In the Netflix’s documentary, Making a Murderer, 16-year old Brendan Dassey is interrogated by two detectives who believe he might be implicated in a murder. The detectives stressed that they knew what happened and had physical evidence to prove it, all of which was untrue. They aggressively commanded that he tell the truth while simultaneously befriending him, saying things like, “We’re here to help…” They offered a rationale for the alleged killing, telling Brendan that it wasn’t his fault, and directed the blame onto his uncle, the man they did the killing.. After hours of interrogation, Brendan, with an IQ of 70 and his perception of events muddled by the persuasiveness and authoritative power of the detectives, confessed. He even provided particulars of the crime scene in his statement, details that had been subtlety conveyed to him by the detectives during the hours of interrogation, now incorporated into his confession.
Richard Lettieri – Crime Psychologist
Orange County Forensic Psychologist
