Psychology and Law Case Study

CJ Fowler Case and False Confessions

Melanie Dimopoulos

212994380

        York University        

Abstract

Interrogation tactics is a primary and leading cause to false confessions. With the various techniques and manipulative strategies to obtain a confession there are also many issues that arise. The ethics of the interrogation room, the rights of the suspect and what the main causes are that make people falsely confess. In this paper, the discussion of whether or not the tools that our officers are using to interrogate and get the desired information is also convicting innocent or vulnerable people. By vulnerable people, this paper will also discuss what makes someone vulnerable which could be the mental stability of the person, or even their age. All of the above will be discussed as well as an exemplar case of the murder of CJ Fowler, whose boyfriend falsely confessed to killing her.  Are there solutions to the problems found in the interrogation room and is Fowlers boyfriend at fault?

In a case which took place on December 12th 2012, Damien Taylor, a young man at the age of 24 years has now been convicted of the second degree murder of 16 year old CJ Fowler, who learned she was pregnant shortly before she was murdered. The two, Damien and CJ were a couple at the time of her death; they were both involved in using serious drugs, such as crystal meth and also selling them as well. It was said that the couple were inseparable and that Damien was one of the family at the Fowler household. However, witness reports had shown that the couple were seen together leaving a hospital before the death of CJ and apparently had exchanged argumentative words. Such evidence led to suspicions of Damien who was first seen out to be just a witness. Damien had first testified that he had left the hospital with CJ but later blacked out and while panicking he fled to Prince George after waking to find CJs dead body, in another story he had also told police that they did not leave the hospital together and that he took a bus to Prince George to meet her but she had not shown up. Despite what people might have seen there was also evidence found in Damien’s hotel room, including socks with CJs blood on them and her phone SD card in his bag.  With this evidence Damien Taylor was arrested and charged 13 months after the incident, and he eventually confessed to killing CJ Fowler, only after extensive hours of questioning and interrogation. Damien Taylor later announced that he was forced to make a false confession, in which he admits is not true.  When Damien was first questioned about his girlfriend’s death, he proceeds to tell the police that he was waiting for her in the hospital cafeteria and that she disappeared after that. When an investigator first asked Damien if he killed Fowler, he denied it and broke down in tears, and said "Who did this to my girlfriend?" he said. "I want them put away for a while. I want the truth out."(Fortems&Cam, 2008). It seems unusual that someone who seems so distraught of the idea of his dead girlfriend to suddenly confessing to killing her himself, however evidence suggests suspicions of the young man, Damien Taylor.

 Furthermore, to focus in on why false confessions occur and the social issues they raise, several scholarly journals have been reviewed in order to do so. According to countless studies, false confessions and why they come about is extremely problematic when it comes to the workings of the criminal justice system. According to Steven Drizin and Richard Leo and research, in summary of numerous studies, false confessions is one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions (Drizin& Leo, 2004, p.12). But, what causes these false confessions to occur? Because it seems almost ridiculous to anyone who has not encountered it that you may just admit to something you had no partake in.

Police interrogation is definitely one of the top contributors that rely on “psychological influence, persuasion, deception, and/or coercion to achieve their desired objectives” and in other words obtain the information they want to hear . In the earlier years, police used physical harm and torture to obtain a confession, however now that is unacceptable but other psychological tactics are used. The goal of an interrogation is to “elicit incriminating statements or confessions through the use of psychological methods that are explicitly confrontational, manipulative, and suggestive” (Drizin&Leo, 2004, p. 21).  Interrogations involve numerous psychological techniques in order to get a full confession  from the accused suspect. Some of these techniques include: isolation, accusations, cutting off denials, confrontation with true or false evidence, or convinving the suspect that if they confess the seriousness of the offence will be reduced or the oppisite that the seriousness of the offence will be maximized if they do not confess (Drizin&Leo,2004, p.22). American Police also use false evidence to make the suspect seem as if they are wrong and that they actually did commit the crime; even if they did not, they are made to believe they did and interrogators leave suspects with no option other than to admit some kind of similar version of the crime, there is no other way out. This scholoary journal raises many issues such as, the issue of the ethics of interrogations, is it right for someone to have to go through multiple extenisve questioning that could last up to 24 hours? Do the suspects being interrogated know their rights? And is it ethical for interrogators to be allowed to use false evidence in order to manipulate the suspect. Many will say that although we want police interrogators to have the proper tools necessary to find the truth and solve crimes, we do not want them to coerce false confessions from innocent suspects (Costanzo,p. 59).