Associates in Forensic Investigations
Legal Investigators and Expert Consultants
Personal Injury, Negligence & Death
Civil, Criminal & Probate
Equivocal Death Investigations
Colorado (970) 480-7793 ~ Wyoming (307) 222-0136
Quaero Indicium -'To Find the Evidence'
Please distribute to others that may have an interest
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Greetings Celebrating our Independence Day
We hope each of you had a great holiday weekend, celebrating the birth of our nation with the unanimous vote for the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. As we gathered around the grilled and watched the celebration of fireworks - representing muskets and cannons - we all share in the appreciation and respect of such an important holiday. This day was started over two decades ago by Bob Mackowiak, then owner and publisher of PI Magazine. It was in October for a couple years and then forgotten. In 2014, Arthur Athas of Private Investigators Now in Australia contacted our agency to re-introduce a new Private Investigators Day. Mr. Athas proposed July 24th as the annual day - in honor of the birthday of Eugene Francois Vidocq - the very first Private Investigator who founded the first known detective agency in 1833. His legendary reputation is credited greatly with shaping the way law enforcement and investigations are carried out today. In most countries the date is written as 24/7 and also represents working hours of many professional investigators.
Private Investigators provide a fundamental and vital role in society today. The industry has grown at a phenomenal rate with the changing needs, issues and demands of the private/domestic and corporate/government sectors. These issues and demands have impacted greatly and created services employing tens of thousands of Private Investigators globally. Private Investigators have proven time after time to be an extremely valuable asset to society, one which is often overlooked.
We would like to seek the consideration of our friends and colleagues throughout the world, to support us on a quest to create an official "Private Investigator's Day". This would be a great way to promote the importance and significance of our existence and contribution to society.
As each association and agency has their own areas of specialty, we suggest creating your own theme in promoting this day. IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
-- Honoring our Independence Day
-- Private Investigators Day
-- Agency News
- Facts, Truth, and Evidence: How to Be Objective
- Dean talks about choosing a PI on "PI's Declassified"
- From our agency blog and archives
- Speaking engagements and Agency subject matter articles
-- Associations and News of our Profession
- News from PPIAC, NALI, NCISS and WAD, and your association news!
- NCISS Regulatory Alert - FAA Issues Final Drone Rules
-- From the News
- Ethics - the PI and Social Media (from FALI)
-- The Quint-Essential Qualities of a Professional Investigator
-- PIs and Professional Ethics
-- AND MORE!
Together We're Better - Together We Make the Difference! Associates in Forensic Investigations LLC is a Rocky Mountain West Agency owned by Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI and Karen S. Beers, BSW, CCDI.
We provide Expert Consultations and Legal Investigations of Personal Injury, Negligence & Death in Civil, Criminal and Probate litigation. We are Subject Matter Experts in Equivocal Death Investigation and Analysis, Medicolegal Investigations of Fatal and Non-Fatal Events.
We are based in the Rocky Mountain West and provide expert consultations nationally. Learn details at www.DeathCaseReview.com
Here is a video explaining what we do and why - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgsvtbSk8fg
AFI-LLC - Our agency is called upon for many reasons - from investigations to consultations - and from finding the right investigator to the right expert. We have recently added to our case examples found at http://www.DeathCaseReview.com/sample-cases.html.
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Agency News and Updates
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Scheduled Speaking Engagements
Our agency is scheduled for the following speaking engagements this year: World Investigators Conference / TALI (Texas) 08/16 to 08/19 - http://2016wic.comMurder and Death Investigations with Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI Please see below for conference dates and details!
Facts, Truth, and Evidence: How to Be Objective
for PursuitMag.com by Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI
As investigators, we are not truth seekers, but fact finders. We rarely discover "the whole truth and nothing but the truth." Moreover, although we may discover a lie or two along the way, it's not up to legal investigators to decide what the "truth" is. It's up to us to find information, facts, and evidence.
What should you look for when hiring a private investigator?
Dean joined Francie Koehler on PI's Declassified!
- Where do you find one who is competent and professional? - How do you determine if he or she has the skills and knowledge required for your particular case? - Does the case involve fraud? Is it personal injury or criminal? - Is it the type of case requiring a specific expertise?
Join PI's Declassified! to hear Board Certified Legal Investigator and Certified Criminal Defense Investigator Dean Beers discuss what to look for when hiring a private investigator.
Commentary from the blog archives of AFI-LLC at www.deathcasereview.com/afi-llc-blog.html - Keep up with the current events of our agency and profession through our blog. Dating back to the fall of 2011, there are dozens of articles, tips and resources for professional investigators and those seeking the assistance of professional investigators.
Add "Practical Methods for Legal Investigations" to your library! (originally posted 02/10/2013)
Dean's Investigative Protocol is designed to find the facts that prove or disprove criminal charges, civil allegations, or elements thereof. The book includes case studies that clearly detail how the process of the Investigative Protocol applies to every assignment of the case and to the case as a whole. Comprehensive and methodical, the system provides a map to the truth.
Professional Locate Investigations, Backgrounds and Assets & Liabilities (originally posted 02/13/2013)
Dean's first published book, the first book for your library, is the self-published 'Professional Locate Investigations' has been completely revised and updated! It is now the first in our new series, 'Professional Investigations' - 'Individual Locates, Backgrounds and Assets & Liabilities'.
Professional Investigations: Individual Locates, Backgrounds and Assets & Liabilities - revised and expanded in 2012.
This is an expanded and revised update to the 2006 original 'Professional Locate Investigations'. This is a simple, straight to the point, guide to learning to conduct any type of skip tracing investigation, and use those skills and resources to also conduct any type of background records check or investigation, as well as assets & liabilities records check or investigation.
S2 Safety & Intelligence for Private Investigators (originally posted 2/11/2013)
S2 Safety & Intelligence has courses designed for the new and veteran Private Investigator, and specifically for Florida licensing, but also applicable to all states and continuing education.
Scene Investigations - Conducting vs. Completing the Investigative Process (originally posted 02/29/2012)
As investigators we get the opportunity to investigate all aspects of a case. Sometimes a case may require some scene work.
Even if at first it appears that the case does not require a visit to the scene, if you have the opportunity, it is always recommended to go back where the event first began. Whether the case involves a death, a motor vehicle accident, or some type of crime, take the extra time, go that extra mile and visit the scene. You might be surprised once you visit the scene to find out that something could not have occurred the way the witness, victim or police officer claims. It is best not to rely on others to do the work you need to do yourself. You are the investigator, and someone is depending on you to see, hear, and get an overall feel of what the scene was like.
What circumstances of death would benefit from an equivocal death investigation? (originally posted 02/25/2013)
The experts at AFI-LLC have experience in all of the following death and serious bodily injury cases. These may include civil, criminal and probate litigation or simply answers and closure for the family.
Individual Locates, Backgrounds and Assets & Liabilities for your Civil, Criminal, Probate and Domestic Relations litigation
For over 25 years our agency has provided cost-effective and accurate verified Individual Locates, Backgrounds, and Assets & Liabilities. States and availability of records vary.
Legal Investigations and Expert Consultations of Death or Serious Bodily Injury in Civil, Criminal and Probate We specialize in helping other PIs and attorneys assisting families. Contact our agency any time - we're there when you need us. www.4N6Associates.com
Global Investigators Media Group (GIMG.tv) with Facts & Forensics
The GIMG.tv hosts to a break for July. New shows will begin again for August. Be sure and visit all the show archives at www.GIMG.tv
 DISTANCE LEARNING FOR INVESTIGATORSAFI-LLC is developing distance learning video on demand courses for investigators, and has put together some distance learning courses from other contributors. See complete details at www.InvestigativeCourses.com
 BOOKS FOR INVESTIGATORSAFI-LLC has put together some of the best fiction and non-fiction books available from Amazon. These range from studying for certifications to best practices, and investigative fiction and non-fiction. Most of these are written by our friends and colleagues, including fellow CLIs and CCDIs. See the complete list of books at http://amazon.privateinvestigations.org
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Our Expert Forensic Affiliations
|  We believe that medicolegal investigation and consultation is a team effort. Stephen Cina MD, Harold Schueler PhD, and our agency are affiliated as experts in our respective fields offering our clients comprehensive medicolegal services.
Dr. Cina has returned to Colorado is the former Chief Medical Examiner of a large metropolitan area in the upper mid-west. Dr. Schueler is the Chief Forensic Toxicologist of a large mid-Atlantic metropolitan area.
Contact our office to consult on medicolegal death and injury causation. The CVs of both Dr. Cina and Dr. Schueler are available by Contacting Us .
We are proud of our working relationship with Dr. Cina, since 2002 and Dr. Schueler since 2010.
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Tidbits from Our Profession
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Upcoming ConferencesWorld Investigators Conference hosted by the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI) and PI Magazine2016 World Investigators / TALI Conference August 16-19, 2016 La Torretta Lake Resort and Conference Center on Lake Conroe Details at http://2016wic.comWAD 2016 Annual Conference September 13th to the 18th, 2016 in Bucharest, Romania You are invite to join the WAD Board in the historic city of Bucharest Romania!
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Associations and News of Our Profession
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Professional Private investigations Association of Colorado ( www.PPIAC.org) Monthly meetings are the first Wednesday of each month, usually in the Denver metro area. PPIAC will begin holding training sessions specific to the new licensing program. PPIAC Annual Conference - September 22-24, 2016Join investigators from around the country in participating in world class training at the 2016 Rocky Mountain Private Investigators Conference held in beautiful Denver, Colorado, September 22-24. Conference is being held in the middle of downtown Denver at the Renaissance Denver Downtown City Center Hotel, located at 918 17th Street, Denver, CO 80202 amidst the luster of all the city has to offer. Register now and make your reservations to be part of this world class training event!Great speakers and topics lined up! https://ppiac.wildapricot.org/event-2067798 The Basics of Building Your PI Business - August 13, 2016PPIAC brings back training for new PIs! Learn the basics of getting in and starting your PI business! This class is specifically designed for newcomers to the private investigation industry. It will give you the basics of starting your business. We will discuss Colorado's licensing law, business structure, marketing, database usage, ethics, website development, and other topics to help you get started in the industry. The all-day event will feature training from successful professional investigators with years of experience in building their business.Not restricted to PIs in Colorado - all, rookie and veteran professional investigators, are welcome! https://ppiac.wildapricot.org/widget/event-2152769 National Association of Legal Investigators ( www.NALI.com)
NALI is the premier association for legal investigators for civil plaintiff and criminal defense, and oversees the prestigious Certified Legal Investigator (CLI) program. Experience is required to join and all members are subject to a background check.
The current issue of NALI's official journal - The Legal Investigator - is now available online at www.nalionline.org/publications.htm
National Council of Investigation and Security Services ( www.NCISS.org)
NCISS Regulatory Alert -- Drone Rule Released
The following is an alert from the NCISS Legislative Committee and LobbyIt.
*** FAA Announces FINAL Drone rule ***
On Tuesday, June 21, 2016 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released their final rule on the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV - or "drones"), covering a broad spectrum of commercial uses for drones weighing less than 55 pounds.
Presently NCISS is watching this activity, and will keep our members and profession advised of any progress and concerns.
Archives of this and previous NCISS Legislative Alerts can be found at: http://conta.cc/ZoQsTl
Updated Benefits for NCISS Members!
NCISS has been advocating for the investigative & security professions for 40 years. This being the single most important benefit of membership. What are the other benefits?
The current issue of NCISS's official newsletter - Your Advocate - is now available online at www.nciss.org/your-advocate. NCISS is the voice of investigators and security personnel at the federal level. The primary mission of NCISS is to watch federal legislation and work with members to take appropriate action to support beneficial, or oppose harmful, legislation in the course of performing their professional services. Dean is the editor of Your Advocate. Members of NCISS receive a copy of the newsletter three times a year. The current bi-monthly issue of The eAdvocate, and all NCISS Legislative Alerts, and key benefits are posted at http://conta.cc/ZoQsTl.
WAD is a global alliance of investigators and security professionals with origins dating back to 1921 and formalized in 1925. WAD is the longest established and largest association of its kind in the world. Karen is the WAD Administrative Manager, and Dean is the Governor of the Americas (North, Central and South America). Together we work to further the mission of WAD and provide resources to clients needing assistance in these regions. The WAD magazine, Beyond Global, is available online at http://www.wad.net/newsletters-beyond-global. Additional memberships include FALI, TALI and CALI state associations, as well as specialty specific national associations (see right side-bar).
If your association has news, please send it to us for inclusion in our newsletter.
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From the News
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When DNA Implicates the Innocent (Scientific American and Forensic Magazine)
The criminal justice system's reliance on DNA evidence, often treated as infallible, carries significant risks. As virtually every field in forensics has come under increased scientific scrutiny in recent years, especially those relying on comparisons such as bite-mark and microscopic hair analysis, the power of DNA evidence has grown-and for good reason. Like any piece of evidence, however, DNA is just one part of a larger picture.
Forensic Investigation - What Is A Forensic Investigation?
From our friends at PI Now - a good article on forensic investigations - not just the CSI stuff.
Forensic investigators are not just for police departments. The word forensic simply means applying scientific applications or techniques to investigate a crime. When most of us think of forensic investigation, we think of CSI and laboratories; however, there are actually a number of different techniques for forensic investigation.
States prevail on breath (but not blood) tests without a warrant
US Supreme Court blog
Laws in twelve states that impose criminal penalties on suspected drunk drivers who refuse to take a breath test to measure the alcohol in their bodies got a nod from the US Supreme Court today. On a day that saw the Court deadlock in two cases, six of the Court's eight Justices agreed that such laws do not violate the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches. But today was not a complete victory for the states: seven Justices also agreed that laws which impose criminal penalties for failing to take a blood test violate the Constitution. Continued at www.scotusblog.com/2016/06/opinion-analysis-states-prevail-on-breath-but-not-blood-tests-without-a-warrant
A capital case unfolds in two parts: In the "guilt" phase of a trial, prosecutors seek to prove a defendant's culpability beyond a reasonable doubt. If they win a conviction, a "penalty phase" follows, to decide whether a defendant will receive a death sentence.
The penalty phase is a murkier realm. The Supreme Court added it to capital trials in 1976 (following a four-year de facto moratorium on executions), in an effort to ensure a fairer and less arbitrary way for jurors to determine who should live and who should die.
In the penalty phase, attorneys present "aggravating" and "mitigating" factors. Aggravating factors weigh on the side of culpability: How cruel or heinous was the crime? Was the victim a child? Did the defendant show remorse?
Mitigation is, in essence, the opposite: It can weigh in defendants' favor during sentencing, by humanizing them for jurors and helping to explain their crimes.
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| The Quint-Essential Qualities of a Professional Investigator... | Skills Appropriate for the Assignment
Law firms and medical offices specialize - Professional Investigators also specialize. Their casework and continuing education should also be in your specialized areas.
Experience and Knowledge
Professional Investigators strive to maintain and further these. All professions have requirements of continuing education. The CLI and CCDI programs both require extensive compliance with continuing education.
Responsible and Ethical Conduct
Every component of the investigation has evidentiary considerations. Professional Investigators hold themselves to a higher standard and leaves no question as to the admissibility of their evidence. Information without ethics is not evidence.
Effective Communication
Professional Investigators maintain communication with the attorney, client, witnesses, and other key persons in the investigation. Moreover, reports are the product of an organized investigation and should reflect the work product you expect.
Keyword - 'Professional'
Honesty, Integrity & Intelligence. These define Professional Investigators and gives you the confidence that your case is in competent and skilled hands.
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In Closing...
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FAA Drone Rules - Why Both Halves Are Important - NCISS and Your State Association
The recent alert (above), and the work of Colorado's Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) Legislative Committee demonstrates the importance of both halves - the state association and NCISS. In the last two sessions, the PPIAC Legislative Committee saw an 'Emerging Technologies' bill introduced. Although it started as no immediate concern, knowing NCISS has been watching FAA regulations emerge and legislation in several states take PIs by surprise, these were watched closely and soon turned into concerns. PPIAC President Ryan Johnston and Andrea, as well as others, were at the state capitol frequently with the PPIAC lobbyist to monitor the bills and meet with legislators. These bills did not make it through. Another may be introduced in the next session, time will tell. In our professions we must watch both state and federal legislation and regulations. No association can do both, and association leaders need the support and participation of members.
As NCISS President, I have received several comments from other state associations about their own drone legislation - some gained exemptions or waivers, and others did not - some have complete bans on uses by PIs. Those with complete bans were enacted at the early use of drones several years ago and at the time the concerns were not seen by the association members.
It is a very difficult job to monitor legislation and even more difficult to take personal time - which means away from running a business - to be at the capitol on behalf of members and our profession. What every state association, or NCISS, accomplishes benefits the profession as a whole in your and nationally. That is why your support, including as members, is so important.
Together We're Better - and with you joining your state association, and both you and your state association joining NCISS - we can all make a difference!
-- Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI
President, NCISS
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We specialize in helping other PIs and attorneys assisting families. Contact our agency any time - we're there when you need us. Together We're Better - We Make the Difference!
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Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC
 | | Dean and Karen Beers |
Specializes in the Expert Consultations and Legal Investigations of Personal Injuries, Negligence and Death in Civil, Criminal and Probate litigation.
We provide investigations and consultations of any death or serious bodily injury case nationwide with the conveniences of modern technology and assistance of our local professional friends and colleagues.
In addition, we continue to provide Individual Locates, Backgrounds and Assets & Liabilities for your Civil, Criminal, Probate and Domestic Relations litigation. Additional information at www.deathcasereview.com/general-services.html
Call us today, we're glad to help!
We are the PRIDE of Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC - Professional Reliable Investigators Defining Excellence in every assignment.
Thank You. Please contact us with any questions or for additional information on these topics and our related services.
Sincerely,
Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI
Karen S. Beers, BSW, CCDI
Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC
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Newsletter and Press Release Archives from July 2010
< Click Here >
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Featured Articles
Dean and Karen have several articles published, some are available for reprint.
For details email:
Associates@Forensic-Investigators.com
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Find Us at:
 | | Find us and 'Like' us! |
Dean is at:
Karen is at:
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Professional Associations
Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC)
National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI)
National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS)
World Association of Detectives (WAD) Inner Circle of Investigators (ICI) Criminal Defense Investigation Council (CDITC) National Defender Investigator Association (NDIA) Florida Association of Licensed Investigators (FALI) Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI) California Association of Licensed Investigators (CALI) National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) International Association for Identification (IAI) and (RMDIAI) |
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