Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1, 1989, Page 7
The pretext used to lure Mr. Sawyer to the police station was the taking of a formal
statement. He had reported having seen the victim‟s car parked outside her apartment on
the weekend that she was killed.
Mr. Sawyer arrived at the police station for his interview at about 4:00 p.m. He had just
completed a full day at his job as a landscape maintenance worker at a golf course. The
interrogation to which Mr. Sawyer was subjected lasted until 8:00 the next morning.
In response to questions about his general background, Mr. Sawyer discussed both his
anxiety condition and the fact that he had been severely alcoholic for over a decade. The
alcoholism grew out of his attempts to medicate his anxiety condition. For the preceding
year he had been deeply involved with A.A. and had been completely sober. He usually
attended at least one A.A. meeting each day.
As a device for engaging Mr. Sawyer in conversation about the crime, the detectives asked
him to help them create a scenario of how the murder might have happened. They flattered
him. He was bright. He watched detective shows. They could be helped by a fresh
perspective. Mr. Sawyer was eager to help. He was pleased to be important enough to
help. He joined in.
For several hours they discussed what was known to the public about the facts of the case.
The police led Mr. Sawyer through the development of several scenarios of how the crime
might have occurred. When the scenario-building session was over, the police asserted that
Mr. Sawyer knew things only the killer could know and accused him of having committed
the murder.
In the course of analyzing this interrogation the information flow during the scenario-
building was tracked. The police eventually claimed Mr. Sawyer knew nine facts that only
the killer could have known. Analysis of the interrogation transcript clearly shows, however,
that Mr. Sawyer knew none of the things the police claimed he knew. In every case, the
crucial information was introduced into the interrogation by the police.
In some cases this was so subtly done that it is quite likely that at the time Mr. Sawyer was
accused, the officers conducting the interrogation could not correctly recall the way in which
many of the crucial pieces of information entered the story. The record is, however,
unambiguous. The police, not Sawyer, introduced each piece of significant information.
Following his being accused, Mr. Sawyer repeatedly and strongly denied his guilt. He had
nothing to do with the murder. He was never in her apartment. His denials were firm and
unequivocal.
The police obtained fingerprint and hair samples from Mr. Sawyer. They suggested that he
take a polygraph examination. Mr. Sawyer believed that the polygraph examination was
likely to report his truthfulness and thereby bring the police suspicions of him to an end. He
so firmly believed in the power of the polygraph that he thought that it could not be beaten
by a guilty suspect. Upset and desperate to prove his innocence, he readily agreed to the
examination.
Tom Sawyer was so obviously upset immediately prior to taking the polygraph examination
that one detective was moved to comment about his visible shaking. Mr. Sawyer asked if
the fact that he was sweating would affect the test.
Unbeknownst to Tom Sawyer, the police polygrapher objected to giving the test to a man
who had been undergoing an accusatory interrogation for several hours. He was ordered by
his superior to administer the test and he did so.
The pretext used to lure Mr. Sawyer to the police station was the taking of a formal
statement. He had reported having seen the victim‟s car parked outside her apartment on
the weekend that she was killed.
Mr. Sawyer arrived at the police station for his interview at about 4:00 p.m. He had just
completed a full day at his job as a landscape maintenance worker at a golf course. The
interrogation to which Mr. Sawyer was subjected lasted until 8:00 the next morning.
In response to questions about his general background, Mr. Sawyer discussed both his
anxiety condition and the fact that he had been severely alcoholic for over a decade. The
alcoholism grew out of his attempts to medicate his anxiety condition. For the preceding
year he had been deeply involved with A.A. and had been completely sober. He usually
attended at least one A.A. meeting each day.
As a device for engaging Mr. Sawyer in conversation about the crime, the detectives asked
him to help them create a scenario of how the murder might have happened. They flattered
him. He was bright. He watched detective shows. They could be helped by a fresh
perspective. Mr. Sawyer was eager to help. He was pleased to be important enough to
help. He joined in.
For several hours they discussed what was known to the public about the facts of the case.
The police led Mr. Sawyer through the development of several scenarios of how the crime
might have occurred. When the scenario-building session was over, the police asserted that
Mr. Sawyer knew things only the killer could know and accused him of having committed
the murder.
In the course of analyzing this interrogation the information flow during the scenario-
building was tracked. The police eventually claimed Mr. Sawyer knew nine facts that only
the killer could have known. Analysis of the interrogation transcript clearly shows, however,
that Mr. Sawyer knew none of the things the police claimed he knew. In every case, the
crucial information was introduced into the interrogation by the police.
In some cases this was so subtly done that it is quite likely that at the time Mr. Sawyer was
accused, the officers conducting the interrogation could not correctly recall the way in which
many of the crucial pieces of information entered the story. The record is, however,
unambiguous. The police, not Sawyer, introduced each piece of significant information.
Following his being accused, Mr. Sawyer repeatedly and strongly denied his guilt. He had
nothing to do with the murder. He was never in her apartment. His denials were firm and
unequivocal.
The police obtained fingerprint and hair samples from Mr. Sawyer. They suggested that he
take a polygraph examination. Mr. Sawyer believed that the polygraph examination was
likely to report his truthfulness and thereby bring the police suspicions of him to an end. He
so firmly believed in the power of the polygraph that he thought that it could not be beaten
by a guilty suspect. Upset and desperate to prove his innocence, he readily agreed to the
examination.
Tom Sawyer was so obviously upset immediately prior to taking the polygraph examination
that one detective was moved to comment about his visible shaking. Mr. Sawyer asked if
the fact that he was sweating would affect the test.
Unbeknownst to Tom Sawyer, the police polygrapher objected to giving the test to a man
who had been undergoing an accusatory interrogation for several hours. He was ordered by
his superior to administer the test and he did so.
