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A lot of different skills are needed to crack an important criminal case. In-depth investigations must be conducted, evidence must be gathered, and the criminal has to be hunted down. But often, standard police work--no matter how good it is--isn't enough to crack a case. Many times, special skills are required to put the guilty party behind bars. One such skill that is often used is forensic handwriting in Phoenix. Here are just a few high-profile cases that handwriting analysis has helped to solve over the years. Murder of Susan Berman In 2000, Susan Berman was found dead from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Investigations began, and Robert Durst soon became a suspect. He was a long-time friend of Berman, but correspondence found between the 2 of them suggested that things weren't as friendly as they initially appeared to be. However, try as they might, police officers could not find any physical evidence tying Durst to the murder. Then the police received an anonymous, handwritten letter that contained information about the murder that only the killer could have known. The handwriting in this letter was compared to a handwritten letter written by Durst and sent to Berman the year before her death. The 2 letters contained identical, block-letter handwriting, written in all caps, as well as the same misspelling of "Beverley Hills". The match between these 2 letters was a vital piece of evidence that helped to put Durst behind bars. The BTK Killer For nearly 2 decades, the Wichita, KS, area was tormented by a serial killer known as the BTK Killer (Bind, Torture, Kill). Between 1974 and 1991, the BTK Killer tortured and killed at least 10 people. Police and federal agencies hunted, but were unable to find the killer. When the killer became dormant, authorities still had no leads, and the trail went cold. Nearly 15 years later, in 2005, the media began to receive anonymous letters from someone claiming to be the BTK Killer. Due to the letters' content, authorities believed the claim to be genuine. Evidence eventually led them to Dennis Rader, and handwritten letters found at his residence were matched to the handwriting in the letters sent to the media, helping to put him away for the rest of his life. Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping In 1932, the 20-month-old son of Charles Lindbergh, the famous aviator, was kidnapped from his bedroom. A ransom note was left demanding $50,000 for the boy's return. Though the ransom was paid, the child was not returned and his body was recovered 2 months later. Investigation eventually led authorities to Bruno Hauptmann. A portion of the ransom money was found in his garage, and handwriting analysts were able to match his writing to the handwriting used in the ransom note left by the kidnapper. This evidence helped lead to his arrest and eventual execution. As you can see, forensic handwriting in Phoenix is a valuable skill that can be used to put dangerous criminals behind bars.
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