Interrogations-and-Confessions-Handbook

Canadian and Israeli Cases 577
personality problems. A Canadian Clinical Psychologist assessed Rose on the
WAIS-III. Mr Rose proved to be of high average intelligence. In terms of his
enduring personality, it was the combination of his high compliance and poor
role taking ability that made him vulnerable to giving into pressure during the
undercover interrogation. The poor role taking ability suggested problems in
interpersonal relationships, which undoubtedly made him more dependent on
the criminal organization for emotional, social and financial support.
Surrounding Circumstances
There were a number of situational factors that made Rose vulnerable to
making a false confession during the undercover operation. These were the
following.
i. Rose had been convicted twice before on the same charge. He served seven
years in prison before he was given bail pending the current trial. He would
have had little faith that he might not be convicted again. Undoubtedly,
the Californian witnesses gave him new hopes that he might not be reconvicted.
ii. He had the forthcoming court case with its uncertain outcome preoccupying
him. He was trying to save money to enable himself and his brother to stay
in Vancouver during the trial.
iii. The role of the undercover officer, ‘Fred’, over an eight-month (January–
September) period, was to build up a good friendship with Mr Rose.
According to Fred’s testimony at the voire dire in June 2000, he had to
work hard at Rose’s ‘trust level’. Rose had problems with trusting people.
This took some time. Rose told Fred about one week after their meeting that
he needed $2000 for his Court case in Vancouver during the forthcoming
May. This was to enable him to afford to stay in Vancouver for a month.
iv. Fred told him that in the past he had committed a murder and had a murder
charge hanging over him. His boss, Al, had conveniently taken care of the
problem and Fred had narrowly escaped a conviction for the murder. Al
was presented to Rose as having much money, power and influence. Fred’s
task was to build up Al’s credibility as a person who can make murder
charges go away and to make Rose believe that without the assistance of
the organization, he would be convicted. It was evident that Rose completely
trusted Fred and at one point said to him ‘I love you’.
v. Rose became dependent on the organization. There was a good potential
for making money, he appeared to be interested in the work, he valued his
friendship with Fred, and the organization could ensure that he was not
going to be convicted of the murders for a third time.
vi. Rose was subtly made to believe that the organization could help him with
this forthcoming court case, but the murder charge and court case could
ruin his future prospects with the organization. His problem had to be
sorted out before he was accepted by the organization. The organization
could help him make the court case fall apart, but there was a condition:
Rose had to tell all the details of the murder, otherwise the organization
would not help him.