Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendall Shull
Hi Kendall, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Grew up on a farm in Southwest Iowa. Attended a 4-H citizenship tour to Maryland and Washington, DC when I was a sophomore in high school. During that time, we took a tour of the FBI. When the tour was over, I knew my passion was to become an FBI Agent. I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Animal Science (I think I am most likely the only FBI Agent with an Animal Science degree) and shortly after took a job as a clerk with the FBI in WDC. Didn’t pay well so I also worked a part time job as security at a mall. In 1975 after passing the written and oral exam as well as the physical fitness test I attended the FBI Agent training in Quantico, VA. After completing that training, I was assigned to the Washington Field Office in WDC. From 1975 to 1991 I worked on a variety of types of cases including Foreign Counterintelligence, public corruption and property crimes. In 1980 I began work as an undercover agent and worked several cases as the primary undercover agent for the next 10 years. When it was time to quit undercover work I expressed an interest in polygraph and was allowed to attend polygraph school in 1991. In 1993 I was sent to conduct research at the Department of Defense Polygraph School and attended class at night to complete a Master’s of Science in polygraph. After another two years in the Washington Field Office, I was transferred in 1995 to FBI Headquarters as a supervisor of 25 field examiners. In 1999 I became the Chief and Program Manager of the entire FBI Polygraph Program. In 2001 I retired and moved to Knoxville, TN and began my own polygraph and private investigative business. I now conduct polygraph exams for attorneys, therapists, and private citizens. I have appeared on several TV shows to include Couples Court with the Cutlers, The ID Channel, The Discovery Channel, Entertainment Tonight, Keith Ablow and Nancy Grace. I have been interviewed by 60 Minutes as the leading polygraph examiner in the US. I have conducted thousands of polygraph exams in the US as well as internationally. I am blessed to have a wonderful family with 6 Grandchildren. I enjoy golf and driving my 1948 Ford pickup truck that was my father’s farm truck and I drove all through high school. I have a strong belief in God, attend a wonderful church where I have sung in the choir for over 20 years until recently after hip surgery. I live in a wonderful neighborhood and my dog is named “J Edgar Hoover” after the first FBI Director who I had the pleasure to meet. I am very blessed.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While I loved my career with the FBI, it did come with challenges.
New Agent training was certainly a challenge. Classroom, firearms training and physical fitness requirements were demanding.
Everyone was constantly on edge and afraid they would fail and be asked to leave. We did lose 2 classmates who did not do well on the written exams.
In class you had no idea where you would be assigned when the training ended. It could be anywhere in the US. My assignment was Washington Field Office in WDC.
It was sometimes hard to find acceptance as a new Special Agent but soon it felt like family. Everyone seemed to care and the comradery was evident. We all had each other’s back in many times of hostile and dangerous situations.
Working undercover had always been a dream of mine and just after 5 years of working criminal and foreign counterintelligence cases, I got the chance to live my dream. The first assignment I had was a property violations case. I was able to obtain an introduction to the main target who was buying stolen gold, silver and precious stones from thieves stealing from private homes and businesses. On my first contact with the target of the assignment, using my undercover identity, he asked me to come to work for him. I of course accepted the job and I then felt I had proven my ability to work undercover. The case turned out to be extremely successful. In my next case we opened an undercover storefront business where we again purchased stolen property from thieves. It was highly successful operation as well. We recovered and returned an enormous amount of stolen property to the people it was stolen from.
I was then asked to take an undercover public corruption case assignment in Nebraska which targeted corrupt County Commissioners. Commissioners were accepting kickbacks from company’s they did business with. I acted as an owner of a gravel company
My next undercover assignment involved investigating individuals who were dealing in illegal poker machines. This assignment then rolled into targeting members of a heroin and cocaine group from Turkey. It turned out to be the most dangerous assignment I was involved in.
One of the main targets of the investigation even told me he had all the friends he needed, needed no more and even wanted to get rid of some of the ones he did have. In spite of how he felt, we soon became good friends. I drove a Porsche 911, owned a huge yacht in Florida and an airplane in WDC. My hair was long and permed every 3 months to fit the persona of a drug dealer.
There were certainly some very scary situations and some were extremely dangerous. Even so, I loved what I did and was again living my dream.
One of the challenges working undercover was not allowing myself to personally become too close to the bad guys we were investigating. This was sometimes difficult. I needed the subjects to like me and I believe they did but it was sometimes hard not developing a sense of real friendship with them as well.
After 10 years working undercover, I was offered the opportunity to attend polygraph school at the Department of Defense Polygraph School located at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. After graduation, I would then be assigned again to the Washington Field Office of the FBI in Washington, DC.
Learning to be a good polygraph examiner presented its own challenges. Training school was demanding but graduating and having the opportunity to work as a polygrapher was an incredible experience. Little did I know it would be something I would remain involved with after retirement from the FBI. Polygraph often plays a major role in an most investigations and examiners are often expected to obtain confessions from a subject who fails the polygraph. But this is what most polygraph examiners like the most. It is a great feeling when you get the chance to use your interview and interrogation skills to obtain the confession or admission from the suspect and help solve the crime.
Retiring and moving to Knoxville where I knew no one was hard. My wife and I were having a new home built but I had no idea how to start a new business. I joined the local Chamber of Commerce and Former Society of FBI Agents. I advertised in Yellow Pages and reached out to attorneys who I thought might be interested in my services as a Polygraph Examiner or Private Investigator I spent a great deal of time making cold calls and knocking on doors to introduce myself. I was getting very few call backs and worried that I wouldn’t be successful in my own business. There were other polygraph examiners in the area that were well established and doing a good job and that made it hard to gain acceptance. It was a rough time. When I did get a request for a polygraph, I had to reserve a hotel conference room until a friend of mine offered an office at her business at no cost. It was far from my home but worked. Through the help of former FBI Agents who had started their own private practices and my effort to make myself known to the area, I soon started getting requests for Private Investigations and Polygraph. At first just a few each month and I worked out of my house for about a year. I finally was getting enough requests to allow me to locate my business to the office location that I have now maintained for 20 years. I decided to obtain my Security Guard Company license and began getting requests to provide security guards for businesses. I soon was doing well enough to hire an office manager which at first, I thought would never be possible. My work now consists of conducting polygraph examinations for attorneys, business owners and private individuals. I also work with several therapists who request polygraphs for their clients prior to sexual disclosure to their spouse. I also conduct polygraphs for individuals who want to prove their innocence regarding an allegation against them. The private investigations we conduct often concern proof of spousal infidelity or violations of child custody agreements as well as violations of workman’s compensation. They most often require physical surveillance. We also locate missing persons, conduct interviews and background checks and serve subpoenas as well as other process service for attorneys.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kendall Investigations?
Conduct polygraph examinations for the private sector including attorneys, therapists and private individuals
Conduct private investigations to include surveillance, interviews, locates, process service and background checks
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Raised on a small farm in Southwest Iowa. 2 brothers and one sister
Wonderful, loving and hard-working parents. Ermal and Wilma
Only 8 students in my 8th grade in Riverton, Iowa
Graduated in class of about 55 from Farragut, Iowa which had consolidated with Riverton.
Very involved with sports (basketball, baseball and football in high school, Boy Scouts (Attained Eagle Scout rank) Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H
Worked hard every summer starting at a young age putting up hay, cutting out corn from bean fields. detasseling corn, working in the fields and taking care of livestock.
Brother who is a retired Veterinarian still owns and manages the family farm
Knew at a young age I did not want to farm for a living after putting up hay in the hot summers and picking corn in the cold winters.
Our family did not have a lot of money but I don’t think we ever realized that.
I attended a community college for 2 years to help dad on the farm. I was a dorm counselor and also worked part time at the post office to help pay for college.
At Iowa State I majored in Animal Science because all I really knew was farming and needed something to fall back on if I was not selected to become an FBI Agent
Tried very hard to stay out of trouble. Was afraid I would do something that would keep me from getting into the FBI.
I was one of only a very few childhood friends who left the farm
Was a little sad and apprehensive but also excited driving out of my parent’s driveway headed for WDC where I knew absolutely no one. It would prove to be an incredibly exciting career. I cannot recall a single day I didn’t want to go to work.
Was also always excited to return home for holidays. Parents and siblings were very proud of me. Guess I was proud of what I did as well.
Contact Info:
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