Associates in Forensic Investigations
Legal Investigators and Expert Consultants
Personal Injury, Negligence & Death
Civil, Criminal & Probate
Equivocal Death Investigations
Colorado (970) 480-7793 + TXT
Quaero Indicium -'To Find the Evidence'
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Greetings Visit Dean and Karen at WIC 2016!
Will you be attending the World Investigators Conference, hosted by PI Magazine and the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI)? It is now upon us - this month, 16th to the 20th at the La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa in Montgomery TX. Details are at www.2016WIC.com We will be there at the seminars and visiting our friends and colleagues at the booths and hope to see you. NCISS has several speakers at WIC - President Dean Beers, Regional Director Mark Gillespie, and Past President Gene Ferraro will all be speaking. Also speaking are NCISS members (some past Board members*) Jimmie Mesis* (and Vendor & Sponsor - PI Magazine), Mike Dores, Steve Rambam, Fernando Fernandez, Harriett Gold, Tim O'Rourke*, Kelly Riddle, and Mike Yergey (Vendor & Sponsor - Yergey Insurance). Nearly half of the speakers! NCISS will have at least one table with 1st VP Terry Myer and Secretary / Past President Francie Koehler, as well as many other members of NCISS helping out. Please stop by and learn about the Two Halves, bring a colleague for discounted memberships and a chance for current and new members to be in a drawing (as a current member, the more new members you bring to sign up - the more chances you earn - 1 per new member; each new member also gets one chance in another drawing). New commentary has been posted on our agency blog...
Investigator Ethics Involving Social Media
Emerging technologies - from drones and GPS to social media and cloud storage - they may help or hinder our investigations, and become the subject of laws, regulations and ethics. Ethics are the moral fiber of a profession. Ethics are not optional - they are as required as laws and regulations - and violating them may lead to administrative punishments from fines to license revocations. The actions of a private investigator, particularly when retained by an attorney, are guided by our own ethics and that of attorneys - and any violations can impact the attorney. Ethics are promulgated by the American Bar Association, and also by the individual state bar associations. It is important to know those applicable to the states in which you conduct business.
Continued at www.deathcasereview.com/afi-llc-blog/investigator-ethics-involving-social-media IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
-- Visit Dean and Karen at WIC 2016!
-- New commentary - Investigator Ethics Involving Social Media
-- Agency News
- What are Equivocal Death Investigations and Analysis?
- Homicides are down, while Natural and Accident deaths rise
- The Question of Suicide
-- Associations and News of our Profession
- News from PPIAC, NALI, NCISS and WAD, and your association news!
- NCISS Regulatory Alert - Monthly Report from Lobbyit
-- From the News
- All Lives Matter - by Ellis Armistead, CLI
- Does Drug Addiction Increase Chance of Suicide? - Guest commentary by Jennifer MacGregor
-- 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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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.
What are Equivocal Death Investigations and Analysis? (originally posted 2/26/2013)
What does it mean to conduct an Equivocal Death Investigation or Analysis (EDI, EDA)? We get asked this question time and time again. An Equivocal Death Investigation is an in depth investigation into a death that has lingering questions. Many families have come to us for help in understanding the circumstances surrounding a loved one's death. The manners of death can be classified as any of the following: homicide, suicide, natural, accident or undetermined. Sometimes the family/loved one of the deceased individual does not agree with the final determination and have a yearning for more answers.
Homicides are down, while Natural and Accident deaths rise (originally posted 02/26/2013)
Statistics for 2010 from the Center for Disease Control for the top five leading causes of death. Slayings (homicide) is no longer on the list, has been since 1965. #5 is accidents and #10 is suicides. The other good news...infant mortality is down 3.9%.
The remaining causes of death in the top 15 for 2010 are those of natural disease processes, with heart disease being the leader.
These statistics reveal a few things...
The Question of Suicide (originally posted 3/18/2013)
From Voltaire, "To the living we owe respect. To the dead we owe only the truth." That is the purpose of an Equivocal Death Analysis and Investigation (EDA or EDI); collectively referred to as equivocal death case review. One of the most common questions in death investigation is: "Was it a Suicide?" This question may often go unanswered due to lack of sufficient official investigation or attention to evidence. This leaves the possibility of closure for the families impossible, particularly if foul play is suspected, or even an accident. The wrong determination can also result in benefits, such as life insurance or workers' compensation, underpaid - or worse, denied.
Proper Death Investigation Protocols Vital to Families (originally posted 6/19/2013)
"It is important to understand that proper death investigation serves an important public health and safety purpose, as well as for the family - both closure and benefits. Some deaths may result in criminal charges, civil litigation, worker compensation claims, or life insurance benefits. There are two components to death investigation - Manner of Death and Cause of Death. The former is one of five classifications: Natural, Accident, Suicide, Homicide and Undetermined. The latter is specific to what disease process or injury and chain of events caused the death - such as cancer, asphyxiation, or drug overdose. Proper death investigation includes a scene investigation, scene assessment of the decedent, collection of evidence, review of medical and social history, and any additional background of the decedent and circumstances. A forensic autopsy is not performed for all deaths; as an example, deaths with clear and current medical history by an attending physician are not autopsied."
Continued at www.deathcasereview.com/afi-llc-blog/proper-death-investigation-protocols-vital-to-families
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
Dean took a step away from forensics and focused on ethics for investigators. Dean starts the show with current issues of PIs in social media and ethics - also the topic of our latest blog commentary. In Conversations with Karen, we discuss the tragedies of the Orlando night club terrorist attack, then the attack and assassinations of Dallas Police officers, and the day of recording our show we had the attack and assassinations of Baton Rouge Police officers. We then discussed new attorney and investigator ethics opinions in Colorado that apply to social media. This is an informative segment in the changing world we live and investigate in.
Dean's Special Guest was friend and colleague, Kitty Hailey CLI - the author of The Code of Professional Conduct. They discuss the release of her 3rd edition - focusing on ethics with new technologies, including social media. AFI-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)
In the month of July, Lobbyit met with the offices of Senator Lamar Alexander to discuss Senate Joint Resolution 34, sponsored in the House by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), and in the Senate by Lamar Alexander (R-TN), which would block implementation of the Department of Labor's proposed "Overtime Rule". Lobbyit also met with Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran's office, and House Speaker Ryan's office to discuss the prospects for the inclusion of a series of important policy riders in an "omnibus" appropriations bill at the end of calendar year 2016.
Details of this report - www.nciss.org/latest-newsUpdated August 2016 - 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? http://conta.cc/2aNGIvI 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. WAD 91st Annual Conference at the Athenee Palace Hilton in Bucharest, Romania from 09/13 to 09/18.Tuesday September 13, 2016 - Arrival Wednesday September 14, 2016 - Board Meeting and Welcome Reception Thursday September 15, 2016 - General Business Meeting and Tour Friday September 16, 2016 - General Business Meeting, Past President's Brunch and Seminars Saturday September 17, 2016 - Seminars, New Board Meeting, and Gala Banquet
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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Investigation of Law Enforcement's use of Deadly Force
By Ellis Armistead, CLI - Armistead Investigators
Given the events of last week, I feel compelled to speak my mind. Some of you will agree and some will disagree. That's ok. We need constructive debate.
I approach this subject as a former law enforcement officer and currently as a criminal defense investigator.
I have been "on both sides of the fence" and have friends and colleagues on both sides as well. I have also served as an expert witness in police use of force cases, including deadly shootings. I have the utmost respect for the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect us.
Kurt Cobain - Homicide vs. Suicide Conspiracy Theories Renewed
Dean saw a presentation in June of the theories. He had some expert issues with them, specific to this shotgun and misinformation that was given to the audience. In addition, there were concerns of apparent assumptions and theories as fact and evidence. The related documentary, 'Soaked in Bleach' was not informative or swaying - for the same reasons.
For example, there is presented a theory that this semi-automatic shotgun could not reload after a discharge if Kurt Cobain were actually holding the barrel - preventing the barrel movement from cycling the action. This is not how semi-automatic shotguns operate. In the end of the presentation and documentary, there was no compelling information or evidence of homicide. However, we have not been provided the materials or opportunity to independently review this celebrity death.
Does Drug Addiction Increase Chance of Suicide?
Contributed to our agency blog by Jennifer MacGregor
Of all reported suicides, over 50% are associated with dependence upon drugs and alcohol. In teens and young adults, this figure increases to over 70%. The relationship between substance abuse and suicide is complex, but those who suffer are not beyond help. Why Substance Abuse and Suicide Are Correlated
As separate issues, both substance abuse and suicidal ideations are serious and must be properly addressed with medical professionals. However, these two issues are often intertwined, and researchers have tried to parse out their complex relationship. There are a number of reasons for the co-occurrence of substance abuse and suicidal behaviors
Continued at www.deathcasereview.com/afi-llc-blog/does-drug-addiction-increase-chance-of-suicide
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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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We hope to see you, and meet many new friends and colleagues for the first time, at the World Investigators Conference. Be sure and reach out to us. Our office number will follow us - call or text!
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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!
Don't forget to share our newsletters. If you are receiving this from a friend < subscribe here >
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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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