Colleen Perris

 Overview:

Colleen Perris, from Plantation, Fl, disappeared on the afternoon of September 30, 2000. Aly Lopez, a close friend, desperately accessed Colleen's voicemail hoping to find a clue.  She listened to several messages from Colleen's uncle talking about a 3pm meeting.  Colleen's uncle, Mitch Ratisher, denies phoning his niece or meeting with her that afternoon.  And unfortunately in her panic, Aly erased the voicemail messages.

 In September 2003, America’s Most Wanted (AMW) Investigative Team was asked to look into the disappearance of Colleen Perris, now 21-years-old. Retired Homicide Det. Sgt. Joe Matthews of Miami Beach PD spent six months digging into Colleen's past hoping to learn where she might be today. In an interview with AMW, Mitch Ratisher continued to deny any involvement in his niece's disappearance.  He also denied giving her illegal drugs or offering her a job in the porn industry. 

Analysis:

While watching the interview with Det. Mathews and Mitch Ratisher I got the feeling that this guy was being cagey. By the time I started to record the show, I only had about the last minute and a half of the interview. Normally speech reversals occur on average about every twenty seconds. In this exchange of conversation between Mitch Ratisher and Detective Mathews there is a reversal nearly every time each of them speak. This would indicate a very heightened state of emotions between the two of them. Mitch Ratisher's speech reversals appear to show his involvement with Colleen Perris’ disappearance. His reversals are not congruent with his statements. He is very concerned that a polygraph test will reveal his guilt. By his own words he states he has killed Colleen and is guilty. A police interview analysis would undoubtedly reveal more details.

Click on the reversals to hear the mp3 file.

AMW 3-13-04

Ratisher: That day I was by myself.

I'll say most anything.

Det. Mathews: Well, I'm sure these are the same questions the cops asked you.

This man lied with himself. This is evasion.

Ratisher: Towards early evening.

Maybe he'll let this go.

Ratisher: You know. I would have gone to alibis.com, if I knew I needed one

Don't really know enough. We must not tell the lie. Nobody will believe it. (Does this mean he doesn’t have a believable alibi?)

Ratisher: You know. Why would I have an alibi unless I think I would going to be needing one?

Don't really need (myself. McPherson) is available. And I do not want it. (Is there someone named McPherson that might give him an alibi?)

Det. Mathews: Did they ask you to take a polygraph test?

I've tried to offer it. (He may have offered the polygraph prior to the taped interview)

Ratisher: Yes they did.

No business.

Det. Mathews: Did you take one?

No business. (Possibly repeating back to Ratisher what his unconscious mind heard)

Raitsher: No.

Det. Mathews: Why not?

Ratisher: Push me. I push back.

I killed angel. (Is this a smoking gun?)

Det. Mathews: Let me make this offer to ya

I use the fail safe element. (The Polygraph?)

Det. Mathews: I'm a certified…

The offer is still on.

Ratisher: Is that what you want to do?

I am not sure of it.

Ratisher: Ok. I don't want to do it now.

I do not want you're asking.

Ratisher: I don't want to be blind sided.

Do this now, we don't want it.

Det. Mathews: Would you be willing to do it sometime?

I will do this now with you.

Ratisher: It's a possibility.

He'll out fox me.

Ratisher: It's a distinct possibility

I must not let it slip.

Det. Mathews: My final question to you.

I see show for now of him. (“show” may be a metaphor for “a performance”)

Det. Mathews: Are you involved in any way with the disappearance of Colleen Perris?

There is decision in it. Here we enact this wild area.

Ratisher: No. Can't tell you any better than that. No.

And there me be with Nick. (Is Nick an accomplice?)

Ratisher: You're looking right in my eyes now…

And now I admit. I am guilty.

Ratisher: …and I hope you are seeing the truth. (Interesting that his previous reversal reveals guilt and in his next sentence he wants Det. Mathews to see the truth)

Near Sweetwater. (There is a Sweetwater, Florida. The town of Sweetwater, appears to be located about 40 miles south of Plantation, Florida.)

Ratisher: You know. I'm not looking to the left, and trying not to look to the right because I want you to look at my eyes and see that

Now listen. Now I'm completely snowballing. If they aren't with it, (gibberish) I will sneak on by. (Does he believe at this point he has fooled everyone, and if the authorities don’t pick up on it, he is going to get away with murder?)

Ratisher: You know, there's some semblance of truth there

End of this. There is no messing with him. (He seems to be very intimidated by Det. Mathews.)

Watch The Reverse Speech You Tube Video On Mitch Ratisher

Mitch Ratisher says "I killed angel". 

If speech reversals are put together an overall theme can often be noticeable.

Below are only the reversals from Mitch Ratisher;

I'll say most anything.

Maybe he'll let this go.

Don't really know enough. We must not tell the lie. Nobody will believe it.

Don't really need (myself. McPherson) is available.  And I do not want it.

No business.

I killed angel.

I am not sure of it.

I do not want you're asking.

Do this now, we don't want it.

He'll out fox me.

I must not let it slip.

And there me be with Nick.

And now I admit. I am guilty

Near Sweetwater

Now listen. Now I'm completely snowballing. If they aren't with it, (gibberish) I will sneak on by.

End of this. There is no messing with him.