When it comes to cracking high-profile criminal cases, a lot of the focus is placed on the physical evidence connecting the suspect to the crime. However, many people overlook the importance of another kind of investigative technique--forensic handwriting analysis. Not many members of the general public know how important this form of investigation can be, even to high-profile murder cases. This article will discuss 2 cases in which handwriting analysis played a key role in catching and convicting the criminal. It is important to keep in mind, however, that this is only ever a portion of a successful criminal case, and handwriting analysis in San Diego has many other uses as well. The BTK Killer From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, the Wichita, Kansas, area was terrorized by a killer who murdered at least 10 victims during his 2-decade spree. Due to his modus operandi of binding, torturing, and killing his victims, he became known as the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) Killer. The last known victim of the BTK Killer was killed in 1991. Then, the trail went cold and the killer appeared to become dormant. Nearly 15 years later, in 2005, the BTK Killer initiated contact with the media, sending a series of messages, many of which were handwritten. During these series of communications, the killer inadvertently provided personal contact information on a floppy disk that was sent to police, identifying him as Dennis Rader. Though this was the linch pin for prosecution in this case, Rader's communication with police and media provided some additional evidence. Once they had located his home, they were able to do a comparative handwriting analysis between handwritten letters in Rader's home and letters that were sent to the police and media. The handwriting was an exact forensic match, providing prosecution with even more evidence in their case against Rader. Forensic handwriting helped to clinch the case and put a dangerous serial killer behind bars. Robert Durst In 2000, Susan Berman was found murdered, with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Her long-time friend, Robert Durst, was a suspect in the case from the very beginning. However, prosecution was unable to find any sufficient amount of physical evidence to convict durst of the killing. Then, they discovered the letters that Berman and Durst had exchanged. Not only did the letters reveal that the relationship between the two was less than friendly, but it provided experts with an opportunity to do a comparative handwriting analysis. At the time of Berman's murder, an anonymous note was sent to police that contained details about the killing--details that only the killer would know. Forensic handwriting experts did a comparative analysis between Durst's letters to Berman and the letter sent to police. The handwriting in both letters had very characteristic, block-style letters and was written in all caps; they were an exact match to one another. Additionally, both letters also contained a distinctive misspelling--"Beverley Hills" instead of "Beverly Hills." The matches between these letters, in addition to other important evidence, helped prosecutors build a convincing case against Durst. They were able to arrest and convict him of Berman's murder. These are just two cases in which forensic handwriting analysis played a key role in catching dangerous criminals. There are many more cases out there that don't garner as much attention. It is also worth noting, however, that handwriting analysis in San Diego has many other uses outside of the criminal justice system. Whatever your personal reasons for wanting to work with a forensic handwriting expert, professionals can almost always be found in your area to help.
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