[Part 1] "How the 45-Year Lie Collapsed"—The "Denial Patterns" of a Man Who Kept Running, and Why This Interrogation Is Special

Good evening, everyone!
I am your behavioral psychologist.

Starting today, I am launching a 5-part series titled "How the 45-Year Lie Collapsed" series.

The subject of this series is John Getreu, a man who lived for over 45 years without being caught, who looks like an ordinary grandfather you could find anywhere.

I have carefully reviewed the publicly available interrogation footage and summarized the "signs" that can be read from a behavioral psychology perspective.

This is not a determination of criminal guilt, but rather content intended to deepen psychological understanding.

And,

• verbal habits

• methods of denial

• micro-physical reactions

• interrogation techniques

are all analyzed frame-by-frame in this summarized series.

What was particularly impressive was:

that.

And this typical pattern always appears, albeit in a "thinner form," in everyday communication as well.

In Part 1, after establishing the premises of the interrogation, I will specifically explain the "three denial patterns" that appear first.

⚠️Caution⚠️

The signs introduced here are "not intended to determine that someone is lying."

In the world of psychology, facial expressions, words, and gestures are merely "signals that may reveal true feelings."

And what I value most is that the reader adopts a
"stance of trying to understand" rather than suspecting the other person.

Please read this with sincerity.

Chapter 1 Premise: What Is Happening in This Interrogation

1-1. Suspect: John Getreu (Characteristics)

The first thing I felt when watching the video was:

However, the more I observed, the more I realized there is a significant gap with his inner self.

• Extremely minimal changes in facial expression

• Unnatural switching of emotions on and off

• Refusing to let any information unfavorable to himself "in"

• Neither his voice nor his expression wavers when talking about major past incidents

This indicates the strength of typical compartmentalization (psychological separation).

And for a person who can live for such a long time without any "leaks," it is certain that their denial pattern is fixed.

I will cover this in detail in Chapter 2.

1-2. Interrogator: Detective Cortez

What I valued most in this interrogation is Detective Cortez's "approach."

• Never raises his voice

• The atmosphere is gentle

• However, the order of questions is completely psychological

• Narrows the flow of conversation in a "concentric circle"

• The "bait questions" disguised as a binary Yes/No choice are clever

I myself am studying 'techniques for approaching the truth without breaking the other party's defenses,' and
I felt that Detective Cortez's style is close to the ideal form of that.

It is precisely because of this style that the 'fixed denial' of a man who had been running for 45 years is gradually broken down.

Chapter 2: The '3 Denial Patterns' Used by People Who Run

This is where the main topic begins.

Even just in the early to middle stages of the interrogation, the denial patterns appeared surprisingly clearly.

Memory Denial (I don’t remember)

The first thing I noticed was the type of denial that frequently uses 'I don't remember.'

Characteristics:

• Using 'amnesia' especially for situations disadvantageous to oneself

• No emotion is conveyed at all

• Low stress of denial

• It doesn't hurt even if countered

This can be said to perfectly fit what Ekman calls'low-cost denial.'

Lack of Moral Disgust (The 'Void' of Emotion)

And here is the point that felt most unnatural.

In situations where anger, disgust, or rejection would normally appear, he showed no emotion at all.

Example:

• No reaction of 'I absolutely did not do such a thing'

• Neither his voice nor his eyes change

• He says 'I wish I could help you,' but his expression remains emotionless

This is a typical pattern that emerges when a sense of moral rejection is lacking.

While watching the video, I felt, "Ah, this is different from a typical denial reaction."

Slim chance — Minimizing Denial

His response when asked by the detective, "What is the possibility of DNA remaining?"

is what he said.

Normally, if someone were innocent, they would say "NO!" or "Absolutely not."

However, he "does not rule it out as zero."

This can clearly be called a method of denial that allows for the avoidance of responsibility and keeps stress levels low.

I have studied and watched many videos where I consult or analyze people who "become vague when cornered," and the structure was exactly the same.

Chapter 3: Application

Daily Life

• Frequent use of "I don't remember"

• Lack of emotion in situations where emotion is required

• Avoiding commitment by using "minimizing denial"

→ High possibility of being in self-preservation mode.

Company

• Increased minimizing denial during trouble

• Excessive use of "I have no memory of that"

• A "void" in sense of crisis or responsibility

From a management perspective, observing the "presence of emotion" is more important than the way things are said.

Lovers

Between lovers, "I don't remember" can also be considered a sign of defense.

Therefore, rather than blaming the other person:

Asking about the "center of emotion" will surely improve the relationship.

Source

• Paul Ekman, "Telling Lies"

• Joe Navarro, "What Every Body Is Saying"

• Chase Hughes, "The Ellipsis Manual"

• Behavioral Psychology, Interview Psychology, Non-verbal Research

Finally

Thank you for reading this far!

Your "likes" and follows are a great encouragement.

If you found this even slightly "useful" or "interesting," please be sure to "like" and follow. 🙇‍♂️

I am aiming for 1,000 followers by the end of the year, so I would appreciate your cooperation. 🙇

Also, I recently joined a magazine!
I am truly grateful, and I look forward to this connection continuing! 🙇

Also, this article was featured, so please take a look and read it. 🙇

The "I remember..." series is a five-part work, so if you'd like, I think it will be easier to understand if you read it from the beginning.

This is also recommended!

Check this out too!

For those who want to learn more, deepen their understanding of reading gestures, and study diagrams and case-specific responses, please see the paid article👇

*Recommended for those who want to correctly understand gestures and engage in dialogue that utilizes 'hospitality' and 'sincerity' while reducing misunderstandings.

Everyone, please take care of your health and well-being.

See you later!!!