The polygraph test can take various forms. There’s the standard one, the CQT (Control Question Test), the DLT (Directed Lie Test) and the GKT (Guilty Knowledge Test). Choosing the one I was going to undertake depended on how suspicious the police was of me in regards to my level of involvement in Matt’s life and the crimes he’s committed. I was asked to take the basic one since they couldn’t find any proof. However, the test could’ve changed everything. Since it measured internal bodily activities and registered the baseline of vital signs, hiding information or being deceitful could jeopardize both my integrity as well as my credibility. If I lied or tried to cheat, I’d be turning myself into a potential suspect.
Things were looking very promising for me since the police couldn’t find any of my fingerprints on either of the bodies. Now that I think about it, Matt was the one who carried them out of the trunk and buried them after their dismemberment. All I did was hold the axe he gave me which we made sure to get rid of afterwards. The police forensic team invaded both Matt’s apartment and his house in Vancouver. They thoroughly searched both residences and found no evidence that linked him to the other crimes that only I know about. Matt had cleared out and sterilized his basement upon my discovery of his gruesome past. What the police found in both locations though, were my fingerprints, and after investigating Gisele who probably recounted to them the night I brought Ethan home, I knew I couldn’t lie about being with both him and Matt in Vancouver. However, returning the kid home served me well because it made me look like a good samaritan.
Now that I’m deeply linked to Matt’s murder case, some of the information I had couldn’t be withheld anymore; like my romantic relationship with him. However, a line had to be drawn. Although me and Matt were romantically involved, I had no idea he was a serial murderer. That’s the story I’ve decided to go with. I’ll keep telling myself that until it feels like the truth.
My extensive research of polygraph tests opened my eyes on a lot of things. I learned I should be relaxed and cooperative but also to avoid giving out more information than necessary. I also learned that at some instances the examination may turn into a complex ruse as an attempt to trick me into confessing something that would make me guilty. In this case, not trusting the examiner and avoiding any countermeasures were my two main goals.
As required by law, the examiner had to send me the questions in advance. I practiced answering them beforehand to avoid any discrepancies and increase my chances of passing. Questions ranged from “relevant” to “irrelevant” and “control”, most of which I didn’t mind answering honestly. I answered “Yes” to questions like “Have you ever lied to your parents” or “Have you ever stolen from a store?”, knowing that making myself seem less perfect and more human would work in my favor and lead to a positive outcome.
I knew the session would be recorded as soon as I’d step foot inside the room, so I remained calm and composed from the moment I was hooked up to the machine until I was out of the testing location, all of that while keeping in mind that if things happened to go awry, I didn’t have to worry since polygraph results are becoming less and less admissible as evidence in legal trials.
Felix Eberstark 