This guy is an expert in the use of "layered voice analysis" which is said to be much better at detecting lies than the standard lie detector test. I don't know if it is admissible in an Aruban court, but it can certainly be used to pressure the suspects.
I know it was said this weekend by Jug that a PI had been hired but he didn't say who it was. I hope this move will provide them with more information than they are getting now. A PI would ensure that this is actually BEING investigated. It's hard to tell what has been going on so far.
Local Firm Hired by Holloway Family
Reported By: Jennifer Leslie
Web Editor: Manav Tanneeru
Last Modified: 7/19/2005 7:18:09 PM
The parents of Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teenager missing in Aruba, have hired an Alpharetta firm to begin a private investigation.
The teen, who was in Aruba to celebrate her high school graduation, was last seen in Aruba six weeks ago.
“I was watching this case just completely start falling apart, and I felt bad for the family,” said T.J. Ward, a private investigator with the firm Investigative Consultants International.
Ward traveled to Aruba at his own expense earlier this month to meet with the Holloway family, and they then hired him to return this week to begin a private investigation.
"There's somebody out there who knows about this investigation, who knows about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, and we're going to try to establish that on behalf of the family,” Ward said.
One of the tools he plans to use is layered voice analysis, which is essentially truth-telling technology that can be used to test live or recorded voices.
"With layered voice analysis, all we have to do is have a casual conversation with you, and we can tell whether you're telling the truth or you're hiding something,” Ward said.
Ward provided showed 11Alive News an example of how the technology works using a taped interview with Scott Peterson before he was charged and later convicted with his pregnant wife's murder.
Layered voice analysis shows stress, high tension and inaccuracies throughout.
"This is a probability of what he's saying is false,” Ward said. "This is a good way to build your investigative case against somebody."
Ward says he has already evaluated interviews with some of the suspects in the Holloway case, and turned over his findings to the family.
Although he'll work for them, he plans to cooperate with local authorities.
"I assure you that if we find evidence that leans toward any defendants or new defendants, we'll turn that over to the FBI or Aruban authorities immediately,” he said.
Like a polygraph test, layered voice analysis is not admissable in court, but Ward says it is becoming more popular as an investigative tool for local and federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Secret Service.
During his recent trip to Aruba, he showed the technology to prosecutors and police, but they told him they couldn't use it since Aruban courts do not allow the technology either.
Ward will travel to Aruba Wednesday to begin his work for the family.
Wouldn't he also be an expert in determining LAYERED voices on a tape? (I know I was no layered voice analyst when in my first real job I had to pick apart the voices of members of pop bands while transcribing audiotaped interviews with them for Casey Kasem! It was hard as heck!)
Wouldn't he be the one who they would want to analyze a phone message to see if the caller was Natalee and who any background speakers would be????