Behind the Badge of a Private Investigator: More Than Just Finding the Facts

For more than three decades, I have worked as a private investigator. During that time, I have investigated murders, aggravated assaults, armed robberies, civil matters, background cases, and many other situations where finding the truth mattered.

When people hear the words “private investigator,” many immediately think about what they have seen on television—following people, taking pictures from parked cars, or solving a case in less than an hour.

Real investigative work is very different.

A good investigator must know how to listen, observe, ask the right questions, recognize inconsistencies, locate witnesses, examine evidence, and most importantly, avoid jumping to conclusions.

One of the greatest lessons I learned during my career is this:

Evidence must always come before assumptions.

Sometimes the Investigator Finds What Others Missed

I have worked on cases where someone was facing many years in prison and one witness, one document, or one overlooked detail changed the direction of the case.

In one vehicular homicide investigation, an important witness had called 911 but was no longer living in Georgia. I was eventually able to locate that witness in Miami.

The attorney and I traveled there and conducted an in-person interview.

That witness provided information that became extremely important to the defense. The defendant had been facing the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence, but the case ultimately had a much different outcome.

That experience reinforced something I had already learned many times:

Never assume that all of the important evidence has already been discovered.

Sometimes investigators have to keep digging.

Witnesses Can Change Everything

Witness interviews are among the most important parts of an investigation.

But interviewing someone is more than simply asking, “What happened?”

You must determine:

What did the person actually see?

Where were they standing?

How far away were they?

What were the lighting conditions?

Did they know the people involved?

Have they changed their story?

Are they repeating something someone else told them?

Do they have a reason to be dishonest?

A witness can sound confident and still be wrong.

That is why investigators must verify information whenever possible.

I Have Seen People Wrongly Accused

One of the most troubling experiences for any investigator is working on a case involving someone who may have been wrongly accused.

I have investigated cases where serious accusations were made based largely upon witness statements.

In one murder case, two young men were accused of a crime they said they did not commit. As the investigation developsserious questions emerged about the credibility of the person accusing them.

Cases like that remind us why our justice system requires investigations.

Being arrested does not automatically mean someone is guilty.

Being accused does not make an accusation true.

The investigator’s responsibility is not to decide who deserves punishment.

Our responsibility is to search for facts.

Private Investigators Must Be Willing to Go Where the Evidence Leads

Sometimes the evidence helps the client.

Sometimes it does not.

A professional investigator cannot change facts simply because a client does not like what was discovered.

Integrity is everything in this profession.

If an investigator loses credibility, that investigator becomes ineffective.

Attorneys, prosecutors, judges, clients, and juries must be able to believe that the investigator conducted the investigation fairly and professionally.

What My Career Has Taught Me

After decades of investigative work, I have learned that small details can become major evidence.

I have learned that people sometimes lie.

I have also learned that people sometimes make honest mistakes.

I have learned that witnesses who appear unimportant can become the most important people in an investigation.

And I have learned that you should never stop investigating simply because someone tells you, “That’s everything.”

There may always be another witness.

Another document.

Another camera.

Another phone call.

Another piece of evidence.

Another question that needs to be asked.

Why I Now Teach Investigative Skills

My years in this profession are also one of the reasons I created Frontline Investigator Training Academy.

There are lessons you can learn from textbooks, but there are other lessons that come only from experience.

My goal is to share some of those real-world lessons with people who are considering investigative work, criminal justice students, security professionals, and others who want to understand how investigations are actually conducted.

I want future investigators to understand something before they ever work their first serious case:

Your investigation can affect someone’s freedom, reputation, family, career, and future.

That responsibility should never be taken lightly.

Private investigation is not about looking important.

It is not about carrying a badge.

And it is certainly not about pretending to be a television detective.

It is about patience.

It is about professionalism.

It is about asking questions.

It is about following evidence.

And above everything else—

It is about finding the truth.

Join the Conversation

What would you like to know about the real world of private investigation?

Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing more stories, lessons, investigative techniques, mistakes investigators should avoid, and actual situations from my years working criminal and civil cases.

The public usually see the arrest and the courtroom. I want to show you what happens during the investigation in between.

Marvin Dixon/Founder

VMGreview.com, Verifacts Investigation, and Frontline Investigator Training Academy.