Statement analysis — also called truth analysis — starts from a central observation: people who deceive speak differently from people who tell the truth. Not because they are lying nonstop, but because they subtly adjust their language to sound credible.

Most deceivers tell just enough truth to appear convincing while omitting crucial information—often out of shame, guilt, or fear of being caught. That tension between wanting to sound credible and not telling everything leaves traces in their language—traces statement analysts can recognize and examine.

Through a truth analysis, we can not only determine whether someone is being deceptive. In cold cases—such as the disappearance of Natalee Holloway—we can also reconstruct what likely happened: a forensic reconstruction (see podcast).

Baete is the first statement analyst to link his analysis to a forensic reconstruction. Anyone can learn to listen more carefully and detect deception. It all starts with attention to language.