FBI playing big role in local high-profile investigations

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FORT MYERS, Fla.- The ZombiCon shooting in Fort Myers, the murder of 18-year-old Kyle Farishian in Punta Gorda, and the deadly shooting of Al Griffiths in Cape Coral.

Three different crimes, with one common denominator. The FBI is now involved.

“Definitely not an every day practice,” said Fort Myers Police Chief Dennis Eads.

For weeks, the FBI has been helping the Fort Myers Police Department enhance video and photos taken during ZombiCon.

“Hopefully clean them up a little bit,” said Eads, “to make it easier to identify both witnesses and suspects.”

Eads says they are doing much more, chasing down out of city leads, and even doing interviews for the department.

“It’s to get it done quickly. For us to do it, we may have to wait, and I don’t want anything to have to wait. When we get it, I want to be interviewing the people as soon as they are identified,” said Eads.

Police tactics expert, and former FBI David Grossi, says there are special techniques FBI investigators have in interrogations.

“They can tell if an individual is being deceptive. If they look up a certain way, to the left or the right, or to the down left, or down right, different pauses,” said Grossi.

On Nov. 1, Kyle Farishian was found dead inside a Punta Gorda 7-Eleven where he worked. Authorities are searching for the person who they say set the store up in flames.

Punta Gorda police did not tell WINK News what they specifically asked for help with, but they say the FBI can provide “additional avenues of investigation.”

Grossi has some ideas.

“From an arson standpoint, any type of chemical analysis for trace evidence, accelerants along those lines, the FBI would be fantastic,” said Grossi.

 

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