“Bro…We Ain’t Close.”
(Approx. 3 minute read)
by Stan B. Walters – The Lie Guy
ORCID 0009-0002-1063-0519
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An investigator’s physical positioning is part of the interview. Where we sit, how close we move, and whether the person can comfortably withdraw all deserve attention before we interpret their behavior. An investigator who crowds someone into a corner may contribute to the very defensiveness he later labels suspicious. Whether the person is a suspect, victim, or witness, we need to examine our own conduct before deciding what their reaction means. Getting physically closer does not establish rapport, and a guarded response does not explain itself.
You Put Him in the Corner
A scene in a television program about a murder investigation brought this problem into sharp focus. The subject’s chair was backed against the wall. The investigator sat so close that his knee extended between the subject’s knees, while his hands gestured within roughly a foot of the subject’s face. The investigator then described the man as defensive, “closed up,” and holding something back. But where was the consideration of the physical situation he had created? The subject had little room to move away, yet his reaction was being interpreted without accounting for the investigator’s intrusion.
Defensive in Response to What?
Imagine a stranger moving that close to you, putting a knee between yours, and gesturing near your face. You might lean away, pull your arms inward, turn your body, or ask for more room. Those reactions would be understandable efforts to establish distance. Moving the encounter into an interview room does not eliminate that possibility. Calling someone “defensive” describes an impression; it does not identify the cause. Before concluding that a person is protecting information, consider whether they may be protecting their personal space.
Your Pressure Can Become Your Evidence
The reasoning becomes circular when an investigator assumes concealment, moves closer to apply pressure, and then treats the resulting guarded behavior as confirmation of the original suspicion. The investigator’s contribution disappears from his explanation. That creates a serious problem for evaluating what actually happened: a reaction to the interviewer can be mistaken for a reaction to the question. The behavior still deserves attention, but it requires context and exploration. Crowding someone and then interpreting their withdrawal as evidence of concealment gives the investigator’s assumption more weight than the observation can support.
Give the Person Room Physically and Mentally to Talk
Arrange the interview so the person has reasonable space, and pay attention when they lean or move away. Avoid following every retreat with another advance. If someone becomes guarded, consider your distance, gestures, tone, and questioning before assigning meaning to the change. Adjust the interaction and explore their concerns without assuming you already know the explanation. The goal is to obtain an accurate, detailed account. Physical intrusion can get in the way of that work. Before deciding the subject is “closing up,” ask yourself whether you have given them room to do anything else.
“Choices made in the interview room eventually play out in a courtroom.™”
© Copyright 2026 by Stan B. Walters. All Rights Reserved
Brief excerpts may be quoted with attribution and a link to the original article. Reproduction, redistribution, or use in training materials requires written permission.
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