Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with investigation

It's urban scavenger hunt time!!

wile e — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:41:26 -0800

Bored on a lazy Sunday afternoon? How about helping me come up with ideas/suggestions on how I should plan an urban scavenger hunt? We're planning an urban scavenger hunt for a major city and was looking for some ideas/tips on what we should do. I've searched a bit online looking for help with planning, but have been coming up a bit short. It'll be for teams of 2-4ppl, and 10-20 teams.

The group will be mostly in the 20s and 30s age groups so it doesn't need to be aimed at younger crowds. I have found a lot of family/children ones though.

There will be the standard clues of finding historical places and taking photos of this or that, but I want this to be fun, crazy and maybe a little over the top! Ideas can include things that need to be accomplished. Or done with proof. We're open to all ideas, as this is not for an organized group. We're just looking for a fun adventure.

So has anybody done a really fun one? Have any crazy ideas? Are there any guidelines? Some book of rules that is published somewhere?

Not looking for city specific ideas, we have that covered. But for those curious, it will be held in Helsinki, Finland. A smaller city, that has great public transportation.

Any and all ideas/thoughts welcome!

Thanks!

Cold Case Investigation Resource

gm2007 — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:09:02 -0800

I am currently working on a murder investigation ("cold case") for a journalism project that I am working on. I have access to a lot of witnesses and evidence. I am looking for the best resource (treatise, primer, etc.) to use in conducting the investigation.

Is my online friend an imaginary one?

justonegirl — Tue, 22 May 2007 15:49:53 -0800

How can I go about verifying some information on someone I've been corresponding with online for years, but recently am starting to doubt? (He's in Vancouver, BC; I'm in the U.S.) I've known this person (online only) for about 7 years, and thus should have been able to lay to rest any doubts about the truthfulness of what he tells me, right? Well, this may sound ridiculous, but I just watched "The Night Listener" and parts of it really struck a chord. Just some information, beyond emails/chats/a voice on the telephone, would help to put my mind at ease.

As sneaky and distrusting as it is, I'd like to try to verify some of the information this person is giving me, but I'm stumped as to how to proceed. I've already looked in the online white-pages type of sites for Vancouver, BC and found nothing; I've also Googled his (rather unusual) name and still nothing. I took a stab at calling the branch of the company where I believe he works, and using the "dial-by-name" feature, but it didn't produce anything. I also contacted some Vancouver-based private investigators, but their costs were rather prohibitive ($400-600+) for what is really just a nagging concern.

Any ideas on how to track down (from afar) the validity of someone's information? (Specifically, I'm thinking areas like employment, marital/parental status, major health crises, etc.) Thanks in advance.

David Simonize me

Bookhouse — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 12:26:35 -0800

What can I do to learn more about crime (without becoming a criminal)? I write crime fiction, and am looking to seriously expand my knowledge base of cops and robbers and all that good stuff. I'm not looking for any book suggestions (I have shelves of them). Instead, I'm looking for either a part-time job or classes to take. The obvious job for me would be a reporter on the police beat, so suggestions relating to that are welcome, but I'm looking for other ideas as well. (I don't have a lot of non-writing job experience). As far as classes, I'm not as interested in theories of criminology as I am in forensics, interrogation techniques or other hands-on training.

The more concrete the suggestions, the better. I live in NYC.

Looking for good mystery novels/films centered around missing persons.

SmileyChewtrain — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:51:07 -0800

I'm doing research (for a writing project) into Film Noirs and Mystery Pulps, and I'm looking for good selections of a certain plot type: the "missing person" scenario. Any recommendations for books or movies that are good examples of this "follow-the-clues" style story would be greatly appreciated. I'm fairly familiar with the genre, but as is usually the case when in need, I've forgotten most of the films and books I've come across that fit the bill for this project. As far as movies go, some examples I can give off the top of my head are "The Vanishing," "Chinatown," or "The Third Man." Unfortunately I can't think of any good Chandler, Hammett or Spillane books at the moment that fit this plot, but I'm sure I've come across a few.

I'm really interested in finding stories in which a small "personal" investigation gradually unravels to reveal a situation of a much larger scope. "Kiss Me Deadly" has this type of stake raising, only the investigation centers around a missing object, not a person.

Examples of this plot type that have struck you as unique takes on the subject would be excellent, as would more typical (though "quintessential" would be preferred) examples. Thanks very much!

Crime fighting comic books minus super heroes?

aebaxter — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:07:20 -0800

Crime fighting comic books minus super heroes? I'd love recommendations for comic book equivalents of crime fighting/investigative television dramas. I'm basically looking for the comic book equivalent of television shows that I enjoy - Bones, Law and Order (all various incarnations), X-Files. All of these shows feature a strong main character or duo investigating case after case in various interesting circumstances, no super heroes involved - I'd love to find a comic book series I could get into in the same way. Bonus points for pairs with fabulous unresolved sexual tension, though I'd be happy with just an interesting main character.

They were lost, but know they are found?

docgonzo — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 07:55:51 -0800

How can I find someone who's missing, and probably wants to stay that way? Subject lives in or around Montreal, Quebec.

I have some ideas of ways to proceed -- looking for more advice. Thanks!

is the Man onto me, man?

Anonymous — Sat, 27 May 2006 17:50:53 -0800

How sinister is a pre-employment "investigative consumer report" that includes interviews with acquaintances? What do those interviews involve exactly? I want to apply for a job that is planning to do a consumer report on me. This report is "for employment purposes only," but will include information "bearing on [my] character, general reputation, personal characteristics, and/or mode of living," partially obtained through personal interviews with "people acquainted with [me]" It'll also involve more (in my mind) standard background checks on my criminal record, driving record, past employment, credit history, and so on.

The personal interview part has got me curious. How are these investigations are carried out? Do they subcontract them to some kind of private detective firm? How do they figure out who my acqaintances are, and how in-depth are the interviews? If they find something sketchy about me, would they conceivably report it to the police etc, or is it truly for employment purposes only?

My situation: I'm a pretty responsible and upstanding citizen for the most part and all conventional background checks should clear me. However, I do have a fairly recent history of enthusiastic psychedelic drug use that a lot of my acquaintances know about, and am close to some radical political types, so the idea of someone snooping around trying to dig up dirt on me makes me a bit paranoid. I have a feeling it's probably more along the lines of "does anonymous eat babies? No? OK then!" but want to be sure before I consent to anything.

Tools for Journalists...

Heminator — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 08:00:10 -0800

Say you're an investigative journalist. What web resources would regularly come in handy for looking into people's backgrounds, sniffing out political info, property information, business/corporate dealings etc.?

Question number 14692

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Feb 2005 15:10:24 -0800

A friend from junior high tracked me down by phone a few years ago (we'd been out of touch for about 15 years), which jump-started our friendship. We’ve never met up again in person (I left our home town years ago), but we stayed in touch via phone calls and email. For various reasons, however, I’ve begun to suspect that I’m being hoaxed in some way. I don't mean that I think this a stranger impersonating my friend, or that I’ve been swindled out of any money or anything. I've just started to get the funny feeling (due to inconsistencies, odd details, explanations that don’t always add up, etc.) that the story I've been given about where they're living, their career (supposedly a high-powered, adventurous one), etc. is just that -- a story that was made up, for some reason, to fool me after all these years.

My amateur detective skills pretty much begin and end with google, however, which has turned up nothing useful. I thought of checking military records (this person claims to have served after college) as a starting point, but I'm a civilian and so can’t access them. Of course I'm wary of the "find out the truth about anyone -- just $39.95!" online ads. Are there any (legitimate) resources I’m overlooking? Any other suggestions with how to deal with what has become an uncomfortable situation?