Handwriting, Document
and Voice Examination
Chapter 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-manuscriptwriting/zanerbloser_manuscript_writing_XP_Windows_Vista.html
– http://www.handwrite.net/handwriting_methods.html
Handwriting
• Eventually becomes subconscious
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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!
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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
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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
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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 Controversy
Killian 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
Other Document
Possibilities
• 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
Other Document
Possibilities
– Chromatography
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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
Examples
Examples
Other Document
Possibilities
• Paper Examination
– Paper is made from cellulose fibers found in
wood and recycled products
– Can analyze:
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General Appearance
Color
Weight
Watermarks
Fibers
Pigments present
Voice Examination
• Telephone, radio, tape-recorded communication
– Examples – telephoned bomb threat, obscene phone call, taperecorded 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
Case Study –
Lindbergh’s Kidnapping
• 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
Case Study –
Lindbergh’s Kidnapping
• 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 –
Lindbergh’s Kidnapping
• 1978
Case Study –
Unabomber
– 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