Murder Suspect Talks

Sadly, a young mother of three children, Sherri Carman, was brutally murdered in mid-January in Brevard County, Florida. She was struck by a large pipe and bludgeoned to death. Police arrested her long-time friend, Michael Townson.

After Townson was picked up, at first he confessed to killing Carman but then reneged his story and is now blaming his daughter’s boyfriend.

While the story, actions and behavior of Mr. Townson don’t support his newly claimed innocence to anyone watching, watching Mr. Townson speak and tell his new version of what happened is very telling.

Watch the video here: It’s in on the right side of the window. You can right-click on it – and enlarge it to full screen. Click on Zoom, then on Full Screen.

If Mr. Townson is telling the truth NOW, we would expect to see some confidence and certainty. Is Mr. Townson confident?

Watch his body language, facial expressions and the words he uses when he talks. At 1 minute and 44 seconds, he says, “I should have never left her (Carman) there with that person.”

That person? That person is his daughter’s boyfriend. Is that how you would refer to him? Usually, you would refer to him by name. The fact that he isn’t is odd. It’s a little red flag. Something out of place.

Next, watch his lips (1:44). Mr. Townson squeezes them together and inward. This movement of his lips can be taken as a sign of insecurity, doubt, or potentially a sign that he is withholding information. This is clearly not a confident response. If Mr. Townson was certain he should have never left Carman there with this other guy — he would not be expressing doubt, but he is.

Try this: Say something you are very confident about. Go ahead. Say something you are passionate about and believe in. Now when you are finished, make that expression with your lips. How does it feel?

Can you do it? It is exceptionally difficult, if not possible at all.

Continue watching the video. Right after that, Townson says, “But I did.” (1:46). Watch Townson’s behavior again. He looks at the person he is speaking with — not confidently but with question. He is wondering if the person listening to him is buying what he is saying.

Then Townson swings his head again in a very insecure fashion. When you say “I don’t know”, you are likely to do this motion with your head. This is a movement of someone who doesn’t know what he is saying to be true — or has doubts about what he is saying to be true or is simply unsure and insecure. Should Townson have doubts if he is now telling the truth? Absolutely not. Why does he?

You don’t swing your head like this this when you are stating something to be factual, or something you strongly believe. In this situation, it is another red flag that Mr. Townson himself is doubting what he is telling us.

Move your head this way. Go, ahead and try it. Now say something you are confident about (and passionate) and try to move your head that way when speaking. Can you do it? How does it make you feel? It’s challenging, if again, not at all possible to do.

I think most people will believe Mr. Townson is lying now because he changed his story and because the facts surrounding the case don’t bode well for him. However, his facial expressions and body language in his second rendition of what happened only go on to to further that belief.

Mr. Townson’s behaviors are not consistent with what he is saying.