BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS IS AN EXPERT REAL

1. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONSIS AN EXPERT REAL PRACTICAL GUIDE TO UNCOVERING INFORMATION ON AN EXPERT

2. CHRIS REYNOLDS • LICENSED INVESTIGATOR SINCE 1979 • PRESIDENT OF CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF LICENSED INVESTIGATORS • INVESTIGATED OVER 100 MURDER CASES • SANTA ROSA, CA

3. WHY INVESTIGATE AN EXPERT • NOT NECESSARY IN EVERY CASE • EXPERT OPINION IS KEY TO CASE • YOUR EXPERT IS NOT ENOUGH • CREDIBILITY AND SUPPORT BEYOND THE OBVIOUS

4. WHERE DO YOU START • THE RESUME • EDUCATION • EMPLOYMENT • WRITINGS • TESTIMONY • QUALIFICATIONS FOR HIS OPINIONS • SUPPORT FOR OPINIONS

5. MAKE IT ADMISSABLE

6. EXPERTS HAVE SECRETS TOO • CRIMINAL, CIVIL, FINANCIAL INVESTIGATIONS • NEIGHBORHOODS TELL A STORY • EMPLOYERS/EMPLOYEES

7. NOT EVERYTHING IS ON GOOGLE • NEWSLIBRARY • SOCIAL NETWORKS • LICENSING BOARDS • EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS • EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES • ATTORNEYS AND INVESTIGATORS • LISTSERVS

8. RESOURCES • EXPERT TESTIMONY IS PUBLISHED • THE RECORDER • JURY VERDICTS WITH EXPERTS LISTED • CROSSEXAM.COM • EXPERTPAGES.COM • VERDICTSEARCH (FORMERLY JURY VERDICTS WEEKLY • IDEX.COM (LEXIS NEXIS)

9. SUBJECT-NO GOOGLE • ALL EVIDENCE GATHERED OUTSIDE GOOGLE • RESUME ONLINE AT EMPLOYMENT • NO NEGATIVE INFORMATION

10. CASE STUDY-DR. THOMAS GILL • JANET PELFINI DEAD AT HER HOME • HUSBAND IMMEDIATE SUSPECT • FAILED A POLYGRAPH • FORENSIC MEDICAL GROUP ASSIGNED DR. GILL TO THE AUTOPSY • PERFORMED TIMELY AUTOPSY UNDER CONTRACT WITH COUNTY

11. FINDINGS • TEXTBOOK CASE OF SUFFOCATION • MARKS ON FACE CONSISTENT WITH AT LEAST 5 OTHER IDENTICAL CASES • INJURIES TO BACK OF HEAD CONSISTENT WITH INJURIES EXPECTED IN SUFFOCATION BY HANDS • NO OTHER EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST ANY OTHER CAUSE OF DEATH

12. THE GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION • ONE YEAR INVESTIGATION • CLIENT WAS PROMINENT PHYSICIAN • SAID SHE WAS FOUND FACE DOWN IN A BUCKET OF WATER • GRAND JURY INDICTMENT-ARRESTED JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS

13. CASE HINGED ON FORENSICS • THE RESUME • GET EVERYONE YOU CAN IT WAS THE MAP • RESUME WAS UPSIDE DOWN-LOOK FOR SIGNS

14. BACKGROUND TESTIMONY • PATHOLOGIST, OREGON VETERANS ADMINSTRATION, LEFT TO PURSUE JOB IN INDIANAPOLIS IN FORENSIC MEDICINE • HAD FORENSIC PATHOLOGY EXPERIENCE

15. TRUTH • NEVER CONDUCTED FORENSIC AUTOPSIES • TOLD TO LEAVE POSITION OR HE WOULD BE TERMINATED • SUSPECTED OF INTOXICATION AT WORK • EMPLOYER GAVE ULTIMATUM

16. OREGON TO INDIANAPOLIS • CLAIMED IMMEDIATE HIRE IN INDIANAPOLIS CORONER OFFICE • WORKED IN INDIANAPOLIS, LEFT TO PURSUE BETTER JOB, BAD POLITICAL CLIMATE

17. INDIANAPOLIS CAREER • POLTICAL BATTLE WITH INDIANA UNIVERSITY AND CORONER- • SOUGHT EMPLOYMENT IN LA • ADMITTED NO ERRORS OR PROBLEMS • NO LICENSURE ISSUES • BOARD CERTIFIED FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST

18. THE REST OF THE STORY • BOTCHED AT LEAST TEN AUTOPSIES INCLUDING SEVERAL OF SUFFOCATION • DA REFUSED TO USE HIM AS WITNESS • GAVE INCONSISTENT TESTIMONY THAT LED DA TO QUESTION COMPETENCE • RULED A MURDER COULD HAVE BEEN A SUICIDE

19. “OUTGOING PATHOLOGIST ARRESTED”INDIANAPOLIS STAR • DRUNK ON WAY TO WORK AND FOUND PASSED OUT AT DOOR TO WORK • MEDICAL LICENSE SUSPENDED • CRIMINAL CHARGES • TERMINATION AGREEMENT BASED ON MISDIAGNOSIS AND CRITICAL FAILURES • ALL RECORDS WERE PUBLIC REGARDING HIS DISCIPLINE

20. CALIFORNIA HERE I COME • LOS ANGELES CORONERS OFFICE • DR. GILL SAID: • FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR TWO YEARS • WORKED FULL TIME AS DEPUTY CORONER • HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF AUTOPSIES • SAW “TEXTBOOK” CASES OF SUFFOCATION REFERRED TO IN HIS TESTIMONY

21. THE REST OF THE STORY • FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WAS A DEMOTION FOR FAILURES IN COMPETENCE • RESERVED FOR NEWEST PATHOLOGISTS TO GAIN COMPETENCE • EXTENDED 1 YEAR AND HAD TO BE MONITORED (BY NOW PRACTICING FOR OVER 15 YEARS)

22. LA CORONER FILES • INTERVIEWED HR DIRECTOR • REVIEWED EVERY AUTOPSY RELEVANT TO OUR CASE • NO “TEXTBOOK” SUFFOCATION • NO CASE WITH “TEXTBOOK” INJURIES

23. MOVE TO FORENSIC MEDICAL • MOVED NORTH BECAUSE LA WAS GOING TO DUMP HIM • HE CLAIMED IT WAS AN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY • FMG DID NO BACKGROUND CHECK • FMG SUPPORTED HIS FINDINGS • FMG RETAINED DR. GILL AFTER CASE

24. WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT • REQUESTED AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. GILL-MULTIPLE EMAILS AND LETTERS • REPEATED REQUESTS • WROTE QUESTIONS FOR HIM • TOLD SHERIFF THEY HAD A BIG PROBLEM AND SHOULD TALK WITH US • GO TO THE MEDIA

25. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE • DEFENSE PLOY TO ATTACK EXPERT • CONDUCTED SECRET “PERSONNEL INVESTIGATION” DETERMINED COMPETENT • REFUSED TO MEET OR DISCUSS • HIRED AN EXPERT TO WORK WITH DR. GILL TO IMPROVE HIS COURT SKILLS

26. THE TAPES-WHAT THEY SHOWED • FEAR OF CROSS EXAMINATION LED TO HIRING EXPERT TO COACH EXPERT • FABRICATED HIS RESUME • MOVED THE INJURIES TO SUPPORT CONCLUSION • ADMITTED PULMONARY ISSUES THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED DEATH • “WE DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT”

27. CRAFTING ANSWERS • CRAFT ANSWERS TO: • MINIMIZE TERMINATION FROM OREGON, INDIANA AND LOS ANGELES • EXPLAIN ERRORS IN AUTOPSY • FABRICATE TESTIMONY • MOCK TRIAL WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL

28. DEFENSE FINDINGS • RESUME FALSE • BOTCHED AUTOPSIES • CREDENTIALS MISLEADING • EMPLOYMENT HISTORY FALSE • NO SUFFOCATION EXPERIENCE • IGNORED SIGNS POINTING TO INNOCENCE

29. CAUSE OF DEATH • MOST LIKELY DIED OF ACUTE ASTHMA ATTACK • LUNGS BLOCKED, VISIBLE TO THE EYE • TOOK TWO YEARS TO SEE THE SLIDES AND HIS SAMPLES WERE SUBSTANDARD AND NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF HER LUNGS

30. CASE RESULTS • CASE DISMISSED IN TRIAL WITH DR. GILL ON THE STAND • STATE BAR SUSPENDED DA FOR FOUR YEARS • FORENSIC MEDICAL GROUP GOT A NEW CONTRACT WITH SONOMA

31. WHAT HAPPENED TO DR. GILL • NOTHING • STAYED AT FMG THEN MOVE TO MISSOURI • LEFT MISSOURI AFTER ISSUES OF COMPTENCE • WHERE DOES AN INCOMPETENT DISCREDITED, BOARD CERTIFIED FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST WORK NEXT:

32. THE FORENSIC MEDICAL GROUP

33. FRONTLINE • GILL HIRED AGAIN AT FMG • FMG FAILED TO DISCLOSE HISTORY • FMG DID NO INVESTIGATION AT EITHER HIRING • RELEASED TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO FRONTLINE

34. FUTURE BENEFITS-JET SKI CASE • FMG ERROR IN DIAGNOSIS • DUE TO DR. GILL MATTER DR. RIEBER AGREED TO INTERVIEW • CONFRONT WITH TRUTH OF EVIDENCE • CHANGED CAUSE OF DEATH • CLIENT WAS EVENTUALLY EXONERATED