Doug Williams (polygraph critic)
American polygraph critic (1945–2021)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Douglas Gene Williams[1] (October 6, 1945[2] – March 19, 2021[3]) was an American critic of polygraph tests. Williams administered polygraph tests for US law enforcement and private companies but came to consider the tests unreliable and harmful.[4] He subsequently quit and spent decades publicly condemning polygraph tests and commercially teaching techniques purported to affect test results.[1][5][6]
6 October 1945
Doug Williams | |
|---|---|
| Douglas Gene Williams | |
| Born | Douglas Gene Williams 6 October 1945 |
| Died | 19 March 2021 (aged 75) |
Resting place | Cremated |
| Occupations | Polygraph examiner (formerly), Polygraph critic, Author |
| Employer(s) | US law enforcement (formerly), Private companies (formerly) |
| Known for | Criticizing polygraph tests, teaching techniques to purportedly beat polygraphs |
| Notable work |
|
| Television | Appeared on 60 Minutes |
Criminal status | Convicted |
| Convictions | Mail fraud, witness tampering |
Criminal charge | Mail fraud, witness tampering |
Penalty | Two years in prison |
Williams' activism included appearing on 60 Minutes[5] and testifying before a US Congressional subcommittee.[1] His teaching business led him to be the target of a federal sting operation in 2012 and 2013, in which agents announced intentions to use his methods to lie in polygraph tests to conceal crimes and maintain government employment.[5][1] Williams provided instruction to the agents, and in 2015, he was convicted on multiple counts of mail fraud and witness tampering and sentenced to two years in prison.[7]
According to AntiPolygraph.org, Williams resumed publicly providing polygraph-taking instruction after his supervised release ended in 2020.[3] He died in 2021 following an illness and was cremated.[3]
Bibliography
- (2014) From Cop to Crusader: My Fight Against the Dangerous Myth of "Lie Detection." Wise Media Group. ISBN 978-1935689737
- (2020) How to Sting the Polygraph. Polygraph.com. ISBN 978-1734751505
