Chris Steyn Polygraph Test

Chris Steyn contacted Barry Taylor, who apparently is a Private Investigator living and working in AUSTRALIA. He is not registered as an Investigator with PSiRA in South Africa. He suggested to Steyn to have the polygraph test done by Raymond Nelson, a Forensic Psychophysiologist (Polygraph Examiner) from Indianapolis, United States of America, who happened to be in Cape Town at that time on other matters.

Why would Steyn contact an investigator in AUSTRALIA and have the test done by an AMERICAN when there are very experienced and professional Investigators and Polygraph Examiners right here in South Africa?

The test was conducted at the offices of Ben Lombaard of LieTech Polygraph & Forensic Services in Durbanville, Cape Town on 18 March 2019.


The Questions asked in Test:

The opinions are those of the Investigator Wouter de Swardt

Ms Steyn’s test consisted of the following scored questions:

Question (R5): In your book, Lost Boys of Bird Island, did you fabricate any of your reported information sources?

Answer: NO (No Significant Reactions Indicative of Deception)

Opinion: Steyn’s source of information was Mark Minnie. She believed him, because she WANTED to believe him and she WANTED it to be true. For that reason, she answered truthfully. She did not fabricate the information – Mark Minnie did.

Question (R6): Did you falsify any of the allegations you wrote about those persons in your book, Lost Boys of Bird Island?

Answer: NO (No Significant Reactions Indicative of Deception)

Opinion: This is basically the same question as the first, just put differently. The allegations Steyn wrote about, concerning Bird Island, were based on information she got directly from Mark Minnie, so therefore, she did not falsify it. Minnie did.

Question (R8): Regarding your book, Lost Boys of Bird Island, did you falsify any of the reported allegations about those persons?

Answer: NO (No Significant Reactions Indicative of Deception)

Opinion: Again – same question just put differently. Steyn did not falsify it, because she got the allegations from Mark Minnie.

Question (R9): In your book, Lost Boys of Bird Island, did you include any of those allegations without an actual human source?

Answer: NO (No Significant Reactions Indicative of Deception)

Opinion: Steyn included the allegations, which she had received from Mark Minnie in the book. So obviously, she got it from an actual human source. Mark Minnie was the ‘’actual human source’’ Therefore she answered truthfully.


The questions put to Steyn were what is known in polygraph circles as designed questions. They bear out in such a manner and subject line that the person being tested will pass. Chris Steyn brought the prepared questions to the test venue and gave the questions she wanted to be asked, to the examiner. That is highly unethical and the examiner should never have allowed that. It makes a farce of the test and the polygraph industry as a whole, if allowed. Various top Polygraph Examiners including members of the South African Polygraph Federation and members of the South African Association of Polygraph Examiners agree with this evaluation.

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