Handwriting, Document and Voice Examination Chapter 7

Handwriting, Handwriting, Document and Voice Document and Voice

ExaminationExamination

Handwriting, Handwriting, Document and Voice Document and Voice

ExaminationExamination

Chapter 7Chapter 7

Basics…• Questioned Document – any object

whose source of authenticity is in doubt– Examples?

• Written, printed materials – letters, passports, checks, wills

• Writings on walls, windows, doors - graffiti

– MUST have reference samples– Handwriting is a definitive

characteristic!!

A little history…• Handwriting

– Two most popular methods of teaching• Palmer method – 1880

– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmer_Method

• Zaner – Bloser method – 1895– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Paxton_Zaner– http://www.schoolfonts.com/zaner-bloser-manuscript-writi

ng/zaner-bloser_manuscript_writing_XP_Windows_Vista.html

– http://www.handwrite.net/handwriting_methods.html

Handwriting• Eventually becomes subconscious

– Habitual shapes and patterns– Mechanical– Physical– Mental

• No two people write exactly alike! May be resemblances. Combination of these factors collectively make it nearly impossible to reproduce!

Basic Handwriting Characteristics

• Angularity• Slope• Speed• Pressure• Spacing

(letters,words)• Connections• Finger Dexterity

• Dimensions of letters

• Pen movement• Etc.

**HANDOUT!!**

12 Basic Handwriting Characteristics

Other Handwriting Characteristics

• Margins• Spacing• Crowding• Alignment• Spelling• Grammar

•Punctuation

•Phraseology

•Insertions

ALL are based on personal habit!!

Comparison of Knowns and Unknown

• Must consider ALL characteristics!– No single characteristic can be taken for a

positive comparison• Need sufficient number of common

characteristics– No hard fast rule as to how many– Based on expert

• Need reasonable amount of knowns to compare to.

• This will allow identification of deliberate disguise.• Clifford Irving – p.500

Factors that affect handwriting

• Health– Disorders – muscular (arthritis,

Parkinsons, tremors)– Alcohol, drugs

• Age– Senility– Juvenille

Collection of Exemplars• Exemplar – sample, model, standard, known• Should be as similar as possible to unknown

– Type of paper used, writing implement used, combo of letters used

• Should show natural variation– Natural variation – normal deviations found

between repeated exemplars

• Age of genuine document v questioned one– Should date close to questioned document

• 2-3 years (adults)

Collection of Exemplars• Voluntarily• Involuntary

– Court cases:– Gilbert v California, 1967

• Case details• Gilbert v California• Lies outside of 5th amendment• Physical characteristic – not protected

– United States v Mara, 1973• Case details• United States v Mara• Does NOT violate 4th Amendment rights

Collection of Exemplars• Requested vs. Nonrequested

– Requested – in presence of investigator• May be consciously altered – several pages

required• Dictated!• Steps to minimize conscious deception

– Nonrequested – reveals normal habits; bank records, tax returns, applications

• Disadvantages – obtaining enough letters/words

Typescript• Two questions investigators need

to answer:– Can I determine the make and model

of machine (typewriter) used to type questioned document?

– Can I identify a particular suspect machine as having prepared questioned document?

Make and Model?• YES! By using class characteristics

– Letter spacing, Typeface – size, design • Need complete reference collection of

past and present typefaces used by manufacturers– Compare

Killian Documents ControversyKillian Documents Authenticity

Suspect machine?• YES! By using individual characteristics• Compare questioned document to

exemplars from that specific machine– Need proper standards– Typewriter itself is preferred

• Wear of mechanical parts– Develop through use/abuse of machine - Randomly– Irregularity imparts individual characteristics

• Wear on character• Faulty alignment

• Ribbon– Impressions left (carbon ribbon)

• Helps determine if document has been recently altered

Photocopiers

• Need at least 10 samples from photocopier itself

• Side-by-side comparison• Transitory defect marks

– Irregularly shaped, distinctive patterns

– Debris

Printers

• Impact (thermal, dot matrix) vs. Nonimpact printers (ink jet, laser)

• Microscopically can determine: (narrow possibilities)– Character shapes– Toner differentiation (chem composition of

color)

– Toner application methods (fusing ink to paper)

Faxes• TTI – transmitting terminal

identifier (top of each fax page)• TTI font/style and text font/style of

fax are different – determined by sending machine

• Database of TTI fonts• Example

Alterations

• Changing of a document– Hide content– Forgery purposes

• Two ways– Erasures– Obliterations

Erasures

• Remove writing– Pink eraser, sandpaper, razor blade, knife– Scratches surface of paper – disturbs

paper’s upper fibers

• Examine under scope– Readily apparent– Cannot tell original writing as it removes

too much paper to determine

Obliterations• Chemical erasure

– Uses a strong oxidizer– Reaction with paper/ink colorless product– Use a microscope or UV light – reveals

discoloration of paper• Crossing out, writing over

– VERY obvious– If done with same ink? – difficult to recover

original writing– If done with different ink? –

Chromotography, IR photography to determine original writing

Detection of Original Writing

• IR Luminescence– Observe differences in luminating properties– Example– Example

• IR Photography– Uses IR-sensitive film– Charred documents, erasures, obliterations– Example

• Digitizing• Improve and enhance on computer• Adobe Photoshop• Example

Other Document Possibilites

• Indented Writing• Ink Comparison• Paper Examination

Other Document Possibilities

• Indented Writing:– Partially visible depressions of sheet

underneath original writing– Due to pressure– Can be valuable– Can use oblique lighting– Some documents must develop

• Use of toner powder – ESDA (Electrostatic Detection Apparatus)

Indented Writing


• Ink Comparison (chemical composition)– Visible Microspectrophotometer

• It combines a microscope with a spectrophotometer so that the light absorption properties of a very small sample can be recorded.

• Non-destructive– Ink dating

• Ink tags - Ink manufacturers “tag” inks– Dates to exact year of manufacture

• Determine how long writing has been on the paper• Determine writing implement


– Chromatography• Method of separating components of a mixture• TLC, HPLC, GC, Paper• Only need a small sample• Calculate Rf (retention) factor:

– Rf = distance component traveled distance solvent front traveled

ExamplesExamples


• Paper Examination– Paper is made from cellulose fibers found in

wood and recycled products– Can analyze:

• General Appearance• Color• Weight• Watermarks• Fibers• Pigments present

Voice Examination• Telephone, radio, tape-recorded communication

– Examples – telephoned bomb threat, obscene phone call, tape-recorded kidnap ransom

• Sound spectrograph – an instrument that converts speech into a visual graphic display (voiceprint; spectrogram)– Frequencies converted into energy and recorded on paper– Time vs. frequency

• History– 1st developed by Bell Telephone Labs in 1941– Used in WWII to identify German radio– Lawrence Kersta – 1st to say that these graphs

(voiceprints) could be used and every person has their own unique quality and character (personal identification)

– Still conflicting as far as court acceptance

Voice Examination

Sound spectrograph instrument

Voice Examination• Spectrogram of a two-second segment of speech, namely the

phrase "I can see you." The dark areas show regions of strong

intensity in the spectrum

Case Study – Lindbergh’s Kidnapping• March 1, 1932• Hopewell, New Jersey• Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr (20

months old) was kidnapped

Case Study – Lindbergh’s Kidnapping

• Police arrive• Investigate outside area• Found at scene

– Footprints in wet ground below baby’s window• Never measured or made casts of!!

– Two deep impressions – presumably from a ladder

– Carpenter’s chisel – near ladder impressions• Found less than a hundred yards away

– The ladder – in three sections– Tire tracks near a small dirt road

Case Study – Lindbergh’s Kidnapping• Inside:

– Found on windowsill• An envelope with a single sheet of paper

inside– Envelope was dusted for fingerprints

• Note written in blue ink


• Dear Sir! Have 50,000$ redy 2500$ in 20$ bills 1 5000$ in 10$ bills and 10000$ in 5$ bills. After 2-4 days we will inform you were to deliver the Mony. We warn you for making anyding public or for the polise the child is in gut care. Indication for all letters are signature and 3 holes.

Case Study – Lindbergh’s Kidnapping• A few days later – a second ransom note

received:Dear Sir. We have warned you note to make anything public also notify the

police now you have to take consequences — means we will have to hold the baby until everything is quite. We can note make any appointmant just now. We know very well what it means to us. It is (is it) realy necessary to make a world affair out of this, or to get your baby back as soon as possible to settle those affair in a quick way will be better for both — don't by afraid about the baby — keeping care of us day and night. We also will feed him according to the diet. We are interested to send him back in gut health. And ransom was made aus for 50000 $ but now we have to take another person to it and probably have to keep the baby for a longer time as we expected. So the amount will be 70000 20000 in 50$ bills 25000 $ in 20$ bill 15000 $ in 10$ bills and 10000 in 5$ bills Don't mark any bills or take them from one serial nomer. We will form you latter were to deliver the money. But we will note do so until the Police is out of the cace and the pappers are qute. The kidnaping we prepared in years so we are prepared for everyding.

Case Study – Lindbergh’s Kidnapping• Paid ransom• Baby was not turned over• Recorded serial numbers


• Investigation– Little accomplished until May– Found baby’s body on May 12

– only four miles from house– Autopsy of baby

• No bullet found, but a small hole in base of skull

• COD – blow to head• Corpse had been in woods for

several months

Case Study – Lindbergh’s Kidnapping• Ladder

– Constructed from pine from North Carolina, Douglas fir from the west, birch and Ponderosa pine

– Traced some lumber to a mill in South Carolina to a lumber dealer in the Bronx

Case Study – Lindbergh’s Kidnapping• September 1934• Gas station attendant received a $10

bill that matched the list of serial numbers recorded from the ransom money

• Bruno Richard Hauptmann – 35– German immigrant– Living in the Bronx

Case Study – Lindbergh’s Kidnapping• Hauptmann

– Found nearly $15,000 of ransom money in house

– Wooden rafters of garage matched ladder

– Convicted of kidnapping and murder – executed January 13, 1936


Case Study –Unabomber

• 1978– Parcel delivered to a professor at Northwestern

University – exploded as being opened by security

• First of a series of bomb containing packages sent to universities and airlines

• Perpetrator dubbed – UN (university) A (airlines) BOM

• First fatality – 1985• 1995 – “Manifesto” – he promised to end

bomb spree in a 35,000 page typewritten document

Case Study –Unabomber

• Sent “Manifesto” to New York Times and The Washington Post

• Ted Kaczynski arrested in Montana in 1996 (brother came forward saying writing style and philosophy was the same)

• Inside Kaczynski’s home, three manual typewriters were found – forensic

document examiners matched the typewritten “Manifesto” to one of the machines.

IR Luminescence

IR photography