{"id":2968,"date":"2001-04-16T15:00:01","date_gmt":"2001-04-16T20:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antipolygraph.org\/blog\/?p=2968"},"modified":"2021-02-18T08:02:15","modified_gmt":"2021-02-18T13:02:15","slug":"u-s-department-of-justice-investigates-polygraph-induced-false-confession-in-detroit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antipolygraph.org\/blog\/2001\/04\/16\/u-s-department-of-justice-investigates-polygraph-induced-false-confession-in-detroit\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Department of Justice Investigates Polygraph-Induced False Confession in Detroit"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n

In an article entitled, “Detroit Police Inquiry Expands,”<\/a> Detroit News<\/em> correspondents Norman Sinclair and Ronald J. Hansen cite a recent case where Detroit homicide investigators coerced a false confession following a polygraph interrogation. U.S. Justice Department investigators are examining the case:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gayles’ case history<\/strong><\/p>

The case of Michael Gayles began at 2 a.m. Sept. 2, [2000] when police took a statement in which Gayles confessed to the Aug. 31 rape and killing of J’nai Glasker in her bedroom.<\/p>

During the next 36 hours, Gayles, who receives disability benefits from the state, signed another typed confession statement and a handwritten addendum in which he implicated his mother. Each confession was more explicit and precise in its language than the first.<\/p>

His mother, Leathy Gayles Washington, was held for a weekend but never charged.<\/p>

Michael Gayles, who has the IQ of an 8-year-old, lived near Glasker on the northwest side and had a juvenile record of criminal sexual conduct. At the time of his arrest, he repeatedly maintained his innocence in statements to the media.<\/p>

Two weeks after charging him with first-degree murder and criminal sexual conduct, police dropped the charges when DNA evidence proved he did not rape the girl.<\/p>

Deputy Chief Hall said the case proves that the department properly handles investigations. “He took a polygraph and failed it. After that, he made a full and graphic confession. The confession fit the facts of the crime. It was our investigation that cleared him in the end.”<\/p>

Lawyer Mark Satawa, a former Wayne County prosecutor who represented Michael Gayles after his arrest, said the confessions are signs of major problems in the department’s Homicide Section.<\/p>

“Most of the homicide investigators I worked with when I was a prosecutor were honest, hard-working professionals,” Satawa said. “But at times, we used to scratch our heads over some of the things that happened over there. We knew something was wrong in homicide.<\/p>

“The Homicide Section is overworked and under pressure to solve cases. I know the job is difficult, but the pressure forces some to cut corners. I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an article entitled, “Detroit Police Inquiry Expands,” Detroit News correspondents Norman Sinclair and Ronald J. Hansen cite a recent case where Detroit homicide investigators coerced a false confession following a polygraph interrogation. U.S. Justice Department investigators are examining the case: Gayles’ case history The case of Michael Gayles began at 2 a.m. Sept. 2, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[322,321],"class_list":["post-2968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-polygraph","tag-detroit","tag-false-confession","anons"],"yoast_head":"\nU.S. Department of Justice Investigates Polygraph-Induced False Confession in Detroit - AntiPolygraph.org News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antipolygraph.org\/blog\/2001\/04\/16\/u-s-department-of-justice-investigates-polygraph-induced-false-confession-in-detroit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"U.S. Department of Justice Investigates Polygraph-Induced False Confession in Detroit - AntiPolygraph.org News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In an article entitled, “Detroit Police Inquiry Expands,” Detroit News correspondents Norman Sinclair and Ronald J. 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