2014/10/28
PRNewswire October 27, 2014: National Association of Computer Voice Stress Analysts Exposes Inaccuracies of Polygraph Tests, Reveals Instances of Innocent People Being Imprisoned
According to the National Association of Computer Voice Stress Analysts (NACVSA), a disturbing trend has been exposed involving innocent people failing polygraph examinations and then being interrogated until they confess. Had it not been for the advent of DNA evidence and other advanced investigative technologies many of the thousands of people who failed polygraphs and were later wrongly convicted of crimes would spend their lives in prison, or worse, have been executed.
The Associated Press reported that Jeffery Deskovic was wrongly convicted for murder and spent 16 years in prison. He had voluntarily taken a polygraph test which lasted seven-hours and was told he failed. He was on the floor in the fetal position when detectives took his confession. In 2006 DNA evidence cleared him and so far this egregious error has cost the government close to 14 million dollars in awards to Mr. Deskovic.
The AP also reported that an innocent Darrel Parker was sentenced to life in prison for his wife's murder. Hours after his wife's funeral, Mr. Parker was summoned to the police station where he was subjected to a 12-hour polygraph examination. The polygraph operator stated Parker failed the test and then coerced a confession from him. Mr. Parker's conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court 16 years later and he received a full pardon.
Frank Sterling was a 'person of interest' in a murder investigation and he agreed to take a polygraph test from the New York State Police. Mark Christie was another 'person of interest' in the same case and also took a polygraph. Mr. Christie passed the polygraph but Mr. Sterling failed. Police then coerced a confession from Sterling. Mr. Sterling was convicted and spent 22 years in prison. Ironically, Mr. Christie, who was the actual killer and passed the polygraph, went on to kill four-year-old Kali Ann Poulton. After his conviction for Kali's murder, he confessed to the murder Mr. Sterling was found guilty of after failing a polygraph. more