We are grateful to have the opportunity to provide you this valuable information. We take special care to ensure the information we provide you in "Tracings" is the latest and most current information available.  In this edition, we address investigating false accusations with a case study, and the dangers in lies and other "fake news."

 

The goal of this e-newsletter is to provide you with critical information that will help you prevail in your business affairs wherever fact finding is an essential component. We will share what we have learned in our 30+ years as professional investigators and intelligence analysts.

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Leon had been married once before and had two children from that marriage, both of whom were now in their teens. He had prior misdemeanor convictions for alcohol related offenses, but nothing in recent years and nothing involving sex crimes or domestic abuse. Leon was an industrial construction manager and had always provided for his children, staying current in his child support payments and continuing to assist in other expenses related to their upbringing. Leon said his ex-wife would verify that there were no issues during their marriage or since involving inappropriate behavior with his children. He also provided the name of another previous girlfriend with kids who would verify that there were no such issues in his relationship with those kids. However, these witnesses could not provide factual information about his relationship with the most recent girlfriend and her daughter.

Our attorney client agreed that the first approach of the investigation would be a background on the accusers -- let's call the mother Gloria and the daughter Ginny. We already knew a lot from Leon. He and Gloria ... Read More 

How do you prove a negative? In the case study above, and other similar cases, how does the accused clear his name in the court of public opinion? It's almost impossible, especially in the era of the often scorched landscape of social media and "fake news" in its many permeations. In such scenarios, even though a factual investigation can clear an accused in a court of law, there is little we can do to mitigate the charges in the social media wasteland without a good deal of effort. We often advise clients to engage an expert to counter the false charges in a multi-faceted public relationship campaign, especially a targeted component on social media. At Trace Investigations, we have access to a handful of talented consultants in this field and have used them in the past. But, just as an attorney and an investigator cannot guarantee results, neither can an expert. However, we can guarantee a best effort and due diligence in writing wrongs, wherever they occur.