Uncovering the truth. Investigator passes knowledge to students > Back To Resources Main

By SARAH GREENHALGH, sgreenhalgh@news-press.com
Published by news-press.com on May 2, 2004

He’s a defense attorney’s dream. For 22 years, Dennis Fahey, 57, has been helping to solve crimes for insurance companies, public defenders and people in civil litigation.

“My job is to uncover the truth,” Fahey said. “I work for the families.”

In 1995 he moved his lucrative business, Physical Evidence Consultants, to Cape Coral. Up until the move, Fahey had been working what he called the triangle: Miami, New York and Los Angeles. Several years ago he was hired as a professor for the expanding Criminal Justice program at Edison College.

A former Newark, N.J., police officer and a decorated U.S. Army Vietnam veteran with two purple hearts, Fahey became a private detective after being seriously injured on the job as a police officer in 1982.

“Back then they didn’t have desk duty,” Fahey said. “They just retired me after 12 years. I didn’t know what to do until my brother-in-law suggested I become a private detective.”

Fahey has never looked back. In fact, his skills learned as a third generation police officer have only helped him in the career change. He also holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Rutgers University.

The Cape Coral resident treats all his cases and clients the same whether they are high profile, court appointed or pro bono. Insurance companies such as Lloyd's of London hire him to look into suspected insurance fraud. Businesses employ Fahey to look into suspected employee workplace drug problems and other crimes.

Recently, Fahey started using a new computer program from VS Visual Statement Inc. that helps re-create accident scenes, homicides and other crimes. This system was used by Fahey when he was working on a Lee County manslaughter case in April.

The defendant, Elizabeth Gowen, 38, had been accused of causing the death of Lionel Dufresne, 79, according to reports, during a traffic accident involving three cars.

Using the information collected at the scene of the accident by the police, Fahey said he was able to determine that although Gowen, who was charged with DUI, had caused the accident involving the first vehicle, she was not responsible for the death of Dufresne.

Fahey discovered the deceased had actually hit Gowen’s vehicle five minutes after Gowen’s car had crashed. The manslaughter charge was dropped.

“Dennis was crucial to the case,” said Montgomery Jackson, the attorney for Gowen. “He compiled all the data for us. Using the actual measurements he was able to reconstruct the entire accident scene. He also gave me input on questioning and other issues.”

Lee County Assistant Deputy Public Defender Robert P. Harris is happy to have someone of Fahey’s expertise available for use by the court.

“I credit him with getting good results with every case I have ever used him on,” Harris said.

Harris says it is not only Fahey’s expertise in sorting through evidence, but his way of speaking and demeanor in a courtroom that is so helpful when dealing with juries.

“He does not speak above them,” Harris said. “He says it in a way that a jury can understand. He is solid on the stand and doesn’t mind who he angers, like law enforcement, when he talks about mistakes made in evidence collecting.”

On campus

In addition to uncovering information for his clients, Fahey teaches several classes at Edison College, mostly dealing with crime scene investigation.

The criminal justice studies program has about 71 students and will be graduating 16 this year. Fahey is one of several professors in the program at Edison. Members of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the sheriff’s office and other law enforcement officials are frequent lecturers.

Fahey believes in a very “hands-on” approach to teaching.

“We stage homicides all the time,” Fahey said. “Security gets a little mad with us when we have a body in the courtyard all taped off, but the kids love it.”

Edison College’s Criminal Justice and Paralegal program coordinator Kimberly Gresham enjoys Fahey’s teaching style.

“On any given day, you can open up a door here in the building and you are likely to find a body,” Gresham said. “Dennis gets the students thinking. They can actually see how things work in the real world.”

Gresham was able to score a little alcove in Building B, which used to be a gymnasium, and recreate an actual apartment. She said many staged “murders” have taken place in that apartment and the students enjoy getting a chance to “process the room as much as possible.”

In his courses, Fahey teaches everything from fingerprint collection to blood splatter (with real cow’s blood) and accident reconstruction using the same computer simulation program he uses in his own business.

He shows students how to take measurements at a homicide and what evidence to look for. Fahey instructs the students the proper way to collect evidence, how not to contaminate a crime scene and how to keep the chain of evidence intact.

Renee Segal, 21, of Cape Coral, is fascinated by the crime scene investigation. She is hoping to use these courses to get an advanced degree at the University of Central Florida.

“I just love this stuff,” Segal said. “I want to learn more so one day I can give closure to families.”

She added, “DNA and evidence collecting is so advanced now that it is going to be hard to commit the perfect crime.”

Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy, Elaine Flahert, 45, is using the courses she is taking at Edison College to further her law enforcement career.

“I want to be part of the forensics unit and be sent to the field to process real scenes,” Flahert said. “I have learned so much. This is a very intense program.”

Fahey would like to see more law enforcement personnel and criminal attorneys take the courses at Edison College.

“I think it would really help out some of these new attorneys,” Fahey said. “They need to know how the whole process works.”

Student Personal Development

Motivational Speaker & Trainer - Barry Maher does keynote speeches, concurrent sessions, seminars on motivation, communication, management, leadership, sales. For your next meeting or conference.

The Family Of Light - International mobile healing center, offering healing, channeling,and educational forums around the globe.

Building Self Esteem - Building self esteem and self confidence with tips, free courses, recommended books and lots more!