Transcript Treyce d`Gabriel-Montoya, Forensic Handwriting

Tom Green County Coalition Against
Violence
“Standing United Against Violence In Rural Texas”
Conference
February 14 & 15, 2011
Full Bio at wwwSolveMyCase.com
23+ years, international
law enforcement trainer
& case consultant
Helps Writers of Criminal
Minds TV show
Author: “Answers”,
“Written Violence”,
“What’s Going on
Upstairs”, “Case Files” &
Several More
Full Bio & Many
References Online at
www.SolveMyCase.com
The following is a list of the most common
questions and their corresponding answers.
* Please read these at your leisure *
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Get your mini handwriting profile (“Quickie”) for only $ 10.00
For privacy, results are emailed to you within 72 hours.
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Cannot reveal age, gender, handedness, or
anything identifying so therefore it is… 100%
non-discriminatory & public knowledge
Is beneficial for personality assessments as it
relates to lies, suicide, violence and more but
definitely does not predict the future!
On March 31, 2003, United States v. Crisp, 324
F.3d 261 (4th Cir. 2003), stated expert testimony
on handwriting is admissible under the Daubert
ruling set forth by United States Supreme Court.
FOR LIST OF SCIENTIFIC STUDIES that prove
validity, please email [email protected]
The zones in our
writing match our
body in order…
Now… let’s take a look….
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Our physical body weakens
Our writing slows and becomes larger
Pressure lightens
Forms are not as smooth
Unstable slant
Fatigue or depression - falling or sagging
baselines
Mood indicators register body concern
When we are not feeling well, we do not function at our
full capacity. The more serious the illness, the more it
will affect our thinking, behavior…
.... and our handwriting.
• Many physical ailments can show up in handwriting
up to 20 years before the writer or doctor is aware that
sosomething is wrong… including medical testing.
• Some health problems that are evident in handwriting
are temporary and some are permanent.
• Illness affects each of us differently. A brave strong
person may not show an illness, while a weak
person could show a sniffle.
• To assess the true impact, get at least two samples
-- one of which is when the writer was well.
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The brain sends messages about physiological problems,
but only in a very general way.
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We can tell the area of the body in which the
problem occurs, but not the type of problem.
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In addition to specific areas, conditions that effect the
entire body may show up in the LZ which represents the
physical body as a whole.
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First check the LZ for swelling or distortion; then check
for pressure pattern variations and smoothness of the
stroke.
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We may not be able to identify the illness, but we
can describe the type of pain and the general
location.
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We do not diagnose illness
...we recognize the
possible existence of physical dysfunction.
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Even Hypochondria shows lower zone swelling and
even excessive punctuation – each drawing attention
to self.
Aside from the traditional note-taking supplies, you will need a
quality magnifying glass. The industry recommendation is one
with at least a 6X or a 10X magnification
There are 6 types of indicators to watch for:
1. Pain dots
- Caused by the body’s need for moments of rest
- Usually the least severe indicator -- hard blob
- Concentrated throbbing pain - sharp jolting pain
- A pain dot on the right side of a “y” may, or may not be on
the right leg. Some writers do a reversal (as the right brain
controls the left body).
2. Script hitches
- aka “heart hitch” since it interrupts heart action
- Indicates more serious pain or dysfunction
- May also show heavier pressure at the point
where it changes direction
- Pronounced jerk of the pen in unconscious
sympathetic reaction to an interruption of a
normal body function or pain
3.
Pen stroke waivers
- A general incapacity or weakness which makes it
difficult to control or guide the pen
- There are a variety of interpretations
 Restrictive breathing
 Arthritis
 Stroke
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Changes in direction (indentations)
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Skips (interruptions)
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Difficulty in making curves - resulting in flattening in sides, tops or bottoms
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The frequency determines the degree of seriousness, but remember that
everyone endures pain differently.
Now let’s look at health
indicators more closely
20-year old young lady
Lungs
Left
Heart
right
Which side is indented, flattened, or distorted ?
Heart
Blood pressure
Respiratory
Heart indicators
on a check
Notice the heavy, blotchy middle zone pressure
Bad eyesight: notice “missing” ink in top of upper stems / loops
Bad hearing: notice “missing” ink a bit lower
than the eyes on the upper stems / loops
Cancer signs are difficult
to see without a highpowered microscope.
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Heart and circulatory
diseases show
especially well.
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Some people may be
denying their illness and
we can give them the
extra push they need to
get a physical exam.
Warning:
Many of these same indicators can show up as gas pains, a bump on the
elbow, during the sudden ringing of the doorbell, or even a crumb under the
piece of paper.
They are significant only if they repeat themselves in the SAME
location and zone.
What’s Going on Upstairs ?
What do your I’s say about you ?
How do you see yourself ?
If you are female – look at the top
of your capital “I”
If you are male – look at the bottom
of your capital “I”
Anger at male (ie: father / husband / ex-husband) & good
relationship with female (ie: mother / wife)
Good relationship with male (ie: father / husband) & closed-off relationship
with female (ie: mother / wife) – common when they pass away
Anger with female (ie: mother / wife / ex-wife) & good relationship
with male (ie: father / husband)
Anger at both female (ie: mother / wife / ex-wife) & male
(ie: father / husband / ex-husband)
Relationship with female was good in past (ie: mother / wife / ex-wife) but not
ongoing (common with death) & male was very little in past but getting better
(ie: father / husband / ex-husband)
Relationship with male was good in past (ie: father / husband / ex-husband)
and is Currently ongoing but not as strong. Relationship with female was
very little in past but getting better (ie: mother / wife / ex-wife)
Very independent – probably doesn’t call or visit home as often as he should. Parental
figures are not represented here unless there is a little hook (anger). Otherwise the
person is happy and confident being on their own and don’t feel they
need supervision (parental control)
Male perpetrator – see “nipple” on bottom
Female perpetrator – see “phallic” shape on top
If you see capital “I” letters similar to these, ask the
potential victim to write about everyone in her life by name.
Then look where the “angry” indicators are… match it to the
capital “I” (gender) - she probably just revealed her perp.
Anxiety - is indicated by many crossings out or corrections, various spacing, strange letter shapes, some
or all of an individual letter is missing, broken, twisted strokes and even stencil-like letters. He does not
like his inner self and tries to avoid it at all costs. He has a latent feeling of inner terror that he cannot
explain. He lacks self control and cannot assimilate his apprehension toward life. Internally he does not
feel rational but, on the outside, he often appears so. He may overact to small events or everyday
occurrences (“triggers”). Because of these, he may be pessimistic, unenthusiastic and have a difficult time
with relationships and decision-making thereby making him reclusive and prone to depression.
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Just like you do not usually see signs of
depression before someone commits suicide,
the handwriting does not usually show
depression before showing suicide.
This is why the act of suicide usually comes as a
shock and feeling of disbelief to the loved ones
left behind…“we didn’t see it coming”, “she
didn’t seem sad or depressed”, “I cannot believe
it”, “I think someone did this to her”…
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How do you know the difference in handwriting?
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Depression shows most of the line of writing
going, or attempting to go, downhill.
Suicide shows the writing going straight or
uphill and just the last couple of letters fall.
Resentment can easily build…
Resentment is a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will (many times aimed toward
the perpetrator but can also be toward loved ones (fear of emotional pain)).
With resentment, she harbors anger, resentment and / or hatred toward
someone or something. This can cause her to be emotionally immature. She may
frequently feel indignant toward others for fear of being offended, or hurt. She may even
start feeling irritated about the disruption in her life (ie: time, possessions or privacy).
1 mm = 1 year back from date of writing sample
Excessive ‘tick’ marks: this indicates misplaced, misdirected and
untreated anger issues. Often the individual is in denial about his
anger and it may be the root of “evil” behavior.
ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
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Mistakes / lack of details: fixed or missing letter parts such as the ‘o’ in ‘school’ & extra ‘k’ in “likked”
shows lack of concentration, simple mistakes and lack of details.
Bad listener: shown by his closed ‘e’ letters… “e = ear = hearing”. If they are closed… he’s not listening.
Lacks follow through: low crossings on ‘g’ & ‘y’ loops. Lower crossing = lower follow-through.
Disorganized / Unorganized: low crossings on the letter ‘f ’ & disorganized writing style.
Loses things / Forgetful: this will be the same indicators as (1) above.
Easily distracted: uncontrolled & inconsistent writing that is fast = lacks self-discipline including focus.
Anxious: open-bottomed letters (‘b’ on ‘but’) & various letter shapes shows the amount of anxiety he has
Wavy words (some words go uphill, some downhill): moodiness & nervous habits (knee-bouncing,
finger-tapping, etc.) which can cause him to have a difficult time making decisions.
Talkative / Interrupts: open-topped vowels indicate he is talkative & can easily interrupt or make noises
because he needs stimulation. The talking / noises are automatic & random.
Physically disruptive: long lower loops indicate physical energy &, when combined with the above
symptoms, he become physically disruptive and not be able to sit still quietly for very long.
Bipolar Disorder
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MANIC
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Racing speech and thoughts: fast writing = thoughts, speech & behaviors are excessively fast.
Elevated mood and exaggerated optimism: extreme uphill toward the right side of the writing
shows excessive energy & unrealistic enthusiasm and optimism.
Increased physical and mental activity: extra thick exits on lowers & upper stem tops indicate
his physical and mental activity and energy.
Excessive irritability: i-dots that are inconsistent in size, pressure, and shape
Poor judgment: downward crossing t-bars, overall wide word spacing and too close letter
spacing with extreme right slant indicate inconsistent and poor judgment.
Reckless driving, excessive spending: letters open at the bottom such as the ‘p’ in ‘place’ (3rd
line down), unfinished letters, and heavy pressure indicate excessive need for excitement, and
change which makes him prone to being reckless.
Difficulty concentrating: i-dots that are inconsistent in location (as related to the i-stem)
shows his thoughts and levels of concentration are inconsistent as well.
Inflated sense of self: too tall uppers mean that his ego is inflated
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DEPRESSION
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Loss of interest in usual activities: writing taller on right than letters on left show lack of interest in
things that used to bring him pleasure. Most obvious are “ff”, “ll” and “tt”. Concave words… low on left,
raised in the middle, & down on the right verify how tired he feels & prone to avoid activities & people.
Prolonged sad or irritable mood: heavily ground-in i-dots.
Loss of energy or fatigue: same as above.
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness: t-bars that are longer to the right of the stem and letters that exit
toward the left (such as the ‘e’ in ‘home’ (last word) all show his guilt and feelings of worthlessness.
Sleeping too much or inability to sleep: same as (9)
Drop in grades and inability to concentrate: inconsistent i-dots (location, shape, etc) show his
thoughts and verify that his levels of concentration are inconsistent as well.
Inability to experience pleasure: unfinished loops show his physical energy is incomplete and weak.
Appetite loss or overeating: inconsistent pressure = will power fluctuates, cause loss of appetite
Anger, worry, and anxiety: little hooks on entrance & exit strokes; mistakes or crossing-out verify this
anger, and worry which makes him prone to depression.
Thoughts of death or suicide: last few letters of a word drop = suicidal thoughts. An ‘x’ shape
indicates obsession with death (such as the horizontal bars on the capital I and some t-bars).
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Suicide is a very real issue for those diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Estimated 20% of people
with this disorder will kill themselves (1:5) and 50% will attempt it at least once in their lives. A
well-known fact: when they begin to climb from depression the possibility of an attempt
increases. Two thoughts as to why: (1) when a person has made the decision to commit suicide,
they feel more at peace and in control and depression lessens; (2) as lethargy lifts, he finds the
energy necessary for follow-through. Regardless, this is a very critical time.
Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) or
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
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The symptoms are shown simply:
 The writing changes so it looks like more than one person wrote it;
 Count how many “different” writing styles appear and that is how many
alters exist.
 Whenever an unexplainable “blotch” or “tangled letter” appears it’s
when there is a power struggle between alters…and personalities.
Shadowing occurs when there is another alter behind the writer waiting to
take control of the pen… and personality.
32 years old woman, diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder; had delusions that
someone was cloning her. She announced to her maternal grandmother that she was
going to kill her mother. Told her mother that she needed to see a doctor, that she was
“very ill”, then took out a dagger and stabbed her twice heart he heart and on the legs,
arms, and back of neck. She showed no remorse and still lies about the attack. She
was convicted due to pre-meditation… statements to her grandmother prior to the act.
Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder
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Obstructive resistance: supporting stroke on letter entrance or exit.
Negative attitudes: downhill writing or downward t-crossings, ‘dish’ t-crossings, & little anger hooks.
Passive attitude: t-bar longer on left, left slant and / or abnormally small vowels.
Denial, refusal or resistance: see materials (#’s 1, 8, 10, 15, & 16). Together they create this trait.
Helplessness: the lower the t-crossing the lower the self-esteem and the higher this trait.
Procrastination: : t-bar longer on left
Stubbornness: separation of entrance stroke & next letter, inverted ‘v’ of cursive ‘d’ or ‘t’, any letter
than exits lower than rest of letters in that word, over-lapping strokes, and / or sharp points in letters.
Resentment: the overly large lowercase ‘K’ shows defiance toward peers and authority figures.
Sullenness: this is shown the same as ‘helplessness’.
Lack of follow-through of responsibilities: too wide spacing between words & letters shows he will
avoid commitment and responsibilities.
Late or forgetful: missing i-dots, t-bars longer to left, missing details that are societally uncommon.
Fear of intimacy: mostly printed script & large spacing between words predominantly.
Difficultly trusting others: too wide spacing between words & letters
Causing chaotic situations: clubbed exit or end strokes, middle zone writing predominantly.
Making excuses: unfinished letters, strong right slant, or t-bars longer on the left.
Blame others: horizontal entrance strokes of the ‘m’, ‘n’, ‘v’, ‘w’, ‘y’ or any other letters indicate
someone who is critical of, and can find fault with, others.
But… the MAIN INDICATOR that you can use without any of the others above is….
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Entrance strokes that tip to the left before
going into the letter…
This was written by
Elizabeth Johnson,
the mother of missing
Baby Gabriel
One example is
highlighted for you
but it shows up on
nearly every letter!
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
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Overall shakiness – not written comfortably, it almost makes the reader (you) feel uncomfortable
looking at it.
Due to the ‘re-experiencing symptoms’ you will notice an unstable slant, unstable height of upper
stems and loops, anger ticks which show the secondary anger stemming from the painful and
frightening, anxiety-provoking thoughts
Due to the “avoidance symptoms” you will notice various spacing which indicates the desire to be
“normal” – to be close to loved ones (vertical and right slant) but the inability to do so because of the
PTSD symptoms which cause emotional distance (left slant).
Due to the “hyper-arousal symptoms” you will notice the shakiness in the overall writing as we earlier
discussed. If you think about living in fear – fear of your thoughts, fear of going to sleep, fear of being
awake, etc…. every hour of every day – your anxiety would cause you to become angry, and on edge to
where it will affect your relationships and your sleep and appetite. Because hyper-arousal is also a
physical state of being the lower loops are usually distorted.
Because of everything combined and their 24 hour living with such internal and external stress as you
may have guessed the pressure in their handwriting is heavy as well.
NOTE: most times you will find weapons & aggression in the
writing of PTSD sufferers What is a “weapon” ? If it looks
like it could hurt you… it’s a weapon. Here are a few
examples:
Schizophrenia
Another easy one to spot…
 In order to tell if someone writes with Schizophrenic tendencies you have to
look at the line between reality and thoughts (see line). You will see that the
tops of letters go up and down within the same word.
 These ups and downs cause a hill and valley effect (see v’s). These v’s
represent their thoughts swinging in and out of reality.
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The best way to detect illegal drug use is to
look at the vowels.
The more inconsistent the size the more
likely the individual is using drugs.
As long as the drug shows in the body is as
long as it shows in writing.
SOME GOOD QUALITIES of HANDWRITING
DRAW A PIG
Head-to-Toe
Toward the top of the paper: you are positive and optimistic.
Toward the middle: you are a realist.
Toward the bottom: you are pessimistic, and may behave negatively.
Facing left: you believe in tradition, are friendly, and tend to remember dates
Facing right: you are innovative & active but don't have a strong sense of family
Facing you: you are direct, enjoy playing devil's advocate, & neither fear nor avoid
discussions.
A lot of detail: you are analytical, cautious, and don’t trust others easily.
Not much detail: you are emotional, care little for details, and may be a risk-taker.
Less than 4 legs: you are insecure or living through a period of major change.
With 4 legs showing: you are secure, stubborn, and stick to your ideals.
The bigger the ears: the better listener you are.
The longer the tail: the stronger your sex drive.
In each class we try to recognize previous students who have
contributed much to the law enforcement field.
Detective Joseph Scaramucci
McLennan County Sheriff’s Office
Gang Investigator John Bowman
Killeen Police Department
Detective Toby McLaughlin
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office