Whenever you interview a suspect, before your read Miranda or ask any questions about the crime, you want to get as much personal/biographical information about the person, why?

As you begin asking background questions, you establish a baseline for how the interviewee behaves and responds when providing truthful information, while simultaneously building rapport. The information obtained from these foundational questions also generates a list of individuals who may be contacted later to provide insight into the subject’s mental state, education, history of drug or alcohol use, propensity for violence, potential experiences with abuse, financial condition, weapons ownership or access, and any prior interactions with law enforcement.

These details may be relevant to potential defenses raised at trial. More importantly, these contacts may reveal whether the subject discussed the crime before or after it occurred, offering valuable context to the investigation. This initial question-and-answer exchange also helps the subject become accustomed to you or your partner taking notes during the interview.

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