Originally aired during the week of March 14, 2005
If you've ever tried to forge a signature (just for fun of
course!) you quickly come to realize how hard it is to do. By adulthood
you have developed very personal writing habits that make your
handwriting as distinctive as your speech. Give it a try - it's hard to
duplicate your friend's loopy "g" or the little curlicue at the end of
her signature. And she'll have a hard time mimicking the same pressure
you exert on the pen when you give your "John Hancock," or get just the
right slant on your "P's" and "Q's." It's not an exact science, but
expert handwriting analysis can help investigators crack cases. See
what they look for in a new visiting exhibit at the Montshire called
Crime Lab Investigators. You'll also learn about other sleuthing
techniques like DNA testing and fingerprinting.
Criminals usually leave traces behind at the crime scene - a
shoeprint. A tire mark on the gravel. A small thread of fabric from a
piece of clothing. In cases like forgery, the clues might be in the
handwriting. Often it is not the handwriting itself, but methods of
expression and choice of words that can tell a good deal about the
author and the truth about their written statements. Looking at letters
written by alleged victims and suspects, skilled investigators can
often tell if a person is writing an honest recollection of an
event - the writing style will seem to flow naturally - or if the writer
is putting an "editorial slant" on the truth. When the subconscious
knows it is about to lie, the slant, spacing, or pressure of the pen on
the page can change. Find out more about what makes handwriting
distinctive at the Montshire's new Crime Lab Detectives exhibit.
Some states still allow handwriting analysts to testify as
expert witnesses in criminal court cases. And the study of shapes,
forms, and inconsistencies in handwriting can sometimes tell us tell us
things about the writer. But graphology, the practice of trying to
devine personality traits from handwriting, is more of a parlor trick
than science. The more respectable practice of forensic handwriting
analysis has helped solve many cases over the years, including the
celebrated Lindbergh kidnapping. A good forensic handwriting expert can
judge whether two or more samples were actually written by the same
person. But there is little scientific basis to judge a person's
character or predict their behavior by analyzing their handwriting.
Remember when penmanship was an important part of elementary
school? Teachers graded you on how well you drew those loopy letters.
Come to think of it, I never could get the hang of that cursive "G."
Some forensic investigators have become experts in inspecting people's
handwriting. They aren't making corrections in red pencil like your 4th
grade teacher. They are looking for clues to determine the identity of
the writer. Even when a person tries to disguise his or her
handwriting, some of their own unique characteristics can be discerned.
Experts look for line quality - do the letters flow together or are they
written in intense strokes? Are the letters consistent in height,
width, and size? Does the writer lift his pen, make dramatically
slanted characters, or press the pen real hard on the paper?
True handwriting analysis involves painstaking examination of
the design, shape and structure of handwriting to determine who the
author is. The basic premise is that, like snowflakes, no two people
write exactly the same things in exactly the same way. See what role
handwriting analysis plays at the Montshire Museum's visiting
exhibition called
Crime Lab Detectives. You become a forensic scientist
as you try to determine the identity of a neighborhood burglar. Look
for clues, scrutinize the evidence, and record findings in your
Detective Notebook. Then, share your observations with friends or
family members to determine together which suspect committed the crime.
If you've already solved the mystery don't put away your magnifying
glass just yet - we're rearranging the clues on March 26, so you'll have
a whole new mystery to solve!
