Sandy Smith found herself mostly on her own as she tried to understand what happened to her son, Stephen Smith, in July 2015. With conflicting reports between the investigative agencies, apparent disagreement between officers and the medical examiner, and the differing versions of Stephen’s death certificate, she felt in her gut something was wrong. She had no idea who or what killed her son, nor did she know why he was found nearly three miles from his vehicle.
When officials let her down, Sandy took matters into her own hands. It’s intimidating to launch your own investigation, but here are some tips to get started:
Write Down Everything You Already Know
Catalog all of the details you know to be true about the incident you are investigating, especially if you are a witness to what happened. This will help keep the details front and center in your mind and give you a starting spot for the next step.
Make a List (or Make a Lot of Lists)
Start a list of questions you have about the circumstances you’re investigating. When you finish that list, make a list of the people and/or agencies who may have the information you need so you can remember to get in touch with them.
Send Some FOIA Requests
Using your state’s open records law or the federal Freedom of Information Act, you can ask for a myriad of public documents from various public offices. Keep in mind, specific open records laws vary by state. Your state’s open records laws and what qualifies as a public record is likely available online.
Click here for the Luna Shark guide to submitting FOIA requests.
Work the Phones
Talk to people who may have information about your case, and take good notes about what they say. Always ask if they know of anybody else you should speak with about the issue at hand. If you plan to share what somebody tells you, they should know that before they even start speaking to you. If they ask you not to share what they’re saying, there is an ethical obligation to honor that.
Organize Your Information
Keeping your information organized makes a difference, especially if you need to share your findings with a journalist or the police. Generally, it’s a good bet to keep your documents in order by date. Depending on the circumstances, it may also make sense to keep different types of records (for example, property records versus police reports) separate, but still organize them by date.
Click here for advice on how to start your own timeline.
Be Careful of What You Allege Publicly
When investigating, it can be tempting to quickly share your findings on social media, especially if you are seeing evidence of corruption or other egregious behavior on the part of public officials. Keep in mind that you could be sued in civil court if you slander or libel someone, and you can be charged criminally in some states. Do not allege things you cannot back up with documentation.
Contact Beth Braden
Beth Braden
Beth Braden is an award-winning investigative journalist who cut her reporting teeth in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee. She joined the LUNASHARK® Media team in 2023 as a researcher and journalist who handles FOIA requests, wading through and analyzing public records, and connecting with sources. She also provides a monthly update for premium members called Soundbites, which is a monthly review of everything happening at LUNASHARK®, and she occasionally writes and records for True Sunlight. Beth has her own solo podcast called Time of Death, which explores the 1992 homicide of Tommy Griffin and Connie Branam in East Tennessee.
Prior to joining the team, Beth’s newspaper work had taken her into deep-dive stories about faith-based serpent handling and Appalachian coal mining, as well as data journalism work to analyze euthanasia drug irregularities at an animal shelter, uncover the most dangerous intersections on her beat, and see whether or not the local judge’s rulings passed muster when cases were appealed to the state appellate court. And of course, she’s been to her fair share of court hearings, city council meetings, and board of education work sessions.
In addition to her newspaper experience, her byline appears on HGTV.com, nytimes.com, and other internationally known websites.
In her spare time, she enjoys quilting, rock climbing, strange museums, and good cups of coffee.
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