What makes a person run and hide? At the time of this blog post, the Arizona District Attorneys’ office had been unsuccessful in attempting to locate and serve a criminal complaint upon former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, one of this country’s most recognizable politicians and someone with a large social media profile. In fact, Mr. Giuliani has remarked on a live stream “how incompetent officials from the state of Arizona must be that they can’t find me.” While some of the public may find humor in his comments, as investigators with numerous resources, we are dumbfounded by the State of Arizona’s failure to locate and serve Giuliani. As licensed private investigators, the investigative team at Integrated Security Services are often tasked with assignments from attorneys to locate individuals for a myriad of reasons ranging from an uncooperative witness needed for depositions, trial appearances or someone who may be evading the service of legal papers such as a subpoena. Our investigative team with decades of experience, will attest that trying to locate an individual on the run, even someone as high-profile as the former Mayor, can be a labor intensive task.
In past blogs we have discussed investigating missing person cases, but locating a missing person is a different type of an investigation and here is why. Missing Persons are individuals who are not hiding or on the run and are typically missing under suspicious circumstances. This involves an individual who has disappeared under conditions that suggest foul play, criminal activity, or unusual circumstances that raise concern for their safety. These investigations are time of the essence matters, and typically suggest potential danger to the individual and may indicate crimes such as kidnapping, murder, or other forms of harm. The primary goal is to locate the missing person safely, determine the cause of the disappearance, and address any criminal activities involved.
Evading the Process of Service involves an individual who is deliberately avoiding being served legal documents, such as a summons, subpoena, or court order. These investigations are often related to civil or legal matters where the person is attempting to avoid participating in a legal process or facing legal consequences. Investigators and process servers may use surveillance, stakeouts, and public records to locate the individual, but their legal authority is very different. Process servers and law enforcement have limited authority. They cannot forcibly enter premises without permission and must follow strict legal guidelines to serve documents properly.
When an individual is on the run evading a process server or bail bondsman, not knowing where to look for someone can put a lawsuit on hold creating untold delays and financial stress on plaintiffs, particularly in matrimonial or child custody/support matters. A hard to locate witness will likely have a direct influence on the outcome of a trial, changing and/or affecting an attorney’s legal strategy and even prompting in some instances, a premature settlement. In some cases, judges overseeing a trial can invoke a missing witness charge against a party in a lawsuit which may not sit well with a jury. Conversely, locating a hard-to-find witness can have a dramatic effect on a trial. In the classic courtroom movie, The Verdict starring Paul Newman as a lawyer, he was able to locate an uncooperative admitting nurse in a civil medical malpractice case. Her testimony dramatically changed the outcome of the trial in his client’s favor.
Our investigation division was recently tasked to locate our own client who was not responding to phone calls or letters. The client was needed to sign an important court ordered affidavit. The client at one time resided in a lower middle-income section of Newark, New Jersey. Even with the significant pedigree information in hand, a search was required consuming numerous investigative hours and resources. It is important to note that individuals in a lower socioeconomic class tend to be more transient, have a limited data profile and therefore often do not show up in database queries. In these instances, sometimes databases used by private investigators can provide information on family members, neighbors and associates, along with recent addresses, including possible phone numbers. Using the available data, we contacted a known family member and were able to locate the client who was now living in a remote rural area of Georgia. With the help of local process servers, we were able to execute the service of an affidavit which needed to be signed and notarized.
At Integrated Security Services, having access to proprietary software and databases, such as state motor vehicle records, along with nationwide and international investigative resources, provides us with an advantage when looking for individuals flying below the radar. Our years of experience translate into timelier and more cost-effective results. In addition to service of process, our investigative team are often retained to help locate distant relatives and friends in estate settlement matters, and family and biological relatives for health reasons.
Conclusion
What appears to be a simple investigative request, locating people who are purposely avoiding being found, can turn out to be a time-consuming task even for the savviest investigator. While the Arizona DA eventually located and served Mr. Giuliani, it took the vast resources of the district attorney’s office and self-initiated social media, before this was accomplished. The staff at Integrated Security Services with more than 30 years of locate experience, have handled numerous similar assignments with great success. Although internet access to online records have improved available data and turnaround time, these investigations still require old school research and gum shoe canvassing which remains the most effective way to track down a subject. Our diverse multi-ethnic investigative staff are trained in a variety of methods and are always available to discuss these services with you. We can be reached 24/7 on our website at www.intesecurity.com or call us toll-free for a free 30-minute consultation at 888-808-9119.
