detector. Now, the rest is history. Prout has been locked away.
David Pietz
It was alleged that David Pietz murdered his wife in 2006. David was 36-years-old at the time, while his wife, Nicole, was just 32. Nicole’s naked body was found in the woods near Burien, Washington roughly a week after she was reported missing. The 32-year-old woman had been strangled to death. During the trial, several women came forward to admit that they had romantic relationships with the supposed killer, David Pietz. It was also alleged that Pietz spiked his wife’s drink with ecstasy in an attempt to get her to participate in threesomes.
During the trial, detectives admitted that they put David through a lie detector test. The suspected murderer ultimately failed. He was asked whether or not he wanted to take a second test and quickly refused to do so. This convinced detectives that Pietz was their man. After that test, they zoned in on him closely and never let him out of their sights. Again, the rest is history. Pietz has been convicted and he has been sentenced to a lengthy say in prison.
Richard Madden
There is no doubt that police need to get child killers off of the streets as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, that is often easier said than done. In 2013, 10-year-old Kami Ring was raped and murdered near her home. Eventually, detectives encounter Richard Madden. The Cecil County man became a person of interest in the case and foolishly agreed to take a lie detector test. Madden mistakenly believed that the test would help to prove his innocence. He was terribly wrong.
It was later reported that the retired Maryland State Police officer responsible for administering the test testified that Madden’s results showed that he was lying about his involvement in the 10-year-old girl’s disappearance. Kami Ring disappeared from a Port Deposit home, which was owned by Madden’s stepparents. Ring considered the couple to be her grandparents, despite not being related. The girl’s lifeless body was found in a field approximately 60 yards from the home less than a day after she was reported missing.
After the lie detector test confirmed that Madden was a viable suspect, police linked him to the murder scene via DNA. The man was later charged with the girl’s rape and murder.
Raymond Park
Several years ago, a Yale graduate student was killed just before her 2009 wedding. Annie Le was just 24 years old at the time of her death. At the time, she was studying treatments for chronic diseases. Eventually, police turned their attention to 26-year-old Raymond Clark III. It was determined that Clark could be a potentially viable suspect after he failed a lie detector test. The results of the test encouraged police to dedicate their entire investigation to the man, who worked as an animal research assistant alongside Le.
Le’s body was ultimately found stuffed inside of a wall at the research lab. She was discovered on the very day that she was set to be married. Thanks to the lie detector test, Clark was brought to justice. He has now been sentenced to 44 years in prison.
