Handwriting Analysis

1
Handwriting Analysis

• CSI UMMC

2
Uses of Handwriting Analysis

• Determine identity of writer
• In ransom notes
• In document forgery
• In death threats
• In suicide notes
• Can you think of others?

3
Comparisons Are Useful Because

• No two people have identical handwriting
• By adulthood, it is exclusive to an individual
• Even disguised handwriting will exhibit some of
  the persons individual characteristics

4
Standard Comparisons

• Include sample to be analyzed
• Samples from individual
• Collected writing comes from prior to the
  beginning of the investigation (helps prevent or
  indicate when a person is disguising their
  handwriting)
• Requested writing is a dictated text using the
  same type of paper and ink as the sample to be
  analyzed

5
Characteristics for Comparisons

• Line quality Do the letters flow or are they
  written with intent strokes?
• Spacing of words and letters an average
• Ratio of height and width of letters
• Connecting strokes Are capital letters and
  lower case letters connected?
• Unusual letter formations
• Pen pressure
• Slant Left, right, slight or pronounced
• Baseline habits Do the letters stay even on the
  baseline?
• Placement of diacritics How are the ts crossed
  and the Is dotted?

6
Magnification

• Often investigators will use copy machine to
  magnify particular letters and subgroups
• This allows a transparency overlay for individual
  features
• Can be tricky because scale must be maintained

7
Procedure for Murder at SHRP

• Use the magnifying glass to determine who wrote
  the threat
• Select a single sample of a suspects handwriting
  and the note found with victim 1.
• Observe the general slant to the words in the
  note. Compare to the writing samples on the
  rap sheets.
• Select an individual letter in sample and compare
  it to a letter in the note in a similar
  position. In other words, compare an s at the
  end of a word in a note to an s in the sample.
• Perform similar comparisons of each suspects
  handwriting with note.
• Select another letter or group of letters for
  comparison. For example, compare nd in the
  note with an nd in an individuals writing
  sample.
• Continue the comparisons until you have enough
  information to make a hypothesis of who wrote
  the note.

8
Practice Activity

• Each student in your group should quickly write
  the following and place it in a pile.
• Forensic handwriting analysis is as easy as 1,
  2, 3. Anyone could see. and sign your name.
• Then write I think I get it, this is stupid and
  sign it Mr. Stokes and shuffle these face down
• Select from the second group and compare to the
  samples to see who forged Mr. Stokes s name