These are phrased for interviewing the victim but can be modified to use with other witnesses.
Changes in Life Circumstances
Have there been recent changes in your life? Examples:
- Death of a spouse
- Diagnosis of serious medical condition
- Loss of assets
- Activities you have discontinued
- Frequency of visits with family and/or friends
- Loss of animal companion (pet)
Isolation
- How often do you leave home?
- What do you do when you leave?
- Can you drive yourself?
- Do you have a license?
- Do you have a car?
- Is the car in working order?
- Who are your close friends?
- Family?
- When is the last time you visited them?
- When is the last time they saw you?
- Why are you seeing them less often? (Check for planted information, cutting off from family and friends, and isolation.)
- Do you go to church, synagogue, or mosque?
- Did you used to go?
- When did you stop participating?
- Why?
- Do you see the mail when it arrives?
- Do you read it?
- Did you previously?
- Who gets and reads the mail?
- Why the change?
- If you need to use the telephone, where is it?
- Can you reach it?
- Is it in working order?
- Do you know your phone number?
- Have there been changes in the service?
- Do you have a radio?
- Do you have a television?
- Do you watch or listen?
- How often?
- If not, did you previously do so?
- Why did it change?
- Can you hear the radio or television?
- Can you see the television?
- Whose idea was it to stop?
- Do you receive a newspaper?
- If not, did you previously receive a paper?
- When did it stop?
- Why?
- Do you have a computer?
- Has your access to e-mail or the Internet changed?
- Why?
Questions about the Suspect and Relationship
- Are there any new people in your life?
- Who?
- How did you meet?
- When?
- How often do you see them?
- Given gifts to them?
- Made loans?
- Offered to pay for things for them?
- Paid for things for them?
- Have they offered to do things for you?
- How would you describe your relationship?
- Does the suspect live with you?
- Why?
- When did they move in?
- Do they pay rent?
- What do they do within your home?
- What do you know of the suspect’s life?
- Are they married?
- Do they have children?
- Where did [suspect] live before?
Questions about Financial Decision Making
- How do you decide how to spend your money?
- For giving gifts?
- To whom have you previously given items of value?
- On what occasions?
- Do you have a will?
- Any changes to it?
- Why?
- Were there changes to the people to receive bequests?
- The amount they were to receive?
- Any new beneficiaries?
- What has your relationship been to the people in the first will?
- What changes have there been?
- Do you live on a fixed budget?
- Do you have concerns about having enough money to last for your lifetime?
- To provide inheritances?
- For whom?
- What advanced planning have you done?
- Who assisted you with those plans?
- Are there written documents?
- Where are they?
- Have you changed your plans?
- If so, in what way?
- When?
- Why?
- Did someone suggest that you make those changes?
- Did you consult your attorney/financial advisor/professional in making the changes?
- Was it the same professional who helped with the original documents?
- If not, is there a reason you went to someone else?
- Who suggested the new professional to help you?
- Did someone drive you to the meeting where the new documents were prepared?
- Who witnessed the signing?
- Who was present during the meetings with the professional?
- Who paid for the professional’s services?
- Where do you bank?
- How long have you banked there?
- Have there been any changes to your bank accounts?
- Any names added to the account?
- Any new accounts opened?
- Where do monthly statements come?
- Have you checked the statements recently?
- How much money is in your checking account? Savings?
- IRAs?
- Other accounts?
- If there have been changes, who selected the new bank?
- Did anyone drive you to the bank to make the changes?
- Have you executed a power of attorney?
- Whom have you designated to be your decision maker?
- Did you have another POA?
- Who was the decision maker in the earlier POA?
- Why did you make the change?
- Who suggested it?
Questions about Fear
- Are there people you are afraid of?
- Does anyone make you uncomfortable?
- Do you think someone wants to put you in a nursing home or move you out of your home?
- Steal your money?
- Why do you believe that?
Other Witnesses
- Has the victim suffered a loss?
- Grieving?
- Financial?
- Is the victim ill?
- Has there been any recent change in health status?
- Is the victim depressed?
- Is there any history of mental illness, including depression?
- Is the victim isolated?
- In what ways?
- By whom?
- What is the relationship between victim and suspect?
- How does each party characterize the relationship? Is the victim different since the suspect entered the victim’s life?
