Menendez Could Face 30 Years

If Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey is found guilty of traveling to the Dominican Republic to engage in sexual intercourse with underage prostitutes, he could face up to 30 years prison. The appropriate law, which would seem to apply in this instance, is the Prosecutorial Remedies And Other Tools To End The Exploitation Of Children Today (or the Protect Act).

Menendez voted for the law when he was a member of the House of Representatives.

“TRAVEL WITH INTENT TO ENGAGE IN ILLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT,” the law reads.

“A person who travels in interstate commerce or travels into the United States, or a United States citizen or an alien admitted for permanent residence in the United States who travels in foreign commerce, for the purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual conduct with another person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.

‘‘(c) ENGAGING IN ILLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT IN FOREIGN PLACES.—Any United States citizen or alien admitted for permanent residence who travels in foreign commerce, and engages in any illicit sexual conduct with another person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”

The law further explains:

‘‘(d) ANCILLARY OFFENSES.—Whoever, for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, arranges, induces, procures, or facilitates the travel of a person knowing that such a person is traveling in interstate commerce or foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.

Read More

Child Standoff Update

A man seeking "two boys" shot and killed a bus driver and is holding a 5 year old boy hostage.  A neighbor reported not being surprised as he had beaten to death her dog who wandered over "to his side of the dirt road."

1.  that he killed the bus driver shows his deadly intent
2.  that he killed an animal alarms authorities to the potential for sexual abuse of the child.  Animal abuse, particularly of pet animals and sexual abuse are often linked.  It is the destruction of good, or of innocence, that is sought, even by those who claim GSA.

Our prayers are with this boy and his family as the nation watches.

Read More

Modern Business Use of Statement Analysis

Liars cost money

A major trend in America is to "game" or "play" "the system", which is a new spin on an old crime:  accessing money one's own hands have not earned.  It has become acceptable, socially, and this has led to new and innovative ways to get money not personally earned.  

With statistics varying from State to State, more Americans today than ever before in history, are applying for, and receiving aid from the government.  This appears to correlate with continual increases in taxes (for another argument) but in some States, agencies distributing these monies are looking for ways to catch those who falsify records in order to gain money.  

Locally, methadone users are using fake addresses to get "travel reimbursement", tax free money that, on average is $800 to $1,000 per month on top of all the other aid.  This aid includes reduced/subsidized rent, free cable, medical, cash benefits, and so on.  In fact, an entire new industry of business has arisen just to help people fill out forms and guide them where to go to get more money.  

With this mentality has come another unwelcome cousin: 

The payoff. 

The "payoff" is anything in which a person does to attempt to extort money from a business.  

This is where someone "falls" in a store, and stays down until employees carefully help the faller up, take her to the back office, cut her a check in exchange for a signature not to sue, and be done.  Some stores fear sharing the list of "repeat fallers" with other stores, due to the threat of law suits.  They do not want to be tied up in court, paying outrageous hourly fees to lawyers, who, above all others, seem to always profit.  Some major stores do trade names but still do not want to be tied up in court, and regularly make payouts of $1200 to $2500, even to people known to have gone from Target to Walmart to Kmart repeatedly.  

Substance Abuse

Small companies do not want substance abuse in the work place, but fear drug testing because they fear being tagged with Rehab costs, sometimes as much as $10,000 per week, as well as being sued by the addict. 

The substance abuser is often erratic, and can terribly misrepresent the company with unpredictable behavior, including verbally abusing clients &customers, stealing, no shows, and so on.  When caught, the addict can demand treatment under the threat of suit.  It isn't the person's fault, after all, "I need help" and the business suffering from the person's behavior, can now get tagged even worse.  


Interview Process

A woman convicted of embezzling $200,000 9 years ago from a company has now been accused of embezzling $500,000 from a Bangor, Maine nursery, at the rate of about $50,000 per year.  How it is that she was hired by the nursery after her original conviction is not known. 

Can a business screen out thieves before they are hired?

Statement Analysis can.  

In various scenarios, we advise companies how Statement Analysis can help:  

it begins with the statement. 

"You were mistreated by one of our workers?  This is not acceptable.  Please have a seat.  Here is a paper and pen, please write out precisely what happened."

"You fell because our floor was wet?  This is not acceptable.  Please have a seat.  Here is a cup of coffee on us.  Please write out exactly what happened, beginning with when you decided to come visit our store and include everything you can remember.  We like to make sure our customers are happy and safe."

"You found a fly in your soup?  This is not acceptable!  We run a clean store and we would like you to sit down now, and write down for us..."

In comes Statement Analysis.  

"You would like employment here?  Wonderful!  Our business often requires writings skills.  Before you interview, please submit a writing sample for us.  Here is a topic to choose from:

*Why you would like to work for us;
*Tell us what you did, on a day off, from the time you woke up until the time you went to sleep;

and so on. 

The interview process, using Analytical Interviewing (interviewing based upon Statement Analysis) can readily identify a liar. 

As regular readers know, our words reveal us, and there are words in which we may red flag for possible deception. A liar is a dangerous person who is capable of more harm than we ever know.  

If someone really was mistreated by our worker, we want to know.  But if someone is seeking a payoff, we want to know, too. 

Statement Analysis is used even prior to the interview process to screen out deceptive prospective employees. 

Resumes

Statement Analysis can, and should be used on resumes, along with follow up phone calls and questions. 

A low level supervisor in state social services went to a police academy to speak for 30 minutes to the officers to tell them what 800 number to call in the event that they should meet up with a person with disabilities. He gave them the contact information and a generally run down on disabilities. 

 On his resume, this became "Police Academy Instructor"

Statement Analysis can point out the areas in which missing information speaks to us.

Read More

Statement Analysis of Joaquin Shadow Rams

Here is the blog entry of the father who now stands accused of purchasing life insurance against his toddler and drowning him.Joaquin Shadow Rams stands accused of killing his son for profit. It is not, however, his first contact with death. 

He is writing to deny the allegation.  Did he do it?
Statement Analysis gets to the truth. 

Will he issue a reliable denial?

Statement Analysis is in bold type with italics, underlining and color added for emphasis. He is writing to answer the accusation that he killed his own son after purchasing life insurance against him. 

Unwarranted Destruction of an Innocent Man

I am very devastated at not only the loss of my son, Prince, but also by the way I am being characterized as a demon, psychopath, or murderer by the media and in the myriad of blogs who have done nothing but speculate, without knowing any of the facts. 

Note that this is a perfect opportunity to tell us that he did not drown his son and let everyone know the facts. 

Up to this point, I have been counseled by my attorney not to comment to the media concerning this tragic death of my son who I fought for months in court just to see. I have honored his wishes.

We can now expect his attorney's wishes (plural) not to comment to the media to come to an end at "this point" where he writes.  Will he now say he did not drown his son?

From the beginning, starting with my son’s mother, Hera McLeod, forcibly removing him from our home on July 17, 2011, my attorney and I worked endlessly with the goal of trying to be a part of my son’s life. I jumped through a myriad of hoops for the Court and complied with EVERY requirement placed upon me by Judge Algeo, the presiding judge in this case. Judge Algeo is a fine man, and a fair judge who has also been pilloried in the media for simply taking the facts he was presented with, and making a ruling based on those facts. I had many requirements I had to comply with to Judge Algeo’s satisfaction before I was even allowed supervised visitation.

Instead of telling us he did not cause his son's death, he has taken to praise the judge as a "fine man" instead. 

That I did comply with all of the Judge Algeo’s requirements, as well as a very favorable report from the retired police officer present during the supervised visitations I was granted, was the basis for the Judge’s decision to grant unsupervised visitation. Again, his decisions were based on the facts presented to him only, not the rhetoric and unsubstantiated innuendos of Hera McLeod, Prince’s mother. Coincidently, the retired officer, Mrs. Diane Tillery was chosen by Prince’s mother to supervise my visits. In spite of that, I still received a favorable report, much to Hera’s dismay and displeasure.

Here he recognizes that the Judge did not have all the information when he made his decision.  

I was awarded two Saturdays per month for a total of 8 hours per visit, as well as every other Wednesday afternoon for three hours if my work schedule allowed for the visit to occur. In total, I got to see my son for less than 100 hours spread over several months after not seeing him for close to a year. His mother, Hera McLeod had Prince 99% of the time, THOUSANDS of hours, but she is not at fault at all?

The social introduction is very poor.  He used her name previously and should now go to the shorter use of it.  The re-introucing her this way is for emphasis.  

Some other “pertinent” FACTS of this story that have NOT been told…

The reason this whole thing could have started was due to a “fall” my son took onto the street while in his mother’s care shortly (less than a week) before I picked him up on September 8, 2012. When I picked Prince up at the safe exchange in Montgomery County as arranged by the Court that day, I immediately noticed that Prince had a significant cut on his forehead that had been closed with surgical strips in lieu of stitches. Mrs. Tillery, the same retired Police Officer chosen by Hera to handle the supervised visitation initially and was also ordered to supervise and facilitate Prince’s exchange where the parents have no direct contact during the exchange, told me that Prince had taken a “nasty fall” and cut his head, but he is “fine”. Later that day, I found out how “fine” he really was.

The words "fall" and "fine" are placed, by him, in italics.  This is to demonstrate disbelief. 

Prince had a seizure in my arms.

This is critical information for the investigators:  whatever happened to the child, the father's hands were upon him. 

I immediately called 911 and did everything they directed me to do until the EMTs arrived. I rode with him to Prince William Hospital and signed the approval to treat form as his father.

This indicates a delay in calling 911.  Who would delay calling 911 when a child has a seizure?  There is no reason to report "immediately" in an emergency.  

Prince was diagnosed as having a febrile seizure. This type of seizure experienced by Prince was HEREDITARY and was passed to him through Hera and her mother who BOTH also suffered seizures as a youth.

Here, he rebuts that the "nasty fall" was the cause, but hereditary; and he blames the maternal bloodline. 

He has yet to tell us he did not drown his son. 

According to www.cappuccinoqueen.com, Hera’s blog, her post dated September 11, 2012 titled “The Danger of a Psychopathic Parent in a Medical Crisis”, she stated, “he has told us all about YOUR situation and he has done all the right things by taking the child to the hospital.”

Further on in the same post Hera wrote (the “Luc” mentioned is short for Lucifer, her “pet” name for me until she replaced it with “Killer” in later posts):

“Thankfully, by the grace of God, Luc was savvy enough to call 911 when he witnessed baby boy having a seizure; however, 911 was called an hour before I was ever notified that baby boy was having a medical crisis. Luc called 911, took the trip in the ambulance, arrived at the hospital, completed the medical examination questions and intake paperwork…”

Since Hera had refused to provide me with medical records of Prince, nor notify me of the potential for seizures, I was completely unaware and helpless when the first seizure Prince had in my custody happened on September 8, 2012. 

Other than the genetic information above

I was subsequently informed by the ER Doctor at Prince William Hospital that the front part of the brain is where most seizures originate. The fact that Prince had fallen on the front part of his head, onto the street, with a skull as soft as his was at his age could have been a contributing factor for the severity of what we were told was his first seizure. This little fact was completely ignored by most of the media, and in fact some versions state that I was the cause of the cut, not Hera, in whose care he was in at the time he fell.

He calls this a "little" fact.  We should believe him. What is it about the child's medical history that was so necessary to save him from drowning? 

Even the doctors at Prince William Hospital were crippled because I could not tell them anything about Prince’s medical history, and without it could only administer the most basic and general care. The doctors also told me AND Hera that if it wasn’t for my quick response that Prince could have gone into a coma or worse. To the doctor, the seizure seemed more severe than he would have anticipated as an “initial seizure”.

The doctor's testimony will be interesting. 

On September 8, 2012 Hera and her mother took Prince OUT of Prince William Hospital even though the doctors suggested that he remain overnight. Both Hera and her mother objected and took him out of Prince William Hospital anyway.

It is either "against medical advice" or not.  He has yet to deny the allegation of drowning the child and giving us the "facts"

What happened next?

Again, in Hera’s own words from the same blog post of September 11, 2012:

“Round Two – Post initial hospital visit”

“After being rushed through hospital discharge, I realized that something still appeared “off” with baby boy. He was still feverish and appeared to be struggling to walk. Though Luc didn’t notice this as odd behavior (or maybe didn’t really care), I noticed as I see baby boy on a daily basis and know what is normal for him. I was not satisfied with his treatment at the first hospital (as it was clear Luc had been running the show and lying to the staff), son I brought baby boy to a hospital closer to my house.

At first, I felt like maybe I was being a little paranoid but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had been missed. Low and behold, about 30 minutes after baby boy was admitted into the second hospital, his fever spiked and he proceeded to have two more seizures. The hospital near my home indicated that the first hospital had been negligent in their care of baby boy as they had not ordered additional testing to identify the true cause of the seizures.”

Where was “I” in THIS series of events? Was “I” negligent or the “hospital”?

It sounds to me that from her own words that I was not involved in any negligence in anyway. And how could I be “running the show”? I stayed out of the way and let the doctors and nurses do their job.

But what about her?

She wrote that Prince appeared to be “struggling to walk”. She was letting him walk shortly after having a seizure? How negligent is that?

What medical history does he refer to?

Because of this helplessness concerning lack of Prince’s medical history, I subsequently requested Prince’s medical records from Hera through my attorney. She refused to provide them until she was threatened with a court appearance to explain to Judge Algeo why she refused to provide them. She relented, and I received a bare bones “summary” of Prince’s records and insurance information.

He answers:  insurance information.  This would not change a thing and is not the same as saying, "I did not cause my child's death"

According to the medical community, “ordinary” febrile seizures (which Prince suffered “initially” with me on September 8, 2012) are both hereditary and usually benign. However, more than one seizure in a 24 hour period is not considered an ordinary febrile seizure. They are then called “complex” seizures, and carry both a greater risk, and a higher degree of concern. Complex seizures could also be an indicator for epilepsy. Once seizures become “complex” seizures, ALL subsequent seizures, whether individually or in groups (such as what happened after my son Prince left Prince William Hospital on September 8, 2012) are complex seizures and should be treated as such. Whether Prince was ever tested for epilepsy, or prescribed anti-seizure medication, I do not know, nor was I ever given any medication to administer to Prince while he was in my care other than baby Tylenol for his frequent fevers, another trigger of seizures. He was a far cry from the “perfectly” healthy baby he was portrayed as by Hera to the media.

Did Hera tell the media reporting on this story that Prince had also had ANOTHER seizure the DAY BEFORE my last visitation? But they let him come anyway, assuring me through Mrs. Tillery, the exchange officer, AGAIN that he was “fine”, and that he also had another bruise on his head that both I and Mrs. Tillery noted at the time I picked him up? And WHO was negligent? Not I.

In fact, according to Hera’s post on her blog dated October 23, 2012, and titled“Rest in Peace Baby Boy”, the day before my last visit (and my son’s tragic death), Hera said that he had a seizure on the day before, and that she called the ambulance “per usual”. Per Usual? I do not know how many additional seizures he had while in her care, but she called the ambulance per usual? I have not been able to obtain Prince’s medical records from the hospital in Montgomery County where I assume he was also taken PER USUAL. I wonder why, wouldn’t you?

He does not tell us that the records do not exist; only that he was not able to obtain them. 

Here is her post, again in her own words:

8:30am Friday October 19th:

“Baby boy had been running a fever and the night before his fever had spiked again causing another seizure. I called the ambulance, per usual, and again was told that baby boy was fine and that Febrile Seizure are benign and that I should just take him into the doctors in the morning.”

Except these may not have been “ordinary” seizures. They could have been complex seizures that Hera’s “per usual” doctors could have missed as well. I am aware of 5 seizures Prince had. There were the three seizures on September 8, 2012, one on Friday October 19, 2012, and the one in my custody on October 20, 2012. Again, because of the number and frequency of these seizures, they were probably no longer simple, benign seizures. They were more likely complex seizures indicating a greater risk.

Later in the same post, again, her words:

Saturday October 20th: Morning

“…At that moment, I felt him a little warm and started to panic. I thought, ‘oh no…another fever…what if he has a seizure there.’ Then, I remembered the doctors words. I ran back to the Harris Teeter to get him some fever medication just so that I could be sure he wasn’t going to spike a fever. I then told the supervisor that I had created a log with medical information and noted the time I administered medication and told her it would be important for Luc to watch him to make sure he didn’t get another fever.”

I was told by Mrs. Tillery that he had just been given medication when I picked him up, in other words, around 10AM. Mrs. Tillery was late to the drop off and arrived around 10:20AM. Consequently, any further medication would not have been indicated until 4-6 hours later, in other words, 2PM at the earliest. Prince was still sleeping at 2PM, and his seizure (while sleeping) began shortly thereafter.

Since I have not gotten access to Prince’s medical records in Montgomery County from either the “per usual” hospital or I can also assume the “per usual” pediatrician, I can only speculate (if the media can do it, so can I) about how many additional seizures Prince had between September 8 and October 19, 2012. I would be very interested to know. Considering the other seizures came frequently and close together, how many seizures did he REALLY have while with his mother? I sure would like to know, how about you? Has Hera even been asked? If not, WHY NOT?

And out of the five seizures I am aware of, two were in my care and three were in Hera’s. And I am the only one negligent when I only got to see him every other Saturday and had limited access to any medical information, and she had him thousands of hours and was IN CHARGE of his primary medical care?

There are way too many “inconsistencies” concerning the facts in this case for the Post and others to write or produce such biased and poorly investigated articles castigating a man who fought to be a part of his son’s life. Much of the information I have outlined is PUBLIC RECORD! But did the Post and others do any “due diligence” before slamming me in the court of public opinion? Not in my book.

He refers to himself as "a man"

I should also like to point out that this is not the first time I have been accused of a crime by Hera and her family. The first time, I was not only completely exonerated, but testified at both Hera and her sister’s trials that resulted from their arrest for filing a false police report (the sister) and obstruction of justice (Hera). Again, this is public record. I however have a clean record. I am a devoted father, and far from the horrible person I have been made out to be in the media.

He does not tell us the crime; nor does he tell us that he didn't do it.  He only reports that he has a clean record. 

A quick point about my involvement concerning my mother, Alma R. Collins. My mother was suffering from early stages of Alzheimer’s. She left a two page suicide note found by the police clearly indicating why she chose to end her life as to not be “a burden” to her son. This note was retained by Prince William County Police as evidence. During this character assassination, Prince William County stepped up and denied that this was anything but a suicide and would not be reopening this case.

They should.  The subject uses "my involvement" which clearly tells us:  he was involved in his mother's suicide.  

A quick point about the death of my oldest son’s mother, Shawn K. Mason. As mentioned in the Post “editorial”, this case has been pending for almost 10 YEARS, with no evidence that I had ANY part in her death. At the time of the initial investigation, I FULLY cooperated, took several polygraphs, gave DNA, took a gun residue test and had a clear and documented alibi with numerous witnesses and video footage as to my whereabouts at the time of her death.

His ex, his mother, and his son are all dead from contact with him.  Here, he does not say he didn't do it, only that he "fully" cooperated, making his cooperation sensitive.  With his ex, his mother and now his son, he must be the most unlucky man on the planet.  What are the odds?

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have expressed sorrow and concern over the loss of our son, whether to me or to Hera. I am deeply touched and forever grateful to those of you who do not believe the outrageous allegations made about me. I have received many wonderful emails on my Facebook account, and I wish to express my sincere appreciation for your support. God willing, the truth will come out, and I will be found as innocent of these allegations concerning my son Prince as I am of any of the other outrageous things I have been accused of and found innocent of in the past.

God Bless.

We should believe him. 

He does not say that he did not drown his son. 

We are not allowed to say it for him.  

Read More

Father: Life Insurance Policy Against Child Before Death

Justin DiPietro, father of Baby Ayla, was not the first father to take a life insurance policy out against a healthy toddler before the toddler's death, and he, sadly, won't be the last.  He is, however, unprosecuted to date.  Here is another such father, from the AP.  Note some of the similarities, including the difficulty of the mother believing the father capable of such a thing, and the unexplained injuries. 

MANASSAS, VA (WUSA) - A Manassas man has been arrested and charged with First Degree Murder for drowning his 15-month-old son, police said. 

Joaquin Shadow Rams, 40, of 9073 Landgreen Street, was arrested at 11:40 a.m. Friday. 

Rams' son, Prince McLeod, drowned to his death on October 20, 2012 while in his father's care. 

Joaquin Shadow Rams was held at ADC without bond pending arraignment.

  A man accused of drowning his 15-month-old son took out $560,000 worth of life insurance policies on the boy before the toddler's death, according to documents released Monday.

Joaquin Shadow Rams, 40, was charged Friday with first-degree murder in the Oct. 21 death of his son, Prince McLeod Rams.

Rams appeared before a Prince William Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge on Monday to formally hear the charges. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 6.

Prince's mother, Hera McLeod, an intelligence analyst and former reality TV show contestant with her father, started a blog, "Cappucino Queen," after her son's death.

"I would be lying if I said I couldn't remember a time when I looked at this monster and believed he was a good man," she wrote Sunday about Rams. "Now, however, I look at this mug shot and I see the devil himself."

Rams started his own blog, "King Latte," to defend himself.

"I am angry at the death threats I have received 'anonymously' forcing me to constantly look over my shoulder as I go about the business of my life," he wrote before his arrest.

McLeod, of Gaithersburg, had left Rams two weeks after Prince's birth. She tried to get a Montgomery County judge to prevent Rams from having unsupervised visits with Prince, but was unsuccessful.

During a custody hearing in March 2012, detectives testified that Rams was a suspect in the still unsolved 2003 killing of his former girlfriend, Shawn K. Mason.

The judge awarded Prince's custody to Hera McLeod, but allowed Rams unsupervised visits with his son.

Prince died during a court-ordered, unsupervised visit with his father, who had taken multiple life insurance policies out on his son. The medical examiner determined that the boy had drowned.

According to documents released Monday, Rams told investigators that his son was suffering a seizure so he put the baby in an ice bath.

Prince had a history of seizures, according to the report, but the medical examiner could not find any evidence that Prince suffered a seizure before he drowned.

The medical examiner said Prince had "unexplainable injuries," including blood in his nose and bruises on his forehead.

The circumstances around the toddler's death last year prompted Manassas police to see whether Rams played a role in the death of Mason.

The 22-year-old Manassas woman was found shot in the head in the bedroom of her condominium on March 20, after Rams -- her ex-boyfriend -- reportedly was seen trying to break into the residence.

Rams told police he was trying to check on Mason because he could not reach her.

A medical examiner determined that she had died the previous day.

Sgt. Lowell Nevill, of the Manassas Police Department, said Monday that the Mason investigation remains ongoing.

Read More

Statement Analysis of Ray Lewis' Denial

In statement analysis, the word "never" is not a substitute for "did not" or "didn't" and it is not, by itself, a reliable denial.

"I did not take ______" is a reliable denial. 

Statement Analysis is in the article, in bold type, following quotes.  

Agitated’ Ray Lewis blasts owner of company that has accused Baltimore Ravens star of using deer-antler spray 

According to a Sports Illustrated report this week, the Baltimore Ravens linebacker obtained deer-antler extract in spray form that contained IGF-1, which is on the NFL's banned substance list. Lewis denied the accusations on Tuesday before attacking Mitch Ross, the owner of Sports With Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS), during his media session on Wednesday.

SCOTT HALLERAN/GETTY IMAGES

Ravens LB Ray Lewis uses Wednesday's Super Bowl media session to blast his accuser.

• 
  

NEW ORLEANS – An admittedly "agitated" Ray Lewis lashed out at Mitch Ross, the owner of the sports science company, who has accused the Ravens linebacker of taking a banned substance to help recover from a triceps injury earlier this season.

According to a Sports Illustrated report this week, Lewis obtained deer-antler extract in spray form that contained IGF-1, which is on the NFL's banned substance list. Lewis denied the accusations on Tuesday before attacking Ross, the owner of Sports With Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS), during his media session on Wednesday.

"That's the trick of the devil," Lewis said. "The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That's what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you're trying to do."

This is not to say, "I did not take the banned substance" but to address the fact that a distraction is ongoing.  The distraction from the game could come to an end with a reliable denial. 

A reliable denial has three components:

1.  The pronoun "I"

2.  The past tense verb, "did not" or "didn't"

3.  The specific allegation.

If a denial has 2 components or 4 components, it is unreliable. The most common unreliable denial by the guilty is, "i would never..."

Lewis' link to a double murder 13 years ago has moved to the background in the past two days due to the most recent allegations that threaten to stain his image as he prepares for the final game of his career. He announced before the playoffs that he'll be retiring after the season.

"I've never ever took what he says," Lewis said. "It's just sad, once again, that someone can have this much attention on a stage this big. I don't need it. My teammates don't need it. The 49ers don't need it. Nobody needs it because it really shows you how people really plan things to try to attack people from the outside."

No reliable denial issued.  

1.  "Never" is not a substitute for "did not"

2.  "ever" after the word "never" weakens the denial even further. 

3.  "what he says" is to avoid component number three, allegation specific.  

This is a very unreliable denial.  For more on the word "never", please see Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones. 

Another tactic of a liar is to issue an unreliable denial followed by an attack against the credibility of the accuser.  Lance Armstrong was a master of this. 

PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP

"It's very foolish," Lewis continued. "The guy has no credibility. He's been sued four or five times over this same B.S. ... Just to entertain it, I can't. I won't. I just truly believe that he doesn't have the privilege for me to speak about it ever again."

Here he says "it's very foolish" but does not say what is very foolish.  Perhaps he feels that what he took was foolish, or the allegations are foolish, but he does not say he did not take it.  

Next, he attacks the accuser:  "the guy has no credibility." What is the purpose of this?

Note "I just truly believe" qualifies "believe" and is indicative of deception. He avoided saying "I didn't take it" and instead now announces that he will not speak about it "ever" again.  

There are two things about this:

1.  You will likely find him speak about "this" again

2.  He is deceptive; does not want to lie outright, but will not issue a reliable denial. 

RELATED: GOLFER SINGH ADMITS HAVING USED DEER-ANTLER SPRAY

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that he spoke to Lewis about the report in the past couple days, but had no reason to believe it.

Does the coach believe his player?  Let's see:  

"I understand that's something that he has never ever been involved with," Harbaugh said. "I think it's kind of too bad that someone was given the opportunity to get some free publicity out there, undeserved and unearned, really for no reason."

1.  He uses "never ever" reflecting back the language of Lewis, rather than speak for himself and say, "he did not use this" and end things. 

2.  He then attacks the motive of the accuser.  This is to be taken in combination without the reliable denial. 

"He kind of laughed about it and told me there's nothing to it," Harbaugh added. "He's told us in the past, he's never taken any of that stuff, ever. I believe Ray. I trust Ray completely. I know this man, and I know what he's all about."

1.  He "kind of" laughed about it; not "laughed"; this means it is not funny, but the subject is attempting to dismiss it as humorous. 

2.  "there's nothing to it" is not "he did not use it"

3.  Note that the coach does not want to speak for himself and uses the plural pronoun, "us" in regards to Lewis "never taken" anything.  This is weak and shows a lack of commitment on the part of the coach. 

4.  Trusting Ray is sensitive, with "completely" and then:

5.  It is weakened even further with having to attest to knowing "this man"

6.  It is weakened again by repeating about knowing what he is "all about."

The coach avoids a reliable denial and does not profess strength in his assertion of Ray Lewis. 

To the coach, the doubts about Lewis are evident. Trusting Lewis is "sensitive" to the coach. 

Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs that the accusations won't serve as a distraction for the Ravens as they prepare for the 49ers for Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday.

"We know it's all feathers in the wind," Suggs said. "It's petty gossip for the simple fact that we saw how hard he worked. He did it at the facility and at no time was he injected with anything.

Read More

Manti Te'o: 'Girlfriend' Was Male

To those of you who said that the mysterious "girlfriend" of Manti Te'o was a male, this article's for you!

Good catch!

Dr. Phil McGraw says Manti Te'o was not involved in setting up the dead girlfriend hoax that became a sensation when it was exposed this month, and that the man who masterminded the scheme did so because he was "deeply, romantically" in love with the Notre Dame linebacker.

McGraw spoke on the "Today" show Wednesday, previewing an interview he did with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a California man who set up the fake identity of Lennay Kekua. Tuiasosopo's interview with McGraw will air in two parts on the "Dr. Phil Show" starting Thursday.

Te'o says he thought of Kekua as his girlfriend, though the two had only talked on the phone and exchanged electronic messages, and the story of how Te'o learned Kekua "died" on the same day in September as his grandmother because a major story during the football season.

McGraw says "absolutely, unequivocally" Te'o had no role in creating the hoax. McGraw also says that when he asked Tuiasosopo if he was gay, the 22-year-old initially said yes and then said "I am confused."

Te'o also was asked if he is gay, in an interview with Katie Couric that was broadcast last week. Te'o said "no."

Read More

Mindy McCree Denies Shooting

Mindy McCready denies shooting boyfriend: 'He was my soulmate'

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

The past few years haven't been easy for Mindy McCready; the country singer has dealt with drug addiction and jail, plus a protracted custody battle over her son with Billy McKnight. But Jan. 13, the day her boyfriend David Wilson died of a gunshot wound, was likely her lowest point in recent memory, as she told NBC's Andrea Canning on TODAY Tuesday.

"I have never gone through anything this painful," she said in an interview at her home in Little Rock, Ark. "He didn't just touch my heart, he touched my soul. He was my soulmate."

Wilson, a 34-year-old record producer, was initially rushed to the hospital earlier in January after suffering reportedly self-inflicted gunshot woundthat did not immediately kill him. McCready was with him after the shooting. "I just started screaming, calling 911," she said. "I lay down next to him and just just pleaded with him not to die."

"He was responding," she added, saying he was only making "sounds," not words.

The investigation as to the cause of death remains open, and there are no suspects in the case (including McCready), Cleburne County Sheriff's Department said. Tests that will determine whether it was suicide or murder are due back in a few weeks.

But there remain lingering questions. McCready denied that Wilson, the father of her other son Zane, was having an affair, and explained that the bullet wasn't found until the next day because "it was in the dog's mouth." 

And when asked directly whether she shot Wilson, she was adamant: "Oh, my God, no. He was my life. We were each others' life."

Read More

Stallone Had Tapes Destroyed in Agreement

Payments made in settlements speak volumes.  Recall the payoff by Michael Jackson.

Stallone sis had secret tapes

• 
  

A cache of secretly taped recordings betweenSylvester Stallone and his half-sister Toni-Ann Filiti, who alleged he “abused” her, was destroyed as part of their multimilliondollar settlement, Page Six has exclusively learned.

We first revealed last week that Stallone reached an agreement to give his half-sister $2 million plus $16,666.66 per month for life, and $50,000 a year for psychiatric and medical bills. In the 1987 settlement, Filiti “asserted claims for personal injury, including physical injury” against Stallone, while he “vigorously denied and continues to deny and dispute all claims of wrongdoing.”

WireImage

Sylvester Stallone

According to confidential settlement documents, the tapes allegedly contained conversations between Filiti, who died in August, and Stallone, identified in one document only as “S.”

“This is to acknowledge receipt from you of a total of six cassette tapes, four of which contain conversations between you and your older half-brother who we are referring to as S.,” reads a letter addressed to Filiti by her attorneys at the time.

The memo dated Aug. 3, 1987, continues, “You understand that in accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement between you and S., I and your father are required to destroy all tapes.”

There are believed to be other tapes in existence that could reveal more about Stallone’s bizarre family.

But sources close to Stallone, including his and Toni-Ann’s mother, Jackie, say the settlement came after a blackmail scheme by Filiti.

“Sylvester caved in,” Jackie told us. “It was a very serious thing: Toni-Ann blackmailed him. She threatened Sly, quite frankly. This was nothing more than a shakedown.”

She added that Filiti was “on 65 Oxycontin pills a day” and “a drug addict” desperate for cash.

A source added that the tapes only further show the settlement was part of a shakedown, and that Filiti’s dad, Anthony, later threatened to disown Toni-Ann over the incident, writing, “I will pay for you to legally change your name.”

Filiti’s son, Edd, 19, said he’s in the process of grieving, and had no further comment.

Read More

Ray Lewis Denial of Doping

The word "never" is not a legitimate substitute for "did not"; noting how much Ray Lewis sounds like Lance Armstrong:

PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) – Sports Illustrated released a story today linking Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis to a banned substance they claim he’s used since October to recover from a triceps injury.

S.I. reports Lewis used deer-antler velvet extract spray which increases their level of IGF-1, which acts the way that a steroid would, cutting fat and promoting muscle growth.

Co-author David Epstein told Starkey and Miller on 93-7 The Fan he confronted Lewis about it, but after listening at first, he ended the conversation and walked away.

Lewis saying today, “I wouldn’t mention his antics in my speeches or in my moment. Every test I’ve ever took in the NFL, there’s never been a question. I never even thought about taking anything. So to even entertain stupidity like that, tell him to get his story from someone else.”

Note that he tells us everything but a denial.  
Note he "wouldn't" mention...future conditional tense. 
The tests results?  His response:  "there's never been a question" rather than "negative."
"So" is to explain why something is said or done.

How much easier would it have been to say "I didn't use"?  Lying causes internal stress and he avoids it completely. 

Lewis also said the story is 2 years old, however Epstein responded, “The idea that the story’s 2-years old, you know I reported on Lance Armstrong. It’s 2 years old, could be because you were doing it 2 years ago and still are.”

Epstein also reporting the substance was first brought to the Ravens attention by quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson (2008-09), who got it from company owner and former male stripper, Mitch Ross outside a NFL combine.

Read More