What the Body Reveals

Polygraph Chart Analysis and Physiological Responses in a Cold Case

This episode revisits a polygraph examination administered to a key person of interest in a long-unsolved disappearance. The polygraph expert walks through three separate charts and explains how breathing, blood pressure and skin conductivity (GSR) created distinct signatures during relevant questions. One question produced the most dominant physiological spike: an inquiry about sexual contact with the missing person.

Interpreting dominant polygraph reactions to relevant questions

The examiner emphasizes that polygraph instruments measure physiological reactions rather than detecting lies directly. Strong, immediate responses within the first 15 seconds of a question were taken as indicators of stress and potential deception. The subject repeatedly showed large changes in respiration, blood pressure, and fingertip conductivity when asked about withheld information, sexual contact, and knowledge of the missing person’s fate.

Witness Accounts, Truck Sightings, and Community Reluctance to Speak

The episode also presents a new tip about a truck sighting near where one of the missing people was last seen. A witness reported seeing a male passenger in the vehicle around that weekend, but expressed fear of retaliation and initially refused to share details. Outreach to family members revealed conflicting reactions and guarded answers, highlighting how fear and social pressure can stifle potentially critical testimony.

Practical examples of witness hesitation in missing person cases

Producers document phone calls with relatives and friends, including a moment when a sister’s conversation about the truck became tense and defensive. That exchange demonstrates how memory, time elapsed, and personal relationships complicate efforts to clarify timelines and corroborate sightings.

What This Reveals About Next Steps And Investigative Priorities

Taken together, the polygraph charts and the tip about the truck reshape investigative priorities. The polygraph specialist concluded that the subject likely knows more than he has disclosed, even while admitting he purposely withheld information from law enforcement. Producers recommend following up on the truck sighting, re-interviewing reluctant witnesses using trauma-informed techniques, and corroborating physiological findings with physical evidence or additional testimony.

Key follow-up actions include:

• Re-contacting witnesses who reported seeing the truck and documenting exact times and locations.
• Coordinating with investigators to compare polygraph responses with prior statements for inconsistencies.
• Using non-confrontational interviews to reduce fear and encourage witnesses to share details.

Listeners are left with a clearer sense of how physiological data, human memory, and community dynamics intersect in cold cases—and why persistent reporting and careful interviewing remain essential.