Interrogation Tactics Faulted In Pr. George's

Two weeks after he questioned Shipman in early August 2000, Nelson conducted another interrogation that became controversial.

On Aug. 24, 2000, Nelson obtained a false murder confession from a teenager. It was one of three false admissions to murder The Washington Post documented in a series of articles in 2001.

Nelson did not respond to a phone message seeking comment.

Barbara Hamm, a police spokeswoman, would not specifically address Nelson's conduct in the Karibi-Ikiriko case. In a written response to a series of questions, she said, "The prosecution determined that Ms. Ikiriko's statement was sufficiently voluntary and free of Constitutional defects that it sought to introduce it for admission as evidence. Corporal Nelson's performance in this case and others is subject to periodic critique by his supervisor and the Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division. This process should identify areas for enhanced training and continuing education for investigators."

In general, she wrote in the response, "The fact that a trial court suppressed a witness statement does not in itself mean that the interrogating detective engaged in wrongful conduct."

State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said a prosecutor is available to detectives around the clock if they are unsure about what they can do legally during an interrogation.

"Overall, I think the detectives are doing a good job," Ivey said, noting that 45 of 50 murder or manslaughter cases this year have ended with a conviction, sometimes on a lesser charge, or plea bargain.

A 1981 U.S. Supreme Court decision requires law enforcement officers to stop questioning a suspect the moment he or she asks for an attorney, several legal experts said. The concept has become part of popular culture, with television police dramas often showing scenes in which detectives stop questioning suspects the moment they "lawyer up."

"This isn't particularly complicated. I think most police agents know that when someone wants a lawyer, you cease all interrogation," said Washington lawyer Aitan Goelman, a former federal prosecutor who now represents white-collar defendants.

A suspect could change his mind and waive the right to an attorney, provided there's no prodding by an officer, Goelman said.

Defense attorneys said they were troubled that a veteran homicide detective would ignore a basic legal principle.

"I think the leadership of the police department tries to divorce itself from what is going on in interrogation rooms," said Joseph M. Niland, the chief public defender in Prince George's. "If the leadership cracked down on this, it would be stopped."