Case Study: Heyrick Research strengthens human trafficking investigations with DataWalk

Heyrick Research Relies on DataWalk in the Fight against Human Trafficking

Heyrick Research, a Virginia-based counter-human trafficking organization focused on the illicit massage industry (IMI), needed a better way to identify, analyze, and communicate the complex connections among suspected illicit massage businesses, owners, and related parties. To support this mission, the team turned to DataWalk software, using its data repository plus integrated analysis and visualization capabilities to centralize information and uncover networked activity.

With DataWalk, Heyrick Research can persistently store data, visualize linkages in link charts, and trace connections through multiple degrees of separation, sometimes revealing hidden ownership structures and links added months later. The platform has improved collaboration across analysts and helped Heyrick produce clearer targeting packages for law enforcement and partners; the case study notes examples such as identifying overlapping connections across states and supporting investigations that led to raids involving 11 massage parlors in Seattle and 5 in Lafayette, with multiple arrests, victim recoveries, and cash seizures.

Heyrick Research

Chris Muller-Tabanera

National Director