An invitation to the New Zealand Sensing Murder "psychics" to validate their claimed psychic ability
in an open, honest and definitive test that would be conducted without bias, prejudice or malice.

My name is Tony Andrews and I would like to establish if the extraordinary claims made made by the Sensing Murder program and their "psychics" are genuine or not. To this end I offer the Sensing Murder "psychics", Kelvin Cruickshank, Sue Nicholson and Deb Webber NZ$20,000 each if they can successfully demonstrate just one of the many abilities they claim on the show in an open, honest and controlled test that is not able to be affected by cheating or personal bias. As long as certain non-test conditions are met, I will also pay them NZ$20,000 each just for taking part in such a test. A possible NZ$40,000 each in total for themselves or worthy charity of their choice.

Suggested test - In every episode of Sensing Murder the participating "psychics" apparently demonstrate that they can reveal the correct gender of murder victims with 100% accuracy 100% of the time using unseen photos. Given this claim is clearly defined and has a clear and self-evident outcome, I suggest that it be used as the basis for testing. I'm happy however to consider any other claim that the "psychics" may care to suggest as the basis for testing. I'm also happy that the "psychics" and/or their representatives are actively involved in the formulating of a mutually agreeable test protocol. I don't have to be directly involved in conducting the test.

A made for profit, slickly produced and edited TV program does not constitute a credible, open and honest test.

To date Kelvin, Sue and Deb have refused to demonstate their claimed psychic abilities in an open and honest manner regardless of how easy and fair the testing is made or how much money is offered. One can only reasonably conclude that they won't because they can't, and that they aren't deluded about their actual abilities. If they genuinely believe they have psychic abiltiy then surely it would be worth a couple of hours of their time to conculsively prove that ability without the chance of being accussed if cheating, and gain $40,000 for themselves or worthy charity of their choice in the process. Claims that they shouldn't be tested or don't submit themselves to testing aren't valid given they were all "tested" to be selected as the participating psychics on Sensing Murder.

It would be the most amazing and significant human ability ever discovered. It would be conclusive proof that there is an afterlife, and that communication is possible between life and that afterlife. Afterlife Spirits would tell the Sensing Murder "psychics" really important previously unknown information such as where missing bodies, murder weapons and hidden treasures are located, and they would describe how they died and identify murderers etc. The New Zealand Police would regularly employ the services of the Sensing Murder "psychics" and all murder and missing body cases would be quickly solved.

Unfortunately none of the above has ever happened. If the claimed abilities of the Sensing Murder "psychics" are genuine . . . why not?

It would mean they are liars and cheats that are exploiting the personal loss and grief of others for fame and fortune. Anyone can tell lies but how could they possibly be cheating? Given the amount of detailed and complicated information they "reveal", and the many normally impossible things they apparently achieve with 100% accuracy (like identifying gender from unseen images), it is highly unlikely that just the "psychics" would be involved in the cheating. At least one person involved with the production would also be involved. This person (or persons) would be in a privileged position within the production and have free access to all the compnay files.

How I think cheating most probably occurs . . .

• Known information and possible new leads on the particular case are gathered before the "psychics" are filmed (the real reason the producers employ a team of ex-police investigators?).
• This information and a possible crime scene scenario are then scripted and secretly given to the participating "psychics" (how they come up with the same known and "new" information?).
• On the days of filming the "psychics" merely recite the main gist of the script from memory (no psychic ability required).

The Sensing Murder producers claim that as the filming of episodes has been vigorously scrutinised live by an on-the-spot "hardened sceptic" (and a police detective and others) that this provides proof that the "psychics" are genuine. This is nothing but a red herring however to distract attention away from the real method of cheating (misdirection). How could all the complex known case information and previously unknown (and still unknown) crime scene information be secretly given to the "psychics" by a member or members of the production crew without being detected? Even if this could be done why would it be done this way when it's far safer and easier to give them the known information and scripted crime scene scenario before the day of filming? These people may be liars and cheats but they aren't completely stupid.

The Sensing Murder producer's own words regarding the known information - "We went back to the police involved. We did the research as any documentary maker would do. You say that the "psychics" regurgitate the information that's gone out. Yes they do, they do give us the information that we were given the research on." From - this interview. Obviously the producers research and document all the known information before the "psychics" apparently "reveal" it. How hard would it be for a senior person involved with the production to give all this information to the "psychics" days before they are filmed so they can commit it to memory?

All a bit cloak and dagger but far more credible than talking to dead people. There is an ever growing mountain of credible evidence that people from all levels of society lie and cheat. There's not even a molehill of credible evidence however that the Sensing Murder "psychics" have genuine psychic ability (or that such a thing exists). Given the 100% failure rate of the show in helping to solve any cases, or even in providing a single piece of credible new evidence, Sensing Murder effectively proves that their self-proclaimed "psychics" aren't genuine.

Imagine a show called "Sensing Lotto" in which self-proclaimed "psychics" correctly "reveal" the Lotto numbers each week. Every episode is filmed after each relevant draw however and the drawn numbers are already known information. Would you believe the "psychics" if they claimed they had no prior knowledge of the numbers, or would you think it most likely that they were lying and cheating? Wouldn't you expect them to be able to reveal the numbers before each draw if their claimed ability was actually genuine? Essentially the Sensing Lotto scenario is no different than Sensing Murder.

Deb Webber giving detailed, personal readings for "dead people" that never existed.
If this isn't clear evidence of deliberate lying and cheating I don't know what would be.

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

The producers of Sensing Murder have consistently claimed that "interesting new information" has been revealed with "startling results". But what have the actual results been from three series of a prime-time, award winning, top rating TV program with psychic investigators, a team of ex-police investigators and feedback from thousands of members of the public? . . .

• Not a single piece of actual new (previously unknown) information has been revealed.
• Not a single person has been arrested.
• Not a single missing body (or even murder weapon) has been found.
• Not a single case has been solved.
• The participating "psychics" have received valuable prime-time TV exposure that has presented their claimed abilities as being genuine without providing a single piece of credible evidence that they actually are.
• The producers and their self-proclaimed "psychics" have gained considerable fame and fortune.

Sensing Murder has achieved commercial success for the producers and their "psychics" but it has been of little if any benefit to the families of victims and the NZ Police.

By comparison, the Police 10-7 TV program has solved over 300 New Zealand crimes. No self-proclaimed psychic investigators or team of ex-police investigators required.

If you had a missing, possibly dead family member and you hired two detectives (psychic or not) to help solve the crime . . .

• Would you give them absolutely no information about the crime?
• Would you not allow them to work together to share resources and abilities?
• Would you give them only one day to investigate the crime?

Of course you wouldn't. You would do exactly the opposite . . .

• You would give them every scrap of information you could.
• You would ask them to work together to share resources and abilities.
• You would give them as much time as possible to investigate on the crime.

Why does Ninox (the production company) format Sensing Murder in a manner that is exactly opposite to the manner that anyone genuinely trying to help solve a crime would use? And why do the "psychics" agree to take part in a show that makes their claimed task as unreasonably and unnecessarily difficult as possible?

Sensing Murder is formatted the way it is to dishonestly "prove" that the "psychics" have psychic abilities by merely repeating already known information and claiming it's coming from spirits, when it's actually coming from completely non-psychic methods of lying and cheating. The fact that they never actually come up with any previously unknown information is lost to many in the hoopla of the false and dishonest claims of their "successes".

If Ninox truly believes their "psychics" have genuine psychic abilities then why don't they format the show in a manner that allows them to best use those abilities to find actual new evidence and actually help to solve cases?

The answer is obvious and simple - If Ninox openly gave all the known information to their "psychics" and allowed them to work together for a reasonable length of time, they still couldn't and wouldn't produce any actual and credible new information. Sensing Murder would become a true and honest test of psychic ability and it would prove that their "psychics" have no such abilities as they would fail the test in every episode. Hardly what Ninox and the "psychics" would want or allow to happen.

It's blatantly obvious from the way the show is formatted alone that the true objective of Ninox and the "psychics" is to gain fame and fortune, and that it has little if anything to do with helping to solve any crimes. it's equally blatantly obvious that they are fully aware that the "psychics" have no actual psychics abilities.

Regardless of whether dead people talk to the Sensing Murder "psychics", MONEY certainly does.

From Kelvin Cruickshank's site . . .
"If you urgently need a personal reading with Kelvin, there is an exclusive waiting list. The cost to have an URGENT private reading will be significantly more than if you were to remain on the non-urgent waiting list."

Update - Kelvin Cruickshank has removed the above text from his site. I wonder if his "exclusive" offer for rich people to queue-jump poor people has been withdrawn totally, or if it has just been withdrawn from public view. "Keep it real" or keep it hidden?

From Deb Webber's site . . .
"Due to the volume of people requesting a private reading with me and having a five year waiting list, knowing very well I may not get to every one. I am offering one day a week for you to jump the line of the five year waiting period to a session at the cost of $500.00."

Update - Deb Webber has changed the text on her site to read . . .
"Due to the volume of people requesting a private reading with me and having a five year waiting list, knowing very well I may not get to every one. In my heart of hearts I wish to reach and teach a larger number of people, to help and guide them through their grief and to do so I am choosing to reduce the emotional stress upon myself and those around me.
So private sessions are now $500.00.
By choosing to do this you and I are going to be helping those less fortune than ourselves. And, that is the truth of it."

Did you notice the Freudian typo? - "less fortune than ourselves" instead of "less fortunate".
Update - The site has been updated to now read "fortunate".

So Deb Webber is reducing emotional stress on herself by placing additional emotional and financial stress on others that can't afford to pay her increased $500 per hour cost for all private readings. She is still blatantly profiteering from the rich and unfairly discriminating against the poor. Isn't it obvious that, that is the real truth of it?

What does paying more money have to do with establishing "urgent need"? If the genuine intent of the Sensing Murder "psychics" is to "help people" (especially those that need it most) why don't they offer poor people free or reduced rate readings instead of discriminating against poor people by offering rich people a way of unfairly jumping the queue? Even "money hungry" lawyers and accountants often offer their services to poor people for free or at a reduced rate (as do doctors, dentists, etc.).

Is this an appropriate way of using what they claim to be a "god given gift" which was apparently given to them for free?

Sensing Murder or Sensing Money?

Why do the Sensing Murder Producers employ a team of ex-police private investigators? If their "psychics" can come up with actual "starling new information" do the producers think a team of private investigators will do any better with it than the NZ police? Perhaps the producers may think the NZ Police are incompetent or untrustworthy.

Perhaps it's the Sensing Murder "psychics" that are incompetent and the producers know full well that they are. Perhaps the real reason they employ a team of ex-police private investigators is to document already known evidence and uncover possible new leads as they are professionally trained to do. Perhaps this information is then scripted for the "psychics" to act out on the show as having come from non-existent spirits.

If the claimed abilities of the Sensing Murder "psychics" were genuine there would be absolutely no need for the producers to employ private investigators at all. There would be no need to elicit information from the public either. The "psychics" would simply say "Here is the missing body", "Here is the murder weapon", etc. The ONLY verifiable information that these self-proclaimed "psychics" have EVER "revealed" is ALREADY KNOWN information. All non-verifiable "new information" is no more credible than claiming that missing people have been abducted by aliens.

The answers below were provided in writing from The Office of the Commissioner by the Superintendent of Executive and Ministerial Services of the New Zealand Police on 19/11/2007.

Q - Do the New Zealand Police ever use psychics in investigations?
A - "The New Zealand Police do not actively approach or employ psychics in investigations."

Q - Do the New Zealand Police investigate information provided by psychics?
A - "The New Zealand Police have to remain open minded as to the information provided to them in any investigation; however any information must be able to meet required standards of evidence."

Q - Has any information provided by a psychic ever progressed or solved a case in New Zealand?
A - "Information from a psychic has never been instrumental in the resolution of a case in New Zealand."

Why have no missing bodies ever been found?

Why have none of the Sensing Murder psychics ever found a single missing body (on or off the show)? Isn't this by far the most important piece of information that a spirit could communicate to a psychic? Don't families, friends, police and the general community want to know this information most of all? Is it credible to believe that the spirits of dead people don't want their bodies to be found? Surely they would want their bodies to have a proper burial, and their families to have closure.


Why have no cases ever been solved?

Despite claiming to have a direct communication with spirits of murdered people, and the support of Sensing Murder with its team of professional, ex-police investigators, not a single case has ever been solved, or single person ever arrested, based on "new information" revealed by the "psychics". Is it credible to believe that the entire police force of New Zealand has a conspiracy against psychics? Even if this were so, why haven't the team of professional, ex-police investigators employed by Sensing Murder used this information to help solve cases? Is a claimed ability likely to be genuine if it can only generate 100% failure?


Why do the "psychics" "prove" their ability?

Why do the "psychics" waste most of their time on Sensing Murder "revealing" information that is already known? Surely this has more to do with "proving" their psychic abilities than it has to do with solving crime. What purpose is served by an "It begins with a B, or a D or a C" theatrical act when the person's name is already known? Is Sensing Murder a psychic medium for solving crime, or an advertising medium for professional "psychics"? Why aren't the "psychics" provided with all the known information up front, so they can then use their "amazing gifts" and time to reveal genuinely new information? The location of a single missing body would be a good start.


Why don't the "psychics" actually prove their ability?

If the Sensing Murder "psychics" believe that they genuinely have the ability to communicate with spirits, why do they refuse to validate this ability in an open, honest and fair test that is completely free of personal interpretation and bias? Could it possibly be that they don't because they know they can't? Isn't it logical and reasonable to expect that that if they could they would?


There are many more equally valid questions that cast serious doubt on the claims made by the Sensing Murder "psychics". If such incredible claims are genuine they shouldn't have to be doubted, they should be conclusively proven with credible evidence. The tests I am offering the Sensing Murder "psychics" would provide such credible evidence.


Keep an open mind . . . but don't let your brain fall out.

If you wish to send your comments and suggestions regarding the testing of claimed psychic abilities you can do so below. These comments may or may not be published and may or may not receive a reply.

If anyone has any credible and verifiable information regarding the validity or invalidity of the Sensing Murder "psychics" or program I would appreciate receiving it. Complete anonymity and discretion is assured and this information will not be published or given to any other party without the prior consent of the provider.

Everything expressed on this page is my personal opinion - Tony Andrews.