In this episode
Can law enforcement use investigative hypnosis as evidence?
Believe it or not, law enforcement in the US routinely uses hypnosis as a form of forensic evidence. And in some states, evidence gained from investigative hypnosis is admissible in court. Even the federal government allows hypnosis under certain circumstances.
What is investigative hypnosis?
When law enforcement hits a dead end, they sometimes rely on investigative hypnosis to solve the case. Specially trained law enforcement officers guide witnesses into a hypnotic trance to better recall a crime. But are the memories they recall even accurate? Medical experts say memories recovered after hypnosis can’t be considered fact.
Texas leads the country in investigative hypnosis.
Many states ban the practice because its use leads to wrongful convictions. But one state leads the country in prosecuting citizens using hypnosis as a primary form of evidence. That state is Texas.
The Dallas Daily News reports that at least 11 people in Texas were executed in cases where police used hypnosis. Today, 4 people are on Texas death row because of this practice.
The Memory Room
Dave Boucher and Lauren Mcgaughy are investigative reporters who spent more than a year investigating the story you’re about to listen to. Their two-part series is titled “The Memory Room.” It’s about the case of Helen Barbre, a Texas college student who was savagely attacked in the middle of the night. She couldn’t recognize her attacker, so she used hypnosis to identify him.
Here’s a link to their series titled “The Memory Room”:
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This is part 3 of the Hypnotist series. To start from the beginning, listen to part 1.
Special Thanks to
Kellette Elliott for the custom collage artwork
