Beware of police interviews when facing murder/homicide charges

On Behalf of | Jun 28, 2018 | criminal defense

Because Statesville is not one of North Carolina’s larger cities, most crimes reported in the area are minor. However, serious offenses like murder, homicide and manslaughter do occur.

Police officers and prosecutors want to solve serious crimes like murder. They want to make the city safe, but they also want to appease a population that may be pushing for a resolution. Whatever drives these officials, sometimes they may go too far to seek a confession for murder or homicide charges. These confessions typically begin and end during law enforcement interviews and interrogations that can go on for hours or even days.

The nation has a disturbing history of murder convictions built around false confessions. Like most people, you probably wonder why anyone — innocent or guilty — would ever confess to murder. As criminal defense attorney, we have some insight into this issue. Confessions most often occur due to police interrogation techniques like the ones below.

  • Physical abuse or threats of violence
  • Disguising an interrogation as a simple conversation
  • Deprivation of water, food, sleep and rest
  • Lying about already having evidence or eyewitness reports

We have one simple piece of advice to give people facing murder or homicide charges. Do not say anything to interviewers except to request a criminal defense attorney. It is your right to have a lawyer present during interviews the police and other investigators may conduct.

Asking for a lawyer does not mean you have something to hide. It means that you are interested in exercising your right not to incriminate yourself. If you think you are one of the very few people who can withstand a lengthy and coercive interview, we urge you to reconsider and seek counsel from a criminal defense attorney. Learn more about dealing with serious criminal allegations by reviewing our website.