Pii
Pii, Professional Investigators International, was an investigative company founded by Bob Davis, reportedly after a discussion with Scott Ross (New Tribes Mission/Ethnos360's former attorney). The following communications were released right before and after their termination by New Tribes Mission/Ethnos360. The communications imply that Pii was likely terminated as a result of displeasure with the results of their investigation and 1,075-page report regarding abuse at the boarding school in Panama. A subsequent Pii report for ABWE details the relationship between New Tribes Mission and ABWE leadership as they were each navigating child abuse investigations, including Larry Brown's recommendation not to hire GRACE, describing their inability to control the information, as well as the promotion of the paper “Are Protestant Ministries a New Market?" coauthored by Theresa Sidebotham.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RE: UPDATE ON THE COMPLETED PANAMA INVESTIGATION FOR NEW TRIBES MISSION
December 15, 2014
On the third anniversary date of the Panama investigation, an update to concerned parties is in order. Additionally, recent blog posts contain erroneous information which the Pii team believes must be corrected. The Panama Investigation began on December 15, 2011, and was completed on July 29, 2014.
With the completion of the investigation, this anniversary, and blog posts in error, Pii Would like to update all of those who have participated in, or are interested in, the independent and thorough investigation into abuse at the Panama school, Escuela Hogar Misionero. This update is to acknowledge the trust these individuals have developed with Pii through the investigative process. Their testimonies and insights have brought elements of transparency and clarity, which would not have been possible if the work had been truncated at any time. Pii has been both determined and diligent in its investigative processes.
The document collection process, which included collecting, collating, binding, creating detailed indexes and researching those documents for the Panama report resulted in four volumes totaling 1,678 pages. Interviews of potential victim/survivors, collateral witnesses, and leadership resulted in 475 hours of interviews and thousands of pages of investigative documents; 261 people were interviewed, declined or were deceased of an interview pool of 488. The Standard Deviation is 95%, plus or minus 5%, for a 90-100% Level of Confidence in the report findings. The intricate report-writing phase is a process that intertwined these statements and documents, which were then weighted against the Preponderance of Evidence standard. When the report-writing phase was completed, there were several lengthy individual reports and the Master Report, totaling 1,075 pages. This process was driven by the responsibility to show respect to all who have taken part in the investigation.
All of these materials, documents collected, recordings of interviews conducted, transcripts of interviews, work product and reports in various formats (coded and otherwise) were forwarded to IHART c/o Ms. Theresa Sidebotham. Pii had previously been instructed to send these highly confidential materials in a sealed format to Gammon & Grange, P.C. Pii was re-directed to send these materials to IHART, c/o Ms. Theresa Sidebotham, at her instruction, perhaps to be forwarded to Gammon & Grange, P.C. This is unknown to Pii. There are statements on the fandaeagles.com blog site, attributed to Ms. Sidebotham, stating that these raw documents are actually not in her possession, nor in the possession of NTM. Considering that timing ight, herein, be the issue, Pii is clarifying the details of the matter as known to Pii.
To NTM, victim/survivors, family and friends, the investigative process is demanding and exacting. Each investigative decision was made expediently and consistently with the intent of reaching the investigation's conclusion in an opportune manner. To all of those who have participated in this investigation in any way, your patience and perseverance is applauded and your cooperation is deeply appreciated. Pii is humbled and grateful to have been chosen to conduct this complicated, sensitive, and detailed work. Pii is also committed to assist NTM and all participants in whatever delicate tasks remain ahead. We wish you joy and rejoicing in this Season of Healing. Merry Christmas!
Professional Investigators International
Pii Addresses the "Great Smoky Cloud of Secrecy"
Posted on the IHART.care website, IHART Progress Report March 2015, "Since the last update, I met with the Panama Investigative Team to review their plan to finalize the investigation. I approved their detailed plan, and they are making appointments for interviews to finalize the leadership culpability portion of that investigation. I anticipate interviews to begin very shortly and expect that interview process to take several months." In truth, Professional Investigators International (Pii) was named by IHART as the "Panama Investigative Team" on December 15, 2011. It is noted by Pii that Theresa Lynn Sidebotham, IHART Coordinator, has not spoken with Pii since Pii was terminated, effective January 12, 2015. Since that termination, and according to the IHART.care website, IHART's acronym, previously Independent Historical Abuse Response Team, has undergone a significant name change, now, Independent Historical Allegation Response Team.
Pii remains unsure as to why they were terminated. Pii noted that they immediately complied with Ms. Sidebotham's request to deliver all physical and electronic lists, reports, transcripts, and documents pertaining to the Panama investigation to her office.
While Pii was prohibited by contract and directive to not investigate leadership culpability, and concentrate only on child abuse, Pii did acquire, during its child abuse investigation, information directly relevant to leadership culpability. Pii used this information in an October 30, 2014 proposal to Ms. Sidebotham to conduct a follow-up investigation into leadership culpability. Included in this release are some of the details of that proposal:
The names of those potentially culpable were provided.
The role each played (dorm parent, parent, leader, etc.) was provided.
The names of those believed to be deceased were provided, not to relieve the assignment of the culpability, but to be used in calculating the number of interviews needed to assign culpability.
The list of offenders with whom each potentially culpable person is/was associated was provided.
The clarification was made that much culpability was already assignable due to direct statements obtained during the child abuse investigation.
The list of those potentially culpable was provided.
In Pii's proposal, Pii anticipated completing the new Panama Leadership Culpability Investigation in 4 to 6 weeks.
In an effort to discover truth, the Professional Investigators International team, under the leadership of 34-year FBl veteran, Robert Davis, worked diligently and determinedly. In July 2014, Pii concluded their work on the Panama assignment as contracted and instructed, contrary to Ms. Sidebotham's statement that the investigation is yet to be "finalized." There was no "leadership culpability portion of that investigation," at least not that Pii was contracted to conduct. It is outside "industry standard" to hire a second investigative team to review or act upon the results of the initial completed investigation. One might ask, "Are these actions being taken because the hiring entity did not accept the findings of the original completed investigation?"
After its detailed proposal regarding a leadership culpability investigation, one might wonder if the "detailed plan," referred to by Ms. Sidebotham, is the same as the work and proposal submitted by Pii, or a new direction?
Also posted in the IHART Progress Report March 2015, "The IHART team has begun work on the concluding documents to the Panama and Bolivia Reviews. I am working with professionals with experience in writing this type of document for the U.S. government and other entities." On the FandaEagles.com Forum, "Raz" writes regarding this new investigative team, "I miss the old days, when we were actually introduced to each member of an investigative team. We were given their names, even a little bio of each. Now there is a great smoky cloud of secrecy. Who is it who has taken over this investigation?"
In her report, Ms. Sidebotham indicates that the professionals selected are experienced in writing documents such as would come out of an abuse investigation for the United States government. While she does not provide a name, based upon the description she gives of the individual, Pii believes that Pii knows who is writing the report. But, without confirmation or disclosure from Ms. Sidebotham regarding the team or individuals on the team, this issue will remain in "a great smoky cloud of secrecy."
* bolded emphasis added