The Truth about Witness Protection

image provided by Patrik Laszlo on Unsplash

Like many romantic suspense books, my new release Targeted Montana Witness features a heroine, Jillian who has been put in witness protection after testifying against the man who killed her fiance'. I did some research on how witness protection works. Here are some of the things I found out. Usually, when a witness is relocated, one law official in the town where he or she lives is aware that that person is in witness protection.  I used this fact for the romance part of my story. The only person who knows who Jillian really is is Sheriff Luke Mayfair. While she can never fully reveal details about her past or who she used to be to the friends she makes after relocation, Luke knows her whole story. 

The other thing that came up in my research was the degree to which people in the program suffer loneliness and depression. Imagine being cut off from your friends and family, not being able to communicate. In addition, people in the program are encouraged not to continue in their former profession as it might make them easier to find. For this reason, many people leave the program often returning to their old life and home even though it puts them at risk. Most people in witness protection keep their first name and change their last name. The reason for this is that people are most likely to be tracked by their last name. Also, a first name change means that person would have to get used to responding to it and not responding to their old name when it called out to them. That too would have some risk attached to it. 

Sometimes relatives of the person who needs the protection end up going into the program as well. One of the stories I read was of a woman who had no idea her husband worked for the mob until he decided to testify against them to save himself. She went with her husband and children leaving her old life behind.  Although my heroine is innocent of any crime, many of the people in the program are themselves criminals who agree to testify against their fellow criminals in exchange for protection. The other thing that struck me was the speed at which people are often whisked to a safe house and then into the program after they testify. They often don't have time to think about their choice or to take much with them. Photograph, diaries, keepsakes are all left behind. 

Can you imagine what it would be like to simply walk away from the life you now have? You could only take your memories with you and even then you couldn't share them with anyone. If your life was at risk, do you think you would go into witness protection? If you had to leave the life you know and could take only one thing from your home, what would you grab? Let me know in the comments. Leave your email. I will be giving away copies of Targeted Montana Witness (USA only). 

Sharon Dunn