The Sleuth

On today's episode, the sleuths share what they've been doing during the stay at home order. Lindsey updates listeners about her birthday party during the quarantine. 

A special thank you to all our listeners for tuning in and helping the show grow even during this time.

Lindsey and Jamie share about what it's like spending so much time at home. From organizing easter egg hunts to running out of things to clean.

The Sleuths discuss the Social Distancing Project. A website designed to collect stories of all the drama happening during the stay at home order. Users write in short stories of funny, sad, or drama-filled occurrences.

Lindsey shares her own social distance project story of a creepy neighbor who likes to watch her and her family. 

Jamie joins the HOA of her neighborhood and tries to bring some light into her community. 

We also spend some time discussing what the "new normal" could look like after the stay at home order is lited. What could happen to commercial real estate with all the companies realizing that their employees could effectively work from home. Is it possible that the stay at home order could do to commercial real estate what online shopping did to shopping malls?

Also mentioned in this episode

• The Social Distance Project

We unpack the state fo things in our "new normal" during the pandemic. 

Jamie explains Zoombombing, where hackers are taking over Zoom calls to put offensive, sexual, or racist stuff up on the screen during the virtual meeting and what you can do to prevent this kind of activity on your next Zoom meeting. Zoom went from 10 million to 200 million users in a couple of months.

Here are some best practices for Zoom:

• Add two-factor authentification
• Learn how to remove people from meetings
• Don't use your personal zoom meeting ID
• Have people wait in the waiting room instead of joining automatically

Our show producer shares a real-life story of a zoom call that his wife was on that was hacked.

The Sleuths discuss many of the stories in the national and local news about COVID-19. Online schooling in Wake County.

The Sleuths are considered an essential business and are still doing background checks and surveillance. They work criminal and state cases and they have clients who are in jail. Right now the US federal prison system is on a heightened state of lockdown due to the Coronavirus.

North Carolina at the time of this recording has had four staffers in prisons test positive. There is talk about releasing non-violent offenders if it continues to spread.

Lindsey is obsessed with a show Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace. Joe is watching Ozark. Jamie is watching Tiger King. We talk about all the great shows to binge while you are stuck at home.

Today's episode, recorded over Zoom, is brought to you by Melvin Moore Fitness.

What are the effects that the quarantine and business closing having on marriages? While we hope that many relationships are strengthened the Sleuths let us know that the cheaters are still on the loose.

We discuss the state of things in our neck of the woods, what is running low at the groceries, what the news is saying about Coronavirus in our area and stories of things we've seen in the past week.

There are some courthouse closings that are beginning to affect some cases and slow down some processes. At the time of this recording, cases were being postponed for 30 days.

If you are suspecting your spouse is cheating now is a good time to start paying attention, take some notes, and call a PI start doing some investigation.

Lindsey shares another story for the news for the Sleuths to discuss that begins, it takes a certain mentality to want to be an adult actor. It takes something else altogether to make a half-assed audition tape with a hooker and a GoPro camera and all behind your wife's back. 

Does the recent closure of bars and restaurants make it harder for private investigators? In many cases, it is making it easier for the Sleuths and they discuss why.

Lindsey also shared a story called "Tiny cups of coffee" where a man had taken advantage of his working from home. We discussed the productivity of the average worker and what will the influx of people who are learning to work at home, many for the first time on employee productivity.

Patrick shares about what his role was and the responsibilities he had while in Afganistan serving as a Counterintelligence Special Agent and what his plans are for the future with the army. 

Lindsey mentioned a case where they used DNA from a rape kit, from a murder victim from the 90s and they took the DNA of the assailant from the rape kit from the 90s and used it today, and they were able to generate a police sketch.
So they, they were able to say, you know, clearly, they can tell you how old the person was when the DNA was taken, and they can tell you their ancestry now. Right. And then they can give you a ballpark of what their hair color or eye color was and provide an actionable police sketch from DNA.

Can the government listen to our smart speakers or listening devices in our homes? The answer may surprise you. We also discussed how Target predicted a teen girl was pregnant before anyone in the family knew with their predictive marketing algorithm. 

Lindsey shares a story about a family member who was in the FBI and how he would tell other family members if they saw him in public and he was not wearing a suit to never talk with him. She also shared a story of how he apprehended some mafia members in a pretty unique situation.

The Sleuths also discuss the Coronavirus and how there was a case documented less a mile from where they record their show. There are ways to help prevent the spread of this virus. Wash your hands' people. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. 

100,000 people have been confirmed to have contracted this new Coronavirus. As of this morning, I'm a little more than two months since the outbreak began in China, Johns Hopkins University, which has been tracking the instances of the viruses, says. A hundred thousand 330 people have been affected, and 80,000 were in the mainland of China.

Listen to the Sleuths and Patrick discuss their thoughts and concerns about the virus spreading in our area.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Dexter
• Police sketch from DNA

Terry teaches D.I.R.T. Dangerous Individual Recognition Training® In an unpredictable world, employee safety is achieved through the application of multiple strategies comprising of body language decoding, environmental awareness, & reality-based plans that deal with likely threats. 

He also served as a British Royal Marine Commando and has had extensive training in weapons and various fighting styles and now he spends his time primarily as a speaker and author. 

"I taught combative for a bunch of years after getting out of the military But I always maintain an element of what I was teaching this advice, stay away from it if you can. Because most people are not going to put in this the training necessary to be proficient, to guarantee that you can actually fight your way out of something. Use your cunning. Use your observation skills. Be aware. Look for certain things from the people in the environment that will tell you, something's out of place" Terry

Terry teaches how an understanding of human behavior and body language can provide a set of skills to recognize threats and in some cases prevent dangerous situations from happening.

Tips from Terry when going into an interaction with people. If we think about 

• What do I expect to see?
• What do I not expect to see? 
• And what's missing? 

You can clue into so much that just that stands out that you might otherwise miss.

One tip that Terry often teaches women is how to recognize when someone gets inside of your personal space. This is a comfort level for each individual but when someone gets danger close it is time to take action.

The Sleuths and Terry talk a bit about some of their past cases.

Rapid blinking may be a sign of lying, but it may not be as well. It is a signal of cognitive load. That doesn't necessarily mean lying.

What often happens with police officers that are trained to some degree to have that command presence, what is that command presence? What is it about their behavior that makes us feel like they're in control and we're not, even if their hands are shaking, what is it that they do? They move less. They get still and they get still because stillness says calm and "calm" says control.

Terry and the sleuths discuss his book Not with My Daughter!: A Dad's Guide to Screening Dates and Boyfriends in a candid conversation about parenting kids who are dating.

Some more about Melvin: Even while being very active, he grew up an overweight child. As a child, he always had aspirations of being physically fit and strong like action figures and professional wrestlers. He played baseball from 4 years old up until varsity in high school.

In 2010, he began pursuing a career in public safety. The ability to protect and serve weighs heavily on one’s fitness level and was required of him from day 1. I am a proud former EMT, Law Enforcement, Tactical Experience, & Current US Army Reservist.

When he got my fitness life together, his real-life got together. As he started to see success within his fitness journey, he started to see that discipline, consistency, mental health and all the other principles of fitness were the same as all the principles of success.  Coaching others to maneuver through their fitness journey is his PASSION.

Melvin also worked in the jail and on the SWAT team. So he shared some pretty intense stories from his time working in prison. Including how being spit on by an inmate who was mentally unstable.

The sleuths discuss the case of Faye Swetlik and the information known from the story of the 6-year-old who was found dead in the woods by her house. They discuss the details of the case form the reports, the topic of amber alerts (What are the legal requirements for issuing an amber alert?) The details surrounding the case leave a lot to be questioned and it brought up the topic of letting our kids play outside today versus what our parents were comfortable with when we were children. 

Is this a growing epidemic or do we just know more about it thanks to 24 hours news and social media? 

In either case, cases like this are very sad and our hearts go out to the family members and those affected by it.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Last Child in the Woods
• Melvin Moore Fitness | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube

Mary is the owner of Triangle Divorce Lawyers and focuses her practice on litigation. Mary graduated with honors from North Carolina Central School of Law. During law school, she was the president of the law school’s Innocence Project, which investigates claims of innocence by inmates whose innocence may be proven using new technologies, such as DNA. Mary was also a member of the North Carolina Central Law Journal and Parliamentarian and National Delegate for the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. Mary completed her undergraduate degree at Loyola University in Baltimore, MD (Go Greyhounds!), where she majored in Business Management and Law.

Mary shares stories, counsel, and a few laughs with the Sleuths as they talk about cases they've worked and give practical advice to our listeners about all things family law and divorce.

Why family law?

"My parents divorced. I went through it as a child and I know how it feels. I know how it feels when one person in your family doesn't have enough money to live. I know what it feels like when your dad doesn't get to see you enough. So that's my why." - Mary

For somebody to either go through a divorce situation or custody situation, what is the average amount of time?

Even if they don't hire a lawyer, what I tell them is it's not even just going through the legal process. When you got married, you rented a limo you reserved your space for your marriage. You know, people are taking a year and a half to get married. You're scheduling your caterer and all that stuff. It's gonna take about that same amount to try to figure out how to be this new person that's an individual. Now you were this couple and this family, what's the new normal now that you're divided. So I tell people it's going to take about that same amount to recreate and be the new you as the amount of time it took to plan your life together.

The Sleuths unpack the "lights out rule" when it comes to proving an affair. Mary speaks about proving an affair from the aspect of a divorce lawyer.

They share a hilarious story that took place at a stadium that Triangle Divorce Lawyers employed the services of Blackman Detective Services to follow a man suspected of cheating on behalf of his spouse.

The Sleuths try to find the truth for a case that was brought up by [email protected] of a messy custody case and ask for Mary's legal expertise on the issues of the case.

You can find out more about Triangle Divorce Lawyers on their website or call 919 752-8832 for a case review.
 

The Sleuths start out the show talking about the Krispy Kreme Challenge. 5 Miles. 12 Doughnuts. 1 Hour.

The 16th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge was held on February 1st, 2020 and raised $175,000 for UNC Children’s Hospital.

Lindsey invited Jamie to her special birthday party that is funeral themed to celebrate the death of her youth. Complete with coffins and a funeral. Everyone is instructed to dress in black and have a good time.

The Blackman Detective Services had their first meeting in their new building just before the bad weather and tornado hit the Raleigh area.

Be sure to follow the Sleuth Podcast on social media to see Jamie's Black History Month posts celebrating Black History.

The Sleuths read several news stories about how men are catfishing young women on Snapchat and using the app's social media features to track and assault them. It's important, as a parent, to understand and educate your children in order to make sure they are being safe online.

Jamie and Lindsey break down another episode of ABC's Stumptown called The Dex Factor. Dex goes undercover as a potential buyer to help Hoffman and Grey with the next phase of their drug case. Meanwhile, Dex unexpectedly becomes close to a fellow veteran support group member and soon discovers they have more in common than they thought. After being left in charge of the Bad Alibi, Ansel struggles to maintain order and enlists Tookie's help.

This led to a fascinating and hilarious conversation about a private investigator's going undercover. The Sleuths share some real-life stories and updates from past cases. Including a happy ending for a domestic case that has been going on for over a year. One of the cases involved a bad Yelp review. We spent some time talking about funny Yelp reviews.

Lindsey gives the final update on the bachelorette party, pole dancing, and all the d*cks.

The sleuths discuss an article about a shooting in a Kansas City night club. A man had gotten into a verbal altercation inside the club and then went outside and opened fire on the people waiting in the line outside the club. The club's security guard killed the assailant. Jamie shared a story about from her life when there was shooting when she was at the Raleigh Night Club called Black Ties.

Lindsey talked about her time as an armed security guard with Encompass Southeast Security. And the challenges facing security guards at night clubs. In North Carolina, there are rules about searching people that may prohibit a night club from searching guests if especially if the guard is not licensed by the state and only subject to the training given at their place of work.

Jamie highlighted that night club cases are something people often hire a private investigator for. They will interview the staff, check the video, past 911 calls, and help the lawyer build a case for their client. The Sleuths worked a case where a woman was involved in a fight in a night club parking lot that ended in a stabbing and how they went about gathering information to help with that case. 

The Sleuth's talk about episode The Past and the Furious where Dex helps a veteran find his birth parents. And they talk about how the "Hollywood" version of a private investigator matches up with real-life PI work. 

Lindsey shares about a case where she worked where she learned the challenges private investigators face when working across state lines with different jurisdictions. 

Jamie shared about a case where a client of their found himself in a crazy situation one morning, waking up drunk, covered in bruises, his house was ransacked, and the cops were at his door. He called Blackman PI right away and they were able to help him make sense of the situation and prove that he was the victim of someone who had done this before.

Also mentioned in this episode

• The Fire Within Podcast where the Sleuths were guests

Jamie and Lindsey welcome their new sponsor: Clinicians of Mecklenburg who provide premium mental health and substance abuse services.

They also talk about their new office space in North Raleigh.

The Sleuths discuss a recent case where a real estate agent in Minneapolis, MN was abducted and later murdered while showing a house. This was a tragic case. Private Investigators can be and often are hired by real estate agents and banks to be present to documented witnesses. Lindsey discussed a case where a family had been asked to vacate their estate and the bank had hired them to be present during the time they picked up their belongings.

Another topic on today's show is the new panic button added to the Tinder dating app. This feature would allow users to call authorities when and if they find themselves in a dangerous situation.

Episode 10 of ABC's Stumptown, Reality Checks don't Bounce, was analyzed by the Sleuths. Mike Epps guest stars in this episode as a celebrity judge whose brother has allegedly been kidnapped and held for ransom. The case also involved a cat that would create a special kind of coffee bean by eating the bean and passing it. This reminded the Sleuths of a case where they were hired to do surveillance on a cat.

In this case, the cat was involved in a bad foster situation and when the cat's location became unknown the client hired the private investigators to stakeout the cat's last known location. It was during this case that they met an actual Pet Detective (yes, that's a real thing and not just a movie).

Also mentioned on this episode:

• The Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez | Netflix Official Site 
• The Sword and Scale Podcast
• Detective Trapp Podcast
• Any questions? Use [email protected]