Mark Severino

Mark Severino retired from the Los Angeles Police Department as a Detective Supervisor in the Major Crimes Division after serving thirty-five years. He was frequently requested to assist the FBI and DHS in Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime investigations, and coordinated investigations that were briefed at the highest level of the U.S. Government and received international media attention by "The Wall Street Journal" regarding an investigation that involved terrorist funding. He has provided classified briefing to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Intelligence, regarding complex investigations that originated from the City of Los Angeles, and served as liaison between the Los Angeles Police Department's Major Crimes Division and the U.S. Government's High Value Detainee Interrogation Group.

Severino's research contributions focus on evidence-based investigative interviewing techniques that bridge the gap between psychological science and law enforcement practice. His 2025 article co-authored with Eduardo Pérez-Campos Mayoral provides a critical review of existing research on the use of priming in investigative interviewing, including its influence on secure attachment, openness, and helpfulness motivations. His work on the Strategic Use of Evidence (SUE) technique represents a method of scientific interrogation that entails the strategic management of case information and evidence, with the primary objective to enhance the likelihood of discerning deceit by detecting inconsistencies in the statements or comments made by suspects. He also co-authored with Haneen Deeb "A guide to investigative interviewing: first impression – the interviewer" published through Project Aletheia in 2022.

Severino is an active member of Project Aletheia, a collaborative center dedicated to bridging the gap between science and practice in interrogation. His research collaborations include prominent figures in the field such as Pär Anders Granhag, Maria Hartwig, and Mark Fallon, reflecting his integration into the international community of scholars and practitioners working to advance ethical, science-based interrogation methods. His publication record demonstrates expertise in applying psychological principles to real-world investigative contexts, with particular emphasis on priming techniques, strategic evidence disclosure, and rapport-building in interviews.

Drawing on over three decades of operational experience in major crimes investigation, Severino's work connects high-stakes law enforcement practice with academic research on credibility assessment and deception detection. His career investigating terrorism, organized crime, and homicides provides a unique practitioner perspective to the scientific literature on investigative interviewing, helping to ensure research recommendations are grounded in the realities of criminal investigations.