In Class Hand Writing Analysis

We were given a sheet of paper with three boxes one on which we had to write the sentence "The brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." both in print and in cursive.

Then we needed to trade the paper with a neighbor and they needed to forge our hand writing free style.

Then we needed to trade again and the next person needed to trace the sentence again.

It was much easier to trace to forge the hand writing than it was to do it free style.

After this activity we were given blank checks and had to write a check, then we had to rip it up and trade our checks then we had to try and deside whose check was whose.

In Class Hair Analysis

The second thing we analysed in class was hair and the different types. We were given different samples including:
White Girl Hair(Hair Dyed)
Black Girl Hair
Asian Hair
Dog Hair
Cat Hair
Synthetic Hair
Silk
Nylon
Cotton
Wool.
We needed to find:
Color
Condition
Distinguishing Features
and Draw a Picture

In Class Fingerprint Analysis

To jump start Forensic Science we began with finger printing with our own fingers then we were left to decide what our finger prints were in the different types found in one of the first posts.

After Learning how to lay our prints down we had the opportunity to learn how to lift our prints.

First we learned how to lift them off of a dark hard surface using corn starch:

 

Famous Forgery Cases

The Howard Hughes Hoax
In 1970, authors Clifford Irving and Richard Suskind concocted a scheme to forge an autobiography of notoriously eccentric and reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Assuming that Hughes would never come out from hiding to denounce the book, they felt that their plan was fool-proof. Irving went to publisher McGraw-Hill claiming that Hughes had approached him to write his life story and that he was willing to correspond with only the author. As proof, Irving produced forged letters that he claimed were from Hughes. McGraw-Hill agreed, paying $765,000 for the right to publish the book. When word of the book was made public, however, Hughes contacted reporters to denounce it as false. Not wishing to appear in public, the billionaire would talk to reporters only via telephone. Thus, a "spectographic voiceprint analysis," measuring tone, pitch and volume, was conducted to determine if the speaker was indeed Howard Hughes. Although a handwriting expert had previously been fooled by the notes that Irving had forged, the voice analyst correctly identified the speaker as Hughes. Irving was exposed and confessed before the book was published. He spent 17 months in prison, while Suskind spent five. Irving later wrote a book about the scheme, The Hoax, which became a major motion picture in 2008

12 Handwriting Characteristics

1. Line quality: Do the letters flow or are they written with very intent strokes.
Look over the “line quality” of the paper you are examining. Make line quality observations about your sample.



2. Spacing of words and letters. What is the average space between words and letters? Make notes over the “spacing” of your evidence paper



3. Ratio of height, width, and size of letters: Are the letters consistent in height, width, and size?
Observe your ratios and record your findings. Measure short and tall letters.



4. Lifting pen: Does the author lift his or her pen to stop writing a word and start a new word?
Observe the “lifting pen” habits and record your findings.


5. Connecting strokes: How are capital letters connected to lower-case letters?
Observe the “connecting strokes” habits and record your findings.


6. Strokes to begin and end: Where does the letter begin and end on a page?
Observe the “strokes” habits and record your findings.


7. Unusual letter formation: Are any letters written with unusual slants or angles? Are some letters printed rather than written in cursive?
Observe your “unusual letter formation” habits and record your findings.
8. Pen pressure: How much pressure is applied on upward and downward strokes?
Observe any “pen pressure” habits and record your findings.


9. Slant: Do letters slant to the left or right? If slant is pronounced, a protractor may be used to determine the degree.
Observe the “slant” habits. Use a protractor to record your findings.
10. Baseline habits: Does the author write on the line or does the writing go above or below the line?
Observe any “baseline” habits and record your findings.


11. Fancy writing habits: Are there any unusual curls or loops or unique styles.
Observe any “fancy writing” habits and record your findings.
12. Placement of diacritics: How does the author cross the t’s or dot the i’s.
Observe any “diacritics” habits and record your findings for the top and bottom samples

History of Hand Writing Analysis

The interest in handwriting as an indicator of personality has its origins far back in history. Over 2000 years ago, Aristotle noticed the correlation between handwriting and personality while the Chinese independently also made the observation that there was a connection between character and writing. It was however, only in 1622 that an Italian physician and professor of philosophy at the University of Bologna, published a book describing the analysis of character through the study of handwriting.   In the late 1800's, Abbe Michon who was the headmaster of a school in Paris and a respected intellectual, wrote several books on the subject and coined the name of "graphology". Later, his successor, Crepieux Jamin, classified the many features of graphology into a comprehensive system. Meanwhile, during the 1890's in Germany, Dr Ludwig Klages, a philosopher and graphologist, applied gestalt theory to graphology, advanced his theories of rhythm and "form level" and significantly broadened the scope of graphology. Max Pulver, a Swiss professor who lectured in Graphology at the University of Zurich used psychoanalysis for the first time in the interpretation of graphology. This line of investigation was also followed by Ania Teillard, who worked closely with C.G. Jung for 20 years and applied his typological theories (extrovert and introvert etc.) to the theory of graphology. Alfred Binet, the renowned psychologist who founded the present method of I.Q. Testing for intelligence was a firm supporter of handwriting analysis. He confirmed that certain character traits are reflected in handwriting. As a method of personality assessment, handwriting analysis has been validated by research using both empirical and clinical procedures. http://graphicinsight.co.za/background.htm

Famous Cases Using Hair and Fibers

Ted Bundy
Although serial killer Ted Bundy was responsible for an estimated 30-plus murders, there was little physical evidence to connect him to the crimes when he was arrested in 1975. Two years later, having been convicted only of kidnapping, Bundy was preparing to stand trial for murder in Colorado when he escaped and headed to Florida. There, he killed three more people early in 1978, and when he was finally captured in February of that year, the physical evidence in those cases led to his conviction. Most crucial was the matching of a bite mark on the buttock of victim Lisa Levy to the Bundy's distinctive, crooked and chipped teeth. He was convicted also of the murder of 12-year-old Kimberly Leach based on fibers found in his van that matched the girl's clothing. Bundy was put to death in 1989.




The Atlanta Child MurdersIn a two year period between 1979 and 1981, 29 people -- almost all children -- were strangled by a serial killer. Police staked out a local river where other bodies had been dumped and arrested Wayne Williams as he was driving away from the sound of a splash in an area where a body was recovered a couple of days later. Police didn't witness him drop the body, so their case was based largely on forensic evidence gathered from fibers found on the victims. In all, there were nearly 30 types of fiber linked to items from Williams' house, his vehicles and even his dog. In 1982, he was convicted of killing two adult victims and sentenced to life in prison, although the Atlanta police announced that Williams was responsible for at least 22 of the child murders.




Jeffrey MacDonald
Early in the morning of February 17, 1970, the family of Army doctor Jeffrey MacDonald was attacked, leaving the doctor's pregnant wife and two young daughters dead from multiple stab wounds. MacDonald himself was injured by what he claimed to be four suspects, but he survived with only minor wounds. Doubt was immediately cast on the doctor's story, based on the physical evidence on the scene that suggested that he was the killer. However, the Army dropped the case because of the poor quality of the investigative techniques. Several years later, though, MacDonald was brought to trial in a civilian court. Key evidence was provided by a forensic scientist who testified that the doctor's pajama top, which he claimed to have used to ward off the killers, had 48 smooth, clean holes -- too smooth for such a volatile attack. Furthermore, the scientist noted that if the top was folded, the 48 holes could easily have been created by 21 thrusts -- the exact number of times that MacDonald's wife had been stabbed. The holes even matched the pattern of her wounds, suggesting that the pajama top had been laid on her before during the stabbing and not used in self-defense by the doctor. This crime scene reconstruction was crucial in MacDonald's conviction in 1979. He was sentenced to life in prison for the three murders.


http://www.ehow.com/about_6102496_forensic-science_-hair-fiber-analysis.html

Reliability of Hair/Fiber Crime Scene Data

Publications made by John Glaister and later, John Hicks, confirmed the accuracy and validity of hair science. DNA testing and microscopic hair comparison have helped to convict felons who would have otherwise gone free, and have also overturned wrongful convictions, such as the case of James Driskell, who sat in prison for 12 years until a DNA test of a hair proved his innocence. Careful examination of hair fibers conducted by a number of qualified professionals provides sufficient validity to allow the use of hair fiber analysis as evidence in courts.

    

http://www.ehow.com/about_6102496_forensic-science_-hair-fiber-analysis.html

How Do Scientists Analyze and Use Hair/Fiber Data?

Hair from a crime scene can tell investigators much about the victim or criminal. -- Analysis can reveal the presence of poison or dye, and even racial differences. Hairs with roots and tissue attached may not only make DNA testing possible, but indicate a struggle took place. Hair from animals can also provide important evidence.





http://karisable.com/crdna1.htm

Hair and Fiber Collection Techniques

Recover all hair present. If possible, use the fingers or tweezers to pick up hair, place in paper bindles or coin envelopes which should then be folded and sealed in larger envelopes. Label the outer sealed envelop.



If hair is attached, such as in dry blood, or caught in metal or a crack of glass, do not attempt to remove it but rather leave hair intact on the object. If the object is small, mark it, wrap it, and seal it in an envelope. If the object is large, wrap the area containing the hair in paper to prevent loss of hairs during shipment.



Fibers and threads can also be compared with suspects clothing to determine whether or not they could have come from this clothing.



 If threads or large fibers are found, they can often be picked up with the fingers and placed in a paper bindle, then in a coin envelope, which can be sealed and marked. Never place loose fibers directly into a mailing envelope since they can be lost from this type of envelope.
If the fibers are short or few in number, and if it is possible to do so, wrap the area or the entire item containing the fibers in paper and send the whole exhibit to the Laboratory.
Pick up fibers on tape only if the laboratory in your jurisdiction allows it and gives you its requirements. When fibers or threads are recovered, always send all clothing of persons from which they might have originated to the Laboratory for comparison purposes.
 




http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/collect.html

Major Types of Fibers

Wool is popular in the manufacture of clothing and home furnishings as it is warm, resists wrinkle, is lightweight and durable, absorbs moisture, is flame resistant, and has a natural stretch and elasticity.



Silk is a natural protein fibre containing about 70-75% of actual fibre fibroin secreted from two salivary glands in the head of the silkworm larva, and about 25-30% sericin, a gum which cements the two filaments together.



Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. Cool, soft and comfortable, cotton is presently the world's most used fiber. Every part of the cotton plant is useful and we see its application in industries such as apparel, home furnishings, medical and surgical, automobile, etc.



Polyester is a strong fiber that is resistant to crease, stretching and shrinkage, hence the ability to hold its shape well. Touted the best 'wash-and-wear' fiber, polyester is easy to care for and is washable, hence its wide usage in essentially every form of apparel and home furnishings.



Rayon drapes well, has a soft, silky hand, and has a smooth, napped, or bulky surface. Rayon is highly absorbent but does not insulate body heat, hence making rayon garments ideal for use in hot and humid climates. The durability and appearance retention of regular rayon are low and will wrinkle easily and may stretch when wet and shrink when washed. Rayon also has the lowest elastic recovery of any fiber.





http://www.numei.com/fiberfacts.htm

Labeled parts and pictures of hair

History of Hair and Fiber Analysis

The first use of medical crime solving is traced to a Chinese book, written by Song Ci in 1248, titled “Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified.”
An English legal case in 1784 matched a torn piece of paper recovered from a bullet wound in the victim's head with another piece of paper, which led to a conviction. In the 19th century, forensic medicine was a recognized branch of medicine. By 1910, Edmond Locard, a French criminologist, formulated the basic forensic principle, which states: "Every contact leaves a trace,” and established the world's first crime laboratory.

France’s Francois Goron was one of the first investigators to try to use hair to identify a murderer. But in his first case, hairs found in a dead woman's hand could not be identified as human because the scientific community could not yet distinguish between animal and human hair. Later in 1899, Goron tried again and was able to establish that a murder victim's hair had been dyed, which eventually led to the arrest of the killer and successfully using forensic hair tests to solve a crime.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6723036_history-hair-forensics.html

Procedures for Collecting and Lifting Fingerprints

Once the fingerprints are developed and photographed, there are several techniques that can be used to lift the fingerprints for further analysis and storage. There are hinge lifters, rubber lifters and cellophane tape.

Hinge lifters come in many different color backgrounds to allow for the visualization fingerprints developed with different color powders. The hinge lifter is placed on the print and pressed down evenly. The lifted print is covered with the hinged cover and is protected from scratches and dirt. Using a roller can sometimes help to smooth the cover to avoid bubbles. An image of the fingerprint is obtained just as it was found.

When using a rubber lifter, the plastic cover should be carefully removed in one steady movement since any pause will result in a line being left on the tape. The adhesive side of the tape should be applied to the powdered print, and pressed down evenly. Then the tape is peeled from the surface in one smooth, even motion. The plastic cover is replaced on the tape over the lifted print to protect it. A negative image of the fingerprint is obtained.

Cellophane tape can be used on surfaces that aren’t flat. It attaches to the contours of the object in order to avoid bumps. A high quality clear transparent tape should be used not a glossy or opaque magic tape. A bit of tape is folded over to be used as a tab for handling and the tape is unrolled. The print area is covered about an inch beyond in the other direction. The tape is gently rubbed over the print. After the tape is firmly in place, the print is lifted by pulling the roll gently and evenly away from the surface. The tape must be quickly applied to a card or piece of paper and excess tape must then be cut away. Transparent lifting tape has the advantage of presenting the lifted fingerprints in the correct position rather than reversed as on the rubber lifters.

When using lifters, it is important that the handler not get their own fingerprints on the lifters. It is also important not to get air bubbles under the lifters. Bubbles destroy the value of the print and obscure the fingerprint.

Fingerprint lifts should have the date, hand, finger and initials of the person lifting the print. Clear lifts can be chosen so that a background color or backlight can be used to see prints. Lift color should be chosen that provides contrast to developing color.

http://www.odec.ca/projects/2004/fren4j0/public_html/lifting_techniques.htm