Statement Analysis: Hailey Dunn's Uncle

Hailey's uncle does not deny Billie Dunn's involvement

Can statement analysis be used in 'hillbilly' speak?  That is, can it be used when someone does not speak proper English?

Does Del Ostrander state that his sister, Billie Jean Dunn, was not involved?

Whenever we deal with content, analysis can be done.  If someone speaks with the intent of being understood, we can analyze. 

Del Ostrander, Hailey Dunn's maternal uncle, spoke out from jail, where he's been a regular over the years, just as most of Hailey's family has been, including mother, father, grandmother and so on. 

This is reflective of the life that Hailey had been a part of before her murder. 

Del Ostrander denied involvement in her disappearance but it is well known that once she was reported "missing" by her Person of Interest mother, Ostrander did not search for her, fueling speculation that his sister, Billie Jean Dunn, had told him that Hailey was dead.

Del Ostrander, Hailey Dunn's uncle and Billie Dunn's brother, was arrested for drug possession, but is speaking out about his niece's death. "I don't have no kind of involvement with my niece missing," said Del.  In spite of his inappropriate use of the double negative, the pronoun "I" is strong. What of the fact that he says "niece missing"?   This is likely in reference to her initial going "missing"; that is, a distancing from the murder itself.  The present tense "have" is to be considered 'unreliable' yet, as we seek to enter this form of speech, we focus on the word 'missing' instead of being 'murdered' as he seems to focus on her being "missing" rather than being murdered.  There may be, in his internal, subjective personal dictionary, a difference.  Although it is not a reliable denial, why say "missing" rather than "murdered" since he knows that she is far more than "missing"? Could the present tense language enter his vocabulary as he considers his own sister possibly facing consequences for Hailey's murder? He has had an alibi: "The day she went missing, I was in county jail," he said. "I got out of jail that day."  Note his ability to use past tense verbs with the pronoun "I"; these two sentences are very strong and should be considered reliable:  truthful.  Note, however, that he speaks of the "day" she went missing and not the night before.   Regarding being able to stop the murder he spoke, and it is interesting to consider the time line. Remember:  he, like all of us, is choosing his own words:  "When I seen her on Christmas, she asked me to come spend the night with her," he explained. "I should've spent the night there because she went missing, I think, that next day."  Christmas is December 25th.  Note that although he speaks of the day she "went missing" it is the night that draws his sensitivity; an indicator that he may know that what befell Hailey did not happen in the day time, but in the night time, or overnight hours.  Did this conversation with Hailey take place?   Please note that "ask" is soft, appropriate for a request.  Note his context uses the pronoun "I" and the past tense "seen" (in spite of the broken English).   There is nothing within the statement to doubt its veracity, even if his time line is off.  It is likely that Hailey did ask him to sleep over.  Was Hailey feeling fear as her time in this life was short?  Did she sense danger that her uncle could have prevented? The journalist did not focus upon what he may have known, nor why he did not search, nor about New Year's Eve partying, nor about the strongest points of the case against his sister.   His intention is to protect his sister and blame Shawn Adkins, but notice the weak commitment to assigning blame only to Adkins:  "People think they know what happened. I think I know what happened. I think Shawn Adkins kidnapped my niece in the morning sometime and killed her, I guess. But you can't put the blame on somebody until you know what happened," Ostrander said.   Note that while speaking of "people" he says that they "think" they know what happened.  To "think" one knows is a weak assertion, allowing others to "think" differently, and even oneself to "think" differently.  "I locked my keys in the car" is strong, but "I think I locked my keys" is weak, but even weaker is to add the word "guess" to the sentence.  People "think" they know; but for him, he "thinks" he knows, he "guesses."  This is to weaken the assertion even more so, and it appears to be in defense of his sister, as he does not want to blame Adkins only, which may cause internal stress of lying via withholding "the whole truth."   Regarding her:  "My sister, I've known my sister for 26 years. "My sister ain't that kind of person." Note the word "sister" is repeated three times, making it sensitive.  It is used without her name. Note that he uses the word "that" which is distancing language, which in context is distancing her from involvement.  Note that he calls her a "person", gender neutral.  Regarding the polygraph, Billie Dunn said that he failed it, which, in context, sought to prove it was false when she failed it.  Ostrander told the news that he did not know the result of the polygraph.   Ostrander may have loved his niece, but it appears that he knew enough to not bother to search for her, and his sister is a topic that is of great sensitivity to him.  It is likely that he suspects his sister, but perhaps, only to the extent of covering up for Shawn Adkins. He is not able or he is not willing to deny Billie Jean Dunn's involvement, therefore, we are not permitted to say it for him.  He had the perfect opportunity, and is able to use past tense verbs properly, as seen above, but he does not. This may be why his "sister" is such a sensitive topic to him.