Case Studies

Ed Ramos

This six-page case study was developed in October 2004 by Pherson Associates, LLC to illustrate the Analysis of Competing Hypotheses (ACH) methodology. It is a slightly fictionalized version of a true case study prepared by Thomas W. Shreeve & Associates for the Intelligence Community Case Method Program. The case is based on real events. See the John O'Malley Case Study for a CIA adaptation of this same case.
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John O'Malley

This six-page case study was developed in 2005 by Pherson Associates, LLC to illustrate the Analysis of Competing Hypotheses (ACH) methodology. It is a slightly fictionalized version of a true case study prepared by Thomas W. Shreeve & Associates for the Intelligence Community Case Method Program. The case is based on real events. See the Ed Ramos Case Study for a DEA adaptation of this same case.
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The Florida Bombing

This fictionalized terrorist attack is based on a true incident. The 11-page case study illustrates the issues involved with risk analysis and warning from strategic, operational, and tactical levels.
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Carlos Lopez Paredes

This 5-page case can be used to illustrate the types of decisions that must be made by counterintelligence officers. It is a slightly fictionalized version of a true case.
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JonBenét Ramsey

The murder of six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey in 1996 captured media attention for over a decade as law enforcement officials searched for the identity of the murderer. Investigators pursued nearly 140 suspects and ultimately focused their investigation on the family itself. This case study details the string of events and evidence from the night before the murder through the investigation process and beyond. In doing so, it illustrates the value of developing and testing alternative hypotheses from the start of an investigation.

Additional case studies in the field of intelligence analysis can be obtained from:

The National Security Studies Program at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University has designed a large number of case studies, exercises, and simulations to aid the preparation of policy-makers and students to examine pertinent management, leadership, and accountability issues related to US national security. Traditional NSS case studies highlight dilemmas at two levels: (1) pertaining specifically to the case (case dilemma) and (2) pertaining to the larger policy implications of the case (policy dilemma). NSS case study exercises and simulations require students to participate actively in resolving the policy dilemma(s). For a listing and brief description of currently available NSS Case Studies go to http://exed.maxwell.syr.edu/exed/sites/nss/node/11.

Thomas W. Shreeve & Associates and the Intelligence Community Case Method Program consists of more than 200 cases and cases studies specific to the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense, covering a wide range of functional areas. A list of unclassified case studies is available at http://www.intelcasestudies.com/cases/catalog.html., organized by functional area. Three-quarters of the catalog is classified and available only to a restricted audience on a need-to-know basis. Classroom use of the material requires permission of the organization that originally commissioned the case.

Mercyhurst College, Institute of Intelligence Studies has produced a number of terrorism and counterterrorism case studies based on the Intelligence Community Case Method Program developed by Thomas Shreeve. The Institute now has a collection of nearly 100 domestic and international terrorism related case studies and is currently developing a text to deliver those cases for use by educators and practitioners across the Intelligence Community and academia. Click here to access the Mercyhurst website: http://www.mciis.org/products/case_studies.php. These cases attempt to educate the audience on a variety of intelligence topics from use of analytical methodologies to strategies for investigators. For more information, contact Robert Heibel at rheibel@mercyhurst.edu.