Essay on OPP Detective Utilizes Reid Technique to Compel Serial Killer's Confession

Introduction

The OPP detective utilized the Redi technique to compelling Russell Williams to confess for his crime. OPP Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth's interrogation on Williams Russell has been described as one of the most famous inquiries in history. The Reid technique was used by Sergeant Smyth to get the serial killer (who was once a CFB police commander) to make a confession where he admitted to having brutally raped and killed one Lloyd Jessica and France Comeau. The two parties (Williams and the sergeant) are captured in the video, being seated in a small dark room deeply engrossed in the interrogation (Janzen, 2017). The video shows the interrogation of the convict, a serial rapist, and the killer being interrogated by the sergeant. On the course of the investigation, the sergeant is said to have used psychological manipulation to extract a confession from him (Russell Williams).

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Sergeant Jim Smyth was the veteran detective who was tasked with investigating the case and interviewing the suspect. The video starts with Smyth asking Williams to explain to him why he been called upon by the police to speak about his situation. Smyth used the Reid technique and ensured he talked in a friendly tone and hence taught the Williams that he acknowledges his co-operation and that he should be open to him in his submission. At this stage, therefore, Williams is seeing flashing an occasional smirk while chewing gum. However, Williams is seeing as someone confident that he cannot be caught despite the technique the sergeant applies to question him. For instance, after viewing the confession video, one Mendelson Mark, a retired homicide detective, said that Russell Williams is a 'confident that he was confident that he was going to outsmart the detective and hence come out clean.'

However, carefully and meticulously, Smyth composes him and start the interview (Janzen, 2017). He begins by disclosing to Russell Williams that police have tracked and found out that the victim, Lloyd Jessica, and Comeau France Marie were murdered. Additionally, he tells him that the police have found that three women from Tweed, Ont, were attacked. Many minutes pass by, and now Smyth begins making it clear to the convict that he genuinely believes that William is the primary suspect for the murder incidents. Smyth says, 'we need to get down of this matter quickly. Don't you see this is getting out of hand, Russell? The fact that the sergeant calls the convict by his name is significant because it puts the convict and sergeant on the same playing field.

It is clear from this interview that the sergeant has prepared well for it. It is essential to do your prep before interviewing people because the people who you are going to interview will be expecting you to know or even have information about what they are going to share with you. Doing your prep will also help in finding verbal interviews whereby one will be able to read and interpret the body language of the person who you are interviewing, and this will be very helpful in gaining the required information and obtaining the best interview.

Identifying and using the "ice breaker" is essential to obtain the required information and also to connect with the person who you are interviewing since it helps in asking relevant questions that will help the person to share more details, and even become comfortable with you during the whole interview (Janzen, 2017). The "ice breaker" also helps you to connect some of the reasons as to why the person being interviewed made specific decisions to achieve their goals.

Listening is among the critical skills for effective interviewing. Listening is becoming so difficult every day because everything in our environment is trying to shorten our attention span, and they seem to be winning at that. We can improve our listening skills during interviews by doing our best to focus in the interview and not thinking of the next question while the other person is still talking, we should ultimately be there and listen keenly. We should not try to get a joke in the person's story, and neither should we step on the person's answers, ample time should be given to them as we keep calm and quiet while listening.

Creating a sense of curiosity is significant in improving our flow of information since it helps us to learn more by diversifying into other genres, which results to be relevant in successfully conducting interviews. Among the four interview methods, identifying the "ice breaker" is the most difficult for me. This is because sometimes it may not be critical towards gaining more information, and also, my timing is quite poor.

For Sergeant Smyth to improve in this area, he had to watch and listen to the communication skills of the convict to more of the interviews and learn how to apply the technique effectively. He also practiced more often for him to perfect on it. An interview should be as simple and as informative as possible; hence, excellent communication is essential. The introduction part [Generative Questions] of the interview helps establish a rapport by ensuring the interviewee is as relaxed as possible to ensure that they talk freely. The motivation question seeks to find how self-driven or motivated the individual is and if they consider themselves on the right career path hence realize self-success (Janzen, 2017).

The directive questions are, however, close-ended and rigid, generally trying to find how an individual relates to external factors around them. Since boredom is relative, you have then had to know what they mean by workplace monotony, and this leads to the typological question where you are trying to figure out the person's routine. An Elicitation/Focus Questions is trying to find out what environmental factors can be monotonous hence not appealing to the interviewee. Of course, this can change hence the probe question. The confrontational question lets the team offer their suggestions to improve staff morale. The closing questions are structured in a manner to give the interviewee hope of change in the future; it acts like a brainstorm session where the participants go through whatever they have discussed to make any changes or add new ideas. Question one is to identify and gaps not covered, while in issue two, the interviewee answers where their focus is. The Future Prediction Questions gives a picture of how the changes discussed will motivate and lift the staff morale hence reducing boredom or monotony at work.

Reid technique

Reid technique was the central method that was employed by Sergeant Smyth to interrogate the suspect, Russell Williams. The technique was devised during the 1950s by John Reid, who was an American polygraph, psychologist, and expert police officer. The Reid technique was an instrumental method purposely useful for extracting information from suspects who are unwilling to cooperate. However, the technique has been said to elicit unfavorable false confessions from suspects, particularly children.

However, the Reid technique was successful during William Russel's interrogation. For instance, Dave Perry, a retired OPP detective, told the media that it was such compelling watching sergeant Smyth serenely press the suspect and hence linked him to the committed crimes. Speaking with the CTV media, Perry said, 'I watched the entire interrogation as the sergeant was peeling away the layers and now began presenting concrete evidence. It was quite amazing to watch how he (Smyth compelled the suspect to confess.'

For instance, a careful observer would seek a growing discomfort developing on the suspect's face as he is being confronted by the sergeant to confess. More and more damaging evidence is being presented, and the convict is rendered helpless and weak, compelling him to confess. The tire tracks and bootprint at the murder scene are clearly shown to be matching his vehicle and boots. The sergeant clearly shows the suspect that all the attacks happened in the location where Russell Williams most frequented and lived (Janzen, 2017). Additionally, Comeau, one of the victims of the alleged murders, is said to have been a member of the military force based in Canada, and of which William was also a member. The sergeant told the convict that the looming conducted DNA test would inevitably identify him as the murderer of all the victims, and hence it would be better for him to confess early in advance.

However, at this moment, now, Williams Russell is seemed to hunch his shoulders and is engrossed in thoughts for a long time. He stays seated for long-brewing an air of discomfort in the room. At this point, then, Williams Russell was absorbing and digesting everything that was being said to him. It was at this moment that he realized he had been caught, and he could not escape. The sergeant had identified him as the killer and hence was responsible for all the cases. He had nowhere to run neither could he excuse himself nor exonerate himself.

Consequently, Williams Russell discloses to the sergeant that he is highly concerned that OPP was going to 'tear apart my dearest wife new house.' In his response, Smyth tells him that there is a way of minimizing the harm if he is willing, to tell the truth (Rankin, 2017). A moment later, Williams now says the sergeant that it would be necessary for him to have a map. A few minutes later, he admits to having raped and murdered the victims. He tells the sergeant that he committed all these atrocities while he was working as a police commander for Canada's air force.

Successful interview strategy

Experts and scholars who had an opportunity to watch the entire interview have acknowledged the way Smyth handled the case. For instance, OPP Detective Insp. Nicholas Chris told the media in Belleville that William Russell was a smart man but was outsmarted by Smyth - the intelligent man. Perry, who at one time was the colleague of Smyth, said that the sergeant utilized a traditional strategic way of pressing evidence from the suspect. In the middle of the interrogation, William Russell seems nervous and discomposed and keeps on saying 'I don't know, am innocent.' It is at this moment that the sergeant starts presenting more and more grinding evidence to the suspect. Now Smyth completely takes full control of the interrogation and makes it clear to the suspect that all indications point to him (Rankin, 2017).

He informs that he is the main suspect to all the murders, and it will be hard for him to exonerate himself. Snook Brent, a forensic professor, and psychologist at Memorial University, argued that Smyth's interrogation was non-confrontational and highly professional. Smyth applied a successful Reid technique to convince the suspect to confess to the murders. In other words, he made him believe that he had been caught, and it was hard for him to save himself (Rankin, 2017).

According to Snook, this type of interrogation technique relies heavily on having a police officer establish a rapport with the convict and make sure you keenly listen to what they are saying. During the interrogation, it became clear that Williams' relationship with his wife was of paramount importance. Hence, Smyth took advantage of this and ensured him he could minimize the harm to him only if he offered to tell the truth. Steve Roberts, a retired murder investigator, speaking with the Canadian Press, argued that investigators like Smyth are skillful keen in finding the convict's weakness and utilize it to their advantage. However, to prepare for the interrogation, Smyth had studied every vital detail about the suspect before he could begin the interview. For instance, he reviewed carefully every useful and purposeful item found in the police database about William Russell. He was doing all these to open up the convict and get him to confess. Smyth's in...