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Chapter 17:

Questioned Documents

Voice Analysis

(Forensic Linguistics)

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Language

Sometimes, however, the manner that we

choose to communicate may be almost as

important as the thoughts themselves.

development of ways in which to extend

and expand our ability to communicate with

others far away

as our needs and desires grew, so did the

development of more complex forms of

language and communication.

The study of language is referred to as

linguistics

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Written Word

Handwriting, and later printing, provided

humans with the ability to communicate easily

across space and time.

graphic forms of communication developed

long ago and allowing individualism

handwriting holds information quite

personal beyond the actual words.

– these graphic forms of communication and

expression extend to include both traditional

forms of art and imagery as well as

photographic, video and digital art.

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Written Word

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Written Word

We are often greatly influenced by

photographic and video images with almost

instant access to visual media produced from

across the world.

given the availability and ease of use of

computer photographic and video altering

software, how do we know that what we are

looking at is real

a key forensic question that is increasingly

being asked is whether images are authentic

or somehow modified?

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Questioned Documents

(Top) a composite photograph of Sen. John

Kerry seemingly sharing the podium with

Jane Fonda at a 1970s anti-war rally. The

picture appeared during Kerry’s 2004

presidential run.

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Questioned Documents

The top composite was actually made up of a

June 1971 image of Kerry preparing to speak

to a Peace Rally in New York (Bottom left)

with a August 1972 image of Jane Fonda from

a Miami Beach, Florida political rally (bottom

right)

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Questioned Documents (QD)

Documents form the basis of a large part of

our communication, providing permanent

records of our thoughts, actions and

transactions.

Recording legal, personal, and financial

information.

Forgery is defined as the act of preparing or

altering a document, signature, financial

certificate, work of art, or other valued item with

the intention to defraud, damage or cheat

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Questioned Documents (QD)In forensic science, the term “questioned

document” refers to any document over which

there is some legal dispute regarding its

origin, authenticity, or authorship.

Such documents might include financial checks,

currency, wills, anonymous letters, agreements,

passports, personal identification records,

receipts, and many others.

The field encompasses many components of

document analysis but includes handwriting

analysis, signature authenticity, and examination

of a variety of printed materials.

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Questioned Documents (QD)the “Wacker Case,” one of

the most famous frauds in art

history…

The case involved 33 works

allegedly painted by Vincent

van Gogh and helped foster the

development of scientific

techniques, many based on

chemistry, to examine

paintings at the molecular level

and determine their

authenticity.

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Questioned Documents (QD)Frank Abignale Jr., who

successfully performed cons

worth millions of dollars

before his 19th birthday!

He managed to get away with

it by posing as a Pan American

World Airways pilot, a

Georgia doctor, and a

Louisiana parish prosecutor.

he become so skillful that the

FBI turned to him to help in

catching other check forgers!

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Questioned Documents (QD)

Physical Evidence :

– Determine if authentic (non forgery).

– Determine if a document has be altered.

– Match sample with suspect.

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Questioned Documents

Physical examinations in QD involves scrutiny of

surfaces and other items. Paper is the most typical

surface examined. Examiners may focus on one or

more of the following:

– Something on the surface, such as handwriting,

typewriting, alterations, or obliterations.

– Something in the surface, such as indented writing,

watermarks, or safety fibers.

– Damage to the surface, such as torn edges, moisture, or

charring.

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Hand Writing Analysis

Not all handwriting is identifiable to a specific writer or writers.

Examination of handwriting characteristics can sometimes result in determining the origin or authenticity of questioned writing.

Traits such as age, sex, personality, or intent cannot be determined from handwriting examinations.

– Personality traits do not normally show up until the 4th grade when writing becomes a subconscious skill

Handwriting comparisons based on the principle that no two people write exactly alike and that characteristics reoccur throughout every person's writing.

A combination of characteristics is unique to every individual and is used by document examiners for comparison.

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Hand Writing Analysis

Individualizing features are often divided into four main

categories:

form – includes handwriting style, shape of the letters,

slope and line locations, rhythm of the writing, and size of

writing

– block, script, or cursive

arrangement – includes spacing of letters

quality – includes pressure and thickness

content. - includes grammar, spelling, and syntax

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Hand Writing Analysis

Handwriting Styles

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Hand Writing Analysis

Handwriting Slope

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Hand Writing Analysis

Handwriting Form– Handwriting style (block, cursive, etc.)

– Shape of the letters

– Slope and line locations of the writing

– Rhythm of the writing

– Size of the writing

Arrhythmic

handwriting

of mass-

murder

Charles

Manson

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Hand Writing Analysis

sample copybook in the

Zaner-bloser writing

style commonly taught

beginning in about the

1960s

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Hand Writing Analysis

Handwriting examples based on where the author first learned to write.

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Hand Writing Analysis

Handwriting analysis deals with determining

the authorship of a document.

Were two documents written by the same hand

(identification) or were the two documents written

by different people (forgery).

– comparison of the questioned document with

handwriting examples known to have been written by

the purported author of the document.

– Nine categories

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Hand Writing Analysis

A definite opinion is not always possible when conducting a handwriting comparison. Reasons for an inconclusive result include:

– The questioned writing is limited.

– The known writing is limited in amount,

comparability, or both.

– The writing is not naturally prepared.

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Hand Writing Comparison

Compare Exemplar with Questioned Document

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Levels of individualization– identification (highest degree of confidence that the handwriting

belonged to the ascribed author)

– highly probable

– probable

– indications (some evidence for similarities exist but the

connection is not relatively weak)

– no conclusion (unable to make a determination)

– indications did not (some dissimilarities exist but the evidence is

not strong)

– probably did not (the two documents likely did not come from

the same author),

– strong probability did not (almost certain that the two documents

do not match),

– elimination (the two documents were definitely written by

different authors

Hand Writing Lab

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Important tool for document examiners

Two compound microscopes combined into one unit

When viewer looks through the eyepiece, a field divided into two equal parts isobserved

Bullet comparisons- requires reflective light

• Hair & Fiber comparisons

• Questioned documents

Comparison Microscope

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Comparison Microscope

Split-image comparison of banknotes:

on the left the original, on the right the forgery

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Counterfeiting

Creating

fraudulent legal

documents (e.g.,

money)

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Counterfeiting

$50 Bill shows the words “The United States of

America” printed on Pres. Grant’s collar

VICE NEWS Doc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=4RoZrtBijRY

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Hitler Diaries

Hitler Diaries…

The Big "Discovery"

In April 1983, the popular West German magazine Stern made a shocking announcement that sparked passionate debates throughout the world and temporarily challenged historical views concerning Germany’s most notorious ex-chancellor. The periodical claimed that 62 handwritten volumes of secret diaries allegedly written by the founder of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler, had been discovered in East Germany. According to Charles Hamilton’s book, The Hitler Diaries, the volumes were reported to be one of the most-significant, historical discoveries in recent history. However, time proved the manuscripts instead were one of the biggest hoaxes of the century.

Hitler Diaries…

…in an effort to set history straight, it was decided that the diaries would undergo more rigorous testing by scientists and scholars. It didn’t take long for them to determine that the diaries were, in fact, elaborate forgeries and by no means the work of Hitler. Moreover, it was discovered that during the initial analysis by handwriting experts, the purported “original” documents that the diaries were compared against were also forgeries concocted by the same individual. Eventually, the world learned the identity of the mastermind behind the elaborate hoax, a petty criminal and Hitler enthusiast named Konrad Kujau. He later earned the reputation as one of the century’s most notorious forgers, who successfully fooled millions with his reinvented account of history.

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Questioned Documents

Watermarks: A translucent design impressed on paper during manufacture and visible when the paper is held to the light.

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Questioned Documents

Examination of indented writing (writing from pressure on underlying pages) using oblique lighting or electrostatic detection apparatus.

– Typewriting comparison and reconstruction may establish that a particular typewriter was used to type a particular document, or suggest a particular brand of typewriter was used.

– Determination of text from used ribbons.

– Examination of altered documents including the detection of additions, erasures, obliterations, and changes.

– Determination of fake documents including checks, wills, and bonds.

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Questioned Documents

Oblique Lighting -– Photographic

techniques to enhance indented writing (top) using side lighting and special film. Bottom shows the apparent bank robbery note that was produced from the indentations in the paper.

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Questioned Documents

Electrostatic

Detection Apparatus

-– electrostatic detection

apparatus (ESDA), an

instrument that renders

indented writing visible

and provides a record

of the writing.

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Typewriters

The typewriter (L) identified with correspondence from

the UNABOM case. Note the unique characteristic of

the typed letter "u" (Middle) from the questioned

document, which matches the unique characteristic of

the "u" typewriter key (R) from the typewriter seized

during the investigation.

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Altered Documents

Hyperspectral imaging clearly shows the alteration to a

document. (Top) the document as it appears visually and

(bottom) a hyperspectral image showing the use of a

different pen to make the alteration

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Voice Analysis

Unique voice

production to an

individual is

based on the

physical process

of speech itself…

Speech ProductionThe probability that two people both have

exactly the same physical make-up in their

sound generating structures and employ the

same speech articulations is extremely small.

a method to measure and graphically display the

differences that exist in the subtleties of our

speech, is called a sound spectrograph or

voiceprint.

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Speech Production– A voiceprint displays three key components of

speech in a single plot

• the vertical axis is used to display the different

frequencies that make up the sound

• the horizontal axis shows time elapsed during the

measurement

• the degree of darkness of the line at a particular

point shows the intensity of that particular frequency

at that one time

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Basic Concepts for Analyzing

Voice Prints

The process of identifying voices visually

involves translating the wave patterns

produced by the voice into a pictorial

display called a spectrogram.

The spectrogram serves as

a permanent record of the

words spoken and facilitates

the visual comparison of

similar words spoken by an

unknown and known

speaker's voice.

Basic Concepts for Analyzing

Voice PrintsIs it possible for a person to "fool" a spectrograph?