Senior Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, has been called the best of the best as an interviewer and instructor in Analytic Interviewing, Cognitive Interviewing and reading micro-expressions. The Analytic Interviewing technique was the basis for the FOX television series “Lie to Me”. Until recently, Analytic Interviewing was only available to select criminal interviewers, intelligence officers and military intelligence.

     Researchers in psychotherapy bestowed the title of “Truth Wizard” upon Mary as she can accurately detect deception over 80% of the time in all three areas of deception. In a study across the United States testing 13,000 law enforcement officers, judges and psychologist’s ability to detect deception, only 29 could detect deception over 80% of the time in all three areas of deception. These 29 individuals are recognized as Truth Wizards.

     Agent Daugherty began her 24-year career at ATF with the Arson and Explosive group. Later she worked as an undercover agent for ten years infiltrating the most violent and dangerous criminal organizations in Texas: including the Jamaican Posse street gang; Chinese organized crime; Mexican Mafia; Bandido motorcycle gang; street gangs involved in violent home invasions, etc.

     During an 18-month undercover inquiry, Agent Daugherty and another Agent personally purchased weapons and narcotics from 17 members of the Texas Syndicate, resulting in 41 felony convictions. She was honored by the 100 Club of Houston as "Officer of the Year" for the Gulf Coast region of Texas.

Agent Daugherty became involved in an inquiry of a group converting semi-automatic rifles to fully automatic assault rifles. In addition to conducting surveillance and debriefing the undercover agent, she acted in the capacity as the undercover agent’s girlfriend. On February 28, 1993, Federal Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were ambushed while executing a lawful search warrant on the compound where the group lived. Assault rifles opened fire as agents dismounted from their vehicles. Agent Daugherty was the last agent to exit the cattle trailer as it was being destroyed by .223 and .50 caliber weapons fire. During the intense 90-minute gun battle, 4 agents were killed and 19 were wounded. Agent Daugherty only sustained a rifle round through the pocket of her uniform pants which struck an agent behind her. After being involved in the largest gun battle in U.S. law enforcement history, Mary was one of the last ATF agents to leave the grounds of the compound. On the third day of the ensuing standoff, Agent Daugherty and another agent met with members of the Branch Davidians to remove the first two children from the compound. She was able to obtain invaluable intelligence concerning casualties and conditions inside the compound. As result of this experience, she became a negotiator attached to a Federal Special Response Team for 5 years.

     Mary became an internationally renowned instructor with the Institute of Analytic Interviewing, Inc. (IAI), training the trainers for government agencies in the U.S. and abroad. As one of the leading instructors with IAI, Mary worked with Dr. Paul Ekman, Dr. Mark Frank, Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan and Dr. Ed Geiselman learning and applying the latest and most advanced scientific research available in interviewing techniques.

     In addition to her case load, she instructed Interviewing and Undercover Schools for ATF for 18 years. As a certified instructor for the Department of the Treasury and Department of Justice, Mary has instructed thousands of Law Enforcement officers/agents at numerous conferences and training programs.

     Senior Special Agent Daugherty finished her career as an ATF Intelligence Officer assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

     The remainder of her biography is still classified top secret by the U.S. Government.