Interesting TV Program

[Wandersmann]

Greetings and Happy New Year wishes to the anti-polygraph community.  Yesterday I watched TV while working out at a local fitness club and unfortunately didn't have the ability to record details of the program.  My recollection was that the show was Dateline.  The show dealt with a cold case in the state of Washington and the victim was named Sandi Johnson.  What I found interesting was the fact that the victim's husband was initially the prime suspect based on some of his actions and bolstered by his alleged failing a police administered polygraph exam.  Although I wasn't able to see the entire program, it was obvious that the husband was not the guilty party and someone else was eventually arrested and convicted for the murder.  I have substantiated some of the above through on-line research but could not find the possible Dateline episode.

I was encouraged that the show featured a polygraph failure,  hopefully another chink in the armor of the polygraph.  This failure wasn't a highlight of the show but anyone with a brain who watched the show saw evidence of the polygraph's unreliability.  I believe this show was the first time I've ever seen the polygraph shown in a negative light by the mainstream media. 

[Wandersmann]

I was encouraged that the show featured a polygraph failure,  hopefully another chink in the armor of the polygraph.

To anyone who read my post yesterday, I'd like to clarify some possible ambiguity in my statement.  When I spoke of polygraph failure, I was not referring to a person who failed a polygraph exam.  I was referring to the failure of the polygraph instrument to ascertain the truth. 

[Psycho Physiologist]

I know of more than one Forensic Files episodes where suspects pass polygraphs but ended up being convicted. Also episodes where suspects failed, but were later found to be innocent.

[xenonman]

I know of more than one Forensic Files episodes where suspects pass polygraphs but ended up being convicted. Also episodes where suspects failed, but were later found to be innocent.

Generally, however, it has always been my observation that in these "true crime" TV programs, as well as in the paperbacks of that genre, the polygraph (almost always "suggested" to suspects by the police) is inevitably portrayed as the arbiter of last resort as to guilt or innocence of the suspect.