Private Investigators Research Murder Cases

The title “private investigator” often conjures up images in most people’s minds of the stereotypical 1950′s sleuth with a tilted fedora, snapping secret photos of sultry women sneaking off with another man.  Today, adultery investigations are still a huge part of what private investigators do, but it certainly isn’t the only part.   Private investigators are being called in more than ever for a wider variety of cases, especially in cases where the police are already involved.

One such case of private investigators being called in after a police investigation is currently making headlines, involving a mother, Mary Zumwalt, who is on trial for the murder of her 8 year-old daughter.  This is not a rare occurrence, and police and private investigators have always crossed paths in the field.  Commonly, private investigators are able to investigate cases and leads that police can’t because of jurisdictional and legal restrictions.  In other cases, the police may believe that the need for investigation is over and they have their suspect in custody.  This is where private investigators come in, investigating cases like that of Mary Zumwalt.  In this instance, the police believe that Zumwalt is guilty, but her family believes that she isn’t, and decided, with the approval of the judge, to hire an outside private investigator to look into the case.

No private investigator can claim to prove that an accused murderer is innocent, but rather, investigators offer an unbiased look at the case at hand, searching for evidence that police may have missed.  In many cases the additional time and resources that private investigators are able to use can result in additional evidence.  Without the pressure to catch the killer immediately, PIs can slow down and follow more leads, even if they seem unrelated.  This is what Zumwalt’s family is hoping for, believing that a private detective might find some shred of evidence pointing to another killer, even though the police have focused only on Zumwalt.

Private investigators may or may not find evidence of a different killer.  It is certainly not unheard of for innocent people to be found guilty and sent to jail, or even put to death, only to be found innocent years later.  Having a private investigator looking over an accused’s case file before the final court hearing could reduce the chances this will happen, saving victims of wrongful accusations from major emotional and financial damages.

Looking for a private investigator job?  https://www.icsworld.com/Private_Investigator_Jobs

For more information on Mary Zumwalt’s case, see http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Area-mother-charged-with-daughters-murder-private-investigator-to-look-at-case-135702423.html