Trouble Locating Anyone? E-Newsletter Article
In the summer of 2018, Texas Investigative Network, Inc. was retained by a law firm client to locate a Witness (Subject) in a civil lawsuit. This Subject, a former city employee who worked in the waste management division, was believed to have first-hand knowledge contradicting opposing counsel’s argument regarding the cause of a dry well flooding during a recent storm.
Initially, our law firm client provided TIN the Subject’s name and a possible address. After exhausting all open source, proprietary computer databases, courthouse records, social media, and a variety of online informational sources, TIN was left with a few outdated addresses and telephone numbers, none which proved helpful in confirming a current residential address or employment for our Subject.
In addition to the above irrelevant information, TIN developed a telephone number for the Subject’s father. Investigator Dillender contacted the father, who informed him that he is estranged from the Subject and the rest of family and had not spoken with them in over a year. The father provided Investigator Dillender a general geographic area of where the Subject and family members were now believed to be residing, yet also stated that he did not know the actual address.
Investigator Dillender traveled to the East Texas area provided by the Subject’s father. After knocking on multiple doors, Investigator Dillender was eventually able to make contact with the Subject’s mother, who informed him that the Subject lives in a trailer on the property; however, he was currently at work. Investigator Dillender provided the Subject’s mother his personal cell number for her son (our Subject) to contact him.
Subject Locate Investigation Results
After several days, the Subject contacted Investigator Dillender, who coordinated a phone call between the Subject and our client. While on this call, the Subject provided details about the incident which were very favorable to our client. Our Subject also agreed to cooperate in a deposition, if needed.
TIN recognizes the importance of utilizing every possible on-line source, computer database and informational lead when conducting locate assignments. Many difficult locate assignments are in fact resolved successfully via computer research and/or via telephone inquiries. Field work tenaciously carried out is often the most opportunistic means for uncovering current and critical intel for our clients.
About the Author:
Bill Pellerin is the founder and President of Texas Investigative Network, Inc., a Texas Corporation founded in 1994. The company employs licensed investigators in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, McAllen, and San Antonio, Texas, and conducts investigations for several major Texas corporations, law firms, insurance companies, and financial institutions. Learn more