Global Investigative Services

Matthew 56 Investigations, LLC, is a U.S. consulting firm offering investigative, research and analysis services worldwide.​

We are founded on the methods and approaches of contemporary investigative journalism. That is to say, we use public records. We interview reliable sources. We verify facts. We corroborate accounts. We track down elusive subjects. We use open record laws, where applicable, to gather documents from government agencies. We know how to obtain confidential documents.

We delve into complex matters, to shed light on wrongdoing, to bring clarity to little understood issues of importance, to give voice to the voiceless.

This is what we are not: We don't believe the ends justify the means. We are not a private investigations firm. We don't misrepresent ourselves. We don't pay sources for information.

This is what we are: We are selective about the matters we investigate. We believe in obtaining information above board, directly and without deceit. We believe our methods of obtaining information must be as unassailable as the accuracy of the information we gather.

Just a few highlights of our investigative work:

We offer our investigative services to a wide array of clients: To individuals seeking hard-to-find information. To groups, businesses and other entities that lack the in-house expertise but need to get to the bottom of a matter of importance.

Contact us today for a free initial consultation.

Snapshots of Freedom

Images from some of Alec’s investigations of wrongful convictions across the United States

The Jennifer del prete investigation

In Illinois, Jennifer Del Prete was freed in the wake of a shaken-baby syndrome murder investigation that Alec oversaw in which revelatory information was discovered pointing to her innocence.

the andre gonzales investigation

In Florida, Andre Gonzales was freed from a life sentence after an investigation that Alec oversaw in which a key eyewitness was tracked down who disclosed the identity of the real killer.

the kate parker investigation

In Oregon, Kate Parker was freed and reunited with her family following an abuse case investigation that Alec oversaw in which an examination of voluminous records pointed to her innocence.

Breakthroughs

The kenny “Zulu” whitmore investigation

In Louisiana, Kenny “Zulu” Whitmore was freed from solitary confinement in the infamous Angola prison after 28 consecutive years—about 36 years in total—following a murder case investigation that Alec oversaw that challenged his longstanding isolation.

the rodney fisher investigation

In Oklahoma, Rodney Fisher’s life sentence was commuted by the parole board and the governor and he was set free after an investigation that Alec oversaw in which the facts of the burglary and robbery case show Rodney was excessively sentenced.

the ysole krol INVESTIGATION

In Illinois, the governor commuted Ysole Krol’s 35-year sentence to 15 years, meaning she will be free in five years when she will be reunited with her daughter and family. Alec oversaw an investigation of Ysole’s murder case, a tragedy of excessive sentencing, if not a wrongful conviction.

The Latest

The Tonia miller INVESTIGATION

In Michigan, Tonia Miller, who was sentenced to 20-30 years after the death of her daughter, was set free after serving 18 years in a shaken-baby syndrome case. Tonia’s case was investigated as a wrongful conviction that Alec oversaw, citing medical evidence that was overlooked by authorities.

The mcKinley “Mac” Phipps Jr. INVESTIGATION

In Louisiana, former No Limit rapper McKinley “Mac” Phipps Jr. was released on parole after serving 21 years of a 30-year sentence in prison. Phipps’ case was investigated as a wrongful murder conviction that Alec oversaw, based on interviews with eyewitness accounts.

THe Robin Ratliff Investigation

In Oklahoma, the Pardon and Parole board recommended Robin Ratliff be freed on parole after serving more than 27 years of a life sentence. Robin hasn’t known the outside of a prison since she was 14 years old. Robin’s case was investigated by Alec as an excessive sentence and a possible wrongful conviction.

Alec has helped many other inmates regain their freedom, including Amber Kirk who was set free after the Oklahoma governor commuted her life sentence, Robyn Allen who was released six years into a 20-year sentence and Sheila Royal who was also freed from a life sentence.

Testimonials

"Alec Klein saved me from 30+ years in prison. I am free, and I owe that freedom to my attorneys and to Alec Klein. I can confidently and wholeheartedly endorse him to be an honest, quiet-spoken, courteous, humble man of his word who epitomizes the words 'integrity' and 'honorable.' He is a man worthy of trust. He does not seek recognition for himself. His passion for helping others is matched by his commitment to remaining ethical and transparent at all times.”

Kate Parker, who was freed after prosecutors dropped abuse charges in Oregon

"Alec doesn't shy away from investigations when they're difficult, and he gets results. But while he's a dogged investigative reporter who doesn't give up when others would, he doesn't resort to unethical tactics to get those results. He's unfailingly kind, and he practices journalism with integrity."

An investigative journalist; she works for a national publication

"You helped me tremendously and I'm very appreciative of it. I don't know how to put it into words. You've helped me gain my freedom."

Amber Kirk, freed from a life sentence in Oklahoma after her drug conviction was commuted by the governor

Gerald Loeb Awards

The Team

Alec Klein

SENIOR PARTNER

Alec Klein, the founder of Matthew 56 Investigations, LLC, has helped to set free many prisoners who were wrongfully convicted of murder and falsely accused of other crimes. His work has helped to free several inmates who had been sentenced to life in prison. His investigations have also helped dozens of inmates who were excessively sentenced gain their freedom and regain their lives through parole, commutations and pardons.

His investigations at the Washington Post uncovered corporate corruption, leading to congressional hearings, federal law, criminal convictions and more than half a billion dollars in government fines.

Among his investigations at the Washington Post, Klein conducted a yearlong probe of AOL’s takeover of Time Warner. His investigation, based on hundreds of confidential documents, showed how AOL secretly inflated its revenue to pull off the largest merger in U.S. history to create the biggest media company in the world. His investigation sparked investigations of AOL by the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Klein’s series also prompted the company, then called AOL Time Warner, to launch its own internal investigation of its accounting, which led the company to admit that it had improperly reported at least $190 million in advertising revenue, causing it to restate two years of financial results. The company agreed to pay $510 million to settle criminal and civil allegations that its AOL division improperly pumped up revenue before and after its merger with Time Warner. In the wake of Klein’s investigation, several top AOL executives were forced to resign, several business partners involved in AOL’s schemes were indicted and convicted on fraud charges and the AOL division that was the focus of his investigation was disbanded. For his coverage of AOL, Klein won the Gerald Loeb Award, business journalism’s highest honor.

Klein, a bestselling author who also worked for the Wall Street Journal, the Baltimore Sun and other news outlets, gives speeches and workshops throughout the United States and abroad on how to conduct investigations using the methods and approaches of contemporary investigative journalism.

Edward Klein

SENIOR PARTNER

Edward Klein is a well-known editor, public speaker and a #1 New York Times bestselling author with a distinguished career in American journalism.

After he earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, he traveled throughout Asia as a foreign correspondent for United Press International. Upon his return to New York, he joined Newsweek, where he became foreign editor and then assistant managing editor with jurisdiction over foreign and military affairs.​

From Newsweek, he joined The New York Times. As editor in chief of The New York Times Magazine, he led this flagship publication of the Sunday Times to new heights of public interest and editorial excellence. During his editorship, The New York Times Magazine won the first Pulitzer Prize in its history.​

Since leaving The Times, Edward Klein has written many articles for Vanity Fair and other national magazines. For Parade, he wrote “Walter Scott’s Personality Parade,” the most widely read column in the English language. His eleven nonfiction books have all appeared on The New York Times Best Seller List. They include: All Too Human: The Love Story of Jack and Jackie Kennedy;  Just Jackie: Her Private Years; The Kennedy Curse; Farewell Jackie;  The Truth About Hillary;  Katie: The Real Story; Ted Kennedy: The Dream That Never Died; The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House; Blood Feud: The Clintons Vs. The Obamas;  Unlikeable: The Problem With Hillary; and All Out War: The Plot Against Trump.​

Edward Klein is also a novelist. He is the co-author of If Israel Lost the War and the author of The Parachutists.