In this podcast, James Frye, charged with murder in 1922, puts his trust in a lie detector. The episode explores the lie detector's inventor, William Moulton Marston, and the connection to Wonder Woman. It also touches on the science of testimony, the historical context of social scientists and crime statistics, and Fry's struggle for innocence.
Eyewitness testimony has limitations in discerning the truth, as only 23% of observable facts were accurately remembered in a 1922 experiment.
The Fry versus United States case in 1923 set a precedent that limited the use of lie detector tests in court trials, despite Professor Marston's attempt to introduce the results as evidence.
Deep dives
Validity of eyewitness testimony questioned in a 1922 experiment
In a lecture at American University in 1922, Professor William Molten-Marston conducts an experiment on eyewitness testimony. He invites an actor to pretend to be a messenger and hands him envelopes and books with different colors. After the demonstration, Marston reveals that only 23% of the 147 observable facts were accurately remembered by the students, highlighting the limitations of eyewitness testimony in discerning the truth.
Marston's lie detector test and its failed legal application
Professor Marston's lie detector, later known as the polygraph machine, invented in the early 20th century, aimed to replace trial by jury with a scientific method of truth detection. Marston's invention was tested in a real-world criminal trial, the case of James Alfonso Fry, who was accused of murder. However, despite Marston's attempt to introduce the lie detector test's results as evidence, the court ruled against it in the 1923 Fry versus United States case, setting a precedent that limited the use of lie detector tests in court trials.
The troubled life and complex relationships of Professor Marston
Professor William Molten-Marston, famous for his invention of the lie detector and creator of Wonder Woman, had a tumultuous personal and professional life. He was known for his quirks and unorthodox methods, such as using his lie detector on his children and conducting experiments on a range of subjects. Marston's involvement in a fraudulent business scheme and his unconventional relationship with two partners, his wife Elizabeth Holloway and their polyamorous partner Olive Byrne, further added to the complexity and controversy surrounding his legacy.
The enduring legacy of Fry's trial and Marston's lie detector
James Fry, whose case played a pivotal role in the failed legal application of Marston's lie detector, was never able to clear his name before his death in 1956. However, the Fry Test, a legal ruling derived from the case, continues to shape the acceptance and admissibility of expert testimony in court. Marston's lie detector, although not successful in criminal trials, became an enduring cultural symbol, and Marston himself found success as the creator of Wonder Woman, leaving a lasting impact on popular culture.
When James Frye, a young black man, is charged with murder under unusual circumstances in 1922, he trusts his fate to a strange new machine: the lie detector. Why did the lie detector’s inventor, William Moulton Marston, a psychology professor and lawyer, think a machine could tell if a human being is lying better than a jury? And what does it all have to do with Wonder Woman?