Instructor: Laura Pettler, Ph.D.
Course length: 2 hours

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Intro to Statement Analysis webinar

Statement analysis is critically important in the investigative process and equally as important is the study of time. The vision for this course is two-fold. First to introduce attendees to statement analysis using easy to follow guidelines that are field friendly and applicable to crime scene investigation, death investigation, and homicide investigation in conjunction with an introduction to using Pettler’s Chronology System as a way for CSIs, detectives, coroners, and prosecutors to organize, and present statements and chronology in a jury-friendly way.
 
Webinar Description:
Statement analysis is a valuable tool in the investigative process. Linguistic communication can be oral or written. This course is designed to build awareness of the basics in statement analysis so attendees begin to catch things when speaking with subjects, victims, witnesses, etc. that otherwise might go undetected to the untrained ear and eye so evidence can be plugged into timelines towards closing the gaps in an investigation.
 
Assessment: Students will be assessed for knowledge gained in this course of instruction through the administration of a written examination.

Suggested Readings:

• McClish, M. (2001). I know you are lying. North Carolina: Marpa Group.
• Pettler, L. G. (2015). Crime scene staging dynamics in homicide cases. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press Taylor & Francis. (March 2021 available in paperback on Amazon)

 
Digital Handouts:   Statement for Analysis Hands-On
Diagram 1: Pettler’s Chronology System

Course Topics and Learning Activities:

• Overview of Statement Analysis 30 minutes
  • Statement Analyst Skill Set & Practice
  • Defining Statement Analysis
  • Content Analysis: Qualitative Validity and Reliability
  • Communication
  • Personal Dictionary Worksheet
    • Link: https://forms.gle/KPZymcmDF2btAib19
  • Phrasing Questions Worksheet
    • Link: https://forms.gle/kUhwSNTLjx7Ho13t6
• Collecting Information 30 minutes
  • Written first, Interview second
  • Phrasing Questions
    • Use psychology
    • Psych Tips for Personality Disorders
  • Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview (FETI)
    • Skills
• LPA’s Statement Analysis Procedure 20 minutes
  • Written Statement
    • LPA's Statement Analysis Process: Preliminary Statement Analysis
      • Link: https://forms.gle/8a9xLuvEnQ2M4m4o7
  • Oral Statement
    • LPA's Statement Analysis Process: Preliminary Statement Analysis continued…
      • Link: https://forms.gle/vxXNDt3SSSaEQ3157
• Components of Statement Analysis 20 minutes
  • Tone, Time, Words, Definitions, Sentence Structure, Grammar, Idiolect
  • LPA's Statement Analysis Process: Preliminary Statement Analysis continued...
    • Link: https://forms.gle/CFeNeWxGMF4rNEvC9
  • LPA's Statement Analysis Process
    • Link: https://forms.gle/zdyUy9DiheqFa3YQ6
    • Activity Discussion
  • LPA’s Coding System
    • Sample Open Statement Example
• Assessment 20 minutes

Laura Pettler, Ph.D

​Dr. Pettler’s career is dedicated to using her life to leave the world better than she found it. Dr. Pettler’s job as a forensic criminologist specializing in staged homicide cases is to analyze physical, behavioral, and sociological evidence towards solving the most challenging murders and death investigations in the world. Dr. Pettler is the Deputy Coroner Commander of the Lancaster County South Carolina Coroner’s Office Mounted Response Unit and is a former North Carolina District Attorney’s Investigator where she was the co-founder and director of North Carolina’s first and only Crime Scene Reconstruction & Behavioral Analysis Program and head of the district’s first Cold Case Task Force.

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