Table Of ContentA C K N O W L E D G M E N T S
Tiffany Celeste Gibson provided technical support, photography, editorial
advice, sculpting, transcribing, illustrating, proofreading, and much more the
entire duration of this work.
The following individuals in some capacity facilitated the solutions of crimes
described in this text.
Chief Harold Hurtt, Al Amato, Lori Roberts, Dennis Gafford, Robert Tonrey,
Juan Gorge, Sheriff Tommy Thomas, Danny Billingsly, Deborah Goldman,
Dr. Sheryl Green, Adonna Pennington, Captain Joseph Lampignano, Lt. Ron
Walker, Charles McClelland, Sgt. Stephen Morrison, Ph.D., Sgt. J. “Billy” Belk,
Sherrie Anderson, Christina Espinoza, Sgt. Danny Silva, M. Zamora, Ph.D., Jeff
Wagner, Heidi Ruiz, Kyle Evans, Rusty Gallier, Officer Paul Deason, Harry
Fikaris, Boyd Smith, “Sonny” Wright, U. P. Hernandez, C. T. Mosqueda, L. W.
Hoffmaster, H. G. Welch, C. P. Abbondandolo, T. R. Hernandez, P. J. Guerrero,
D. D. Shirley, G. J. Novak, L. Webber, T. J. McCorvey, D. Shorten, C. B. Doug-
las, Charles Smith, Tracey Lynn Deel, Sgt. Scott Dudek, Dorothy Kerr, Ed
Chicoine, Claire Freidlander, David Dellaria, David Bumgartner, Lieutenant
Don McWilliams, Diane Denton, Captain Bobby Adams, Sergeant Douglas
Osterberg, Chief Gerie Stewart, Lee P. Brown, Judge Sam Nuchia, Norman
Giles, Christina Shiets, Captain Richard D. Williams, Thomas C. Jennings, Dr.
Sharon Garner-Brown, Pam Holak, Lizzy Greene Hargrove, Skip Haynes, Liz
Scardino, Christa Hardin, Lin Mills, Ken Homes, Gary Tindel, Darrell Harris,
Chris Forsyth, Mark Griffin, Alison Galloway, June Frost, Ben Beall, T. Walton,
Mike McKenna, Emma Rodriguez, Jeannine Maughmer Miller, Eugene Yanchak,
Monica Gustafson, Pete Schnieder, Ralph Yarborough, and Danny Morgan.
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C H A P T E R 1
T H E M O S T U N I Q U E
A R T D I S C I P L I N E
No other art is like forensic art. Other professional artists try to create some-
thing that is either fresh, beautiful, moving, virtuous, or inspiring. Simply put,
throughout history art needed to be desirable to survive. Forensic art is the only
artistic profession where the image can be poorly done, sketchy, unfinished,
and otherwise flawed yet become perfect if it generates a successful outcome.
No matter how poorly a sketch from a witness comes out, if it helps identify the
perpetrator depicted, it becomes a perfect work.
The highest degree of difficulty in forensic art is the elusive task of pulling
a face from a witness’s memory. However, this is the artistic duty most frequently
needed by investigators of crimes against persons. In robberies, aggravated
assaults, and homicides where someone lives through the scene who saw the
face of the perpetrator, a sketch yielding a vision of the attacker’s face from the
witness’s memory can enhance investigative efforts.
Many individuals find this work so difficult that, after sketching with a victim
of crime once or twice, they never do it again. Others train in forensic art, but
avoid sketching with witnesses if at all possible. Artists who become skillful and
at ease working with witnesses find helping investigators capture violent offend-
ers so gratifying, they rarely care for any other kind of work thereafter. My goal
is to make sketching with witnesses not only doable, but also so comfortable for
the artist that it becomes his or her life’s work. Here you will find techniques
and methods never before shared in print, which will allow an artist to truly
master the art of sketching from someone’s memory.
The suggestions in this book are a compilation of determinations made after
comparing over 1,142 sketches done from witnesses’ memories to the subjects
they saw. After each comparison, when possible, it was determined what hap-
pened during the sketch interview to cause parts of the image to be dissimilar to
the face of the person described. With each case comparison, there were lessons
learned about how to avoid mistakes. Conversely, methods that worked were
understood when sketches came out successfully. These comparisons constitute
a valid scientific study of what can be drawn from a witness’s memory of the face
he or she has seen. The suggestions and techniques for successful sketching in
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2 FORENSIC ART ESSENTIALS
this situation were distilled from this large sampling.
You may or may not use or agree with the methods
presented, but my goal is to offer ways to avoid mis-
takes, and methods to gain a better likeness in your
efforts to help identify sought-after criminals.
Figure 1.1 consists of an extremely flawed sketch
next to a man who some might say looks similar. This
sketch was done from a description given by a sexually
assaulted 10-year-old girl of her attacker. After seeing
the sketch on his television, this man called the police
and turned himself in. The detective got a confession,
the little girl picked the man out of a lineup, and ancil-
Figure 1.1 lary evidence led to his conviction.1 Therefore, this sketch helped solve this
The sketch on the left was egregious crime.
done from the memory
Understanding how and why this defective sketch performed perfectly is one
of a 10-year-old girl who
was sexually assaulted of the most important lessons in this book. The beginning forensic artist should
by the man on the right. understand that you can start working in this field with at least this caliber of
When the man saw the
drawing skill and be successful. The investigators can realize the sketch obvi-
sketch on television news,
ously does not need to be perfect to help them find the man for whom they
he called the authorities
and turned himself in search. It is a forensic sketch. This means it has a utilitarian purpose. Since this
(courtesy of the Houston pitiful sketch fulfilled its purpose perfectly, the creator need not worry about
Police Department).
the virtuosity of the artwork.
This book will not be a showcase of the most perfect sketches I’ve done.
Instead, I provide imperfect sketches, in order to teach the most important les-
sons. Explanations of how the sketch was created, details of the interview, and
what went wrong will be given in detail. An explanation of why mistakes were
made will help illustrate how to avoid them. Most importantly, you will under-
stand how those sketches with all those mistakes still represent successful work
because they helped reveal the identity of the criminal to the investigator.
If you are someone who has delved into art in any capacity, you know it is
unheard of for an artist not to aim to do the most virtuous work possible. In this
line of work, if you can let your pride go and keep your head in the game—that
catching the criminal is more important than work that looks good—you can be
successful. For all of history, it has been the artist’s goal to please p eople with
the beauty of his or her creations. In the profession of forensic art, if the sketch
helps identify the person being described, the artist is free to sketch in any manner.
A very ugly sketch can be the one that helps the investigator solve the case, so
that ugly sketch can be thoroughly fulfilling. This, in a manner of speaking, is
the “good news.”
The “bad news” is that were he or she to speak candidly, not one witness really
thinks you can do this work, before, or in the beginning stages of the sketch.
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THE MOST UNIQUE ART DISCIPLINE 3
At the very best, the witness seriously doubts the sketch can possibly capture the
face of the suspect sufficiently to help solve the case. Added to this is the fact
that many witnesses are immensely traumatized. Thus the forensic artist is faced
with a frustrating combination of a highly traumatized witness who doesn’t
believe there is any reason to be working with that artist.
The amazing paradox is that 100% of the time, when a sketch is done from
a witness who is not lying about the incident, if the artist is reasonably tal-
ented and reasonably trained, the sketch will come out looking at least simi-
lar to the person being described. Having said that, there are some poor
likenesses that have helped identify the perpetrator. Therefore to succeed,
the composite artist must ignore the negative expectations of the witness,
and be satisfied that an imperfect sketch can bring success.
The first consideration is that 100% of the information the forensic artist has
is in the mind of the witness, so the artist must do everything possible to make it
conducive for his or her witness to remember the face of the perpetrator. How-
ever, almost all witnesses will say some version of the following:
■ I don’t know why you think I can do this…
■ I don’t think I can remember enough to do a sketch…
■ It was too quick…
■ All I saw was the gun…
■ I was too scared…
■ It was too dark…
■ It’s been too long…
If forensic artists believed these kinds of comments, there would be no com-
posites created. Instead of being dissuaded, realize the witness is doing some
needed venting. Never argue with these kinds of comments. Talking this way
helps the witness get rid of frustrations over the whole situation and become
more relaxed. Since relaxation of the witness is one of the most important goals
for the interviewer, listen patiently and pleasantly—but don’t believe him or her.
Thousands of successful composites have been created from witnesses who were
adamant in declaring in the beginning of the interview that they would not be
able to remember enough to do a sketch.
Knowing this, you must deduce the following to be able to work in this
profession. First, you will have to be extremely patient with reluctant, agitated
witnesses. Expecting their attitude that they can’t work with you should put
you at ease and help you not to take it personally. Witnesses resist the efforts of
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4 FORENSIC ART ESSENTIALS
the forensic artists; anticipating this will help you keep on track in spite of the
protestations.
Other effective methods used to pull out the vision of attackers from wit-
nesses will be described in the following pages. These are methods and hints
I have gleaned from more than 24 years sketching with witnesses where the
images created have helped identify over a thousand perpetrators of crime. My
hope is to save you from learning many lessons the hard way—by making mis-
takes. Besides saving you from mistakes, I hope to provide methods perfected
over time that will put you far ahead of previous forensic artists.
In Brief
Sketching a face from a witness’s description is the most frequently needed
task. It is also the most difficult forensic-art duty, since the witness is trau-
matized and almost never thinks the task can be performed. Knowing to
expect this can help the artist succeed no matter what barriers the witness
puts up.
GETTING RELAXED
The session of sketching from a witness memory can be so difficult that every
effort should be made to make that encounter as comfortable as possible.
Knowing that you should ignore the witnesses’ doubts should keep your
nerves soothed during their protestations. But there are other obstacles to
overcome. In the early days artists and investigators would not do sketches
when they heard the litany of reasons the witness had for not doing the
sketch. Individuals who survived events, after which conventional wisdom
would dictate they could not help create a usable sketch, nevertheless have
been able to remember enough to make a recognizable image with the foren-
sic artist. Understanding the seemingly impossible situations where favorable
sketches resulted will take away the most uncomfortable feeling an artist can
have—self-doubt.
For the purpose of discussing the forensic art profession, the term successful
sketch must be defined.
A forensic sketch is successful if it helps identify the perpetrator of the
crime.
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THE MOST UNIQUE ART DISCIPLINE 5
Forensic artists should know successful sketches were obtained from:
■ A witness who was a 5-year-old sexual assault survivor2
Figure 1.2
The sketch on the left
was done with a 5-year-
old who was sexually
assaulted by the man
on the right. His arrest
later for public intoxica-
tion led to a line-up
that identified him as
the perpetrator. The
exact age of the witness
was 5 years 3 months
(courtesy of the Houston
Police Department).
■ A witness who was inebriated3
Figure 1.3
The sketch on the left
was from a man who
was drugged and robbed
by the woman on the
right. Her fingerprint
at a scene and strik-
ing resemblance to the
sketch identified her to
detectives, and the wit-
ness picked her out in a
line-up (courtesy of the
■ An unarmed security guard shot three times during a homicide4 Houston Police Depart-
ment). See color plate.
Figure 1.4
The sketch on the left
was done in a hospital
intensive care unit from
a security guard shot
three times by the man
on the right. This shooter
wore a wig and glasses
during the crime. He
received the death pen-
alty for killing a jeweler
that same night (courtesy
of the Houston Police
Department).
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6 FORENSIC ART ESSENTIALS
■ An officer shot twice and run over and dragged under a vehicle 60 feet5
Figure 1.5
The sketch on the left was
done in a hospital inten-
sive care unit with an
officer who was shot twice,
run over, and dragged
over 60 feet by the man on
the right. His resemblance
to the sketch led to a line-
up that identified him
(courtesy of the Houston
Police Department).
■ A mother whose 10-hour-old baby had been kidnapped by a stranger6
Figure 1.6
The sketch on the left
was done in a maternity
ward from a mother after
her 10-hour-old baby was
kidnapped by the woman
on the right. The sketch
was released and a friend
of this kidnapper called
authorities. The baby was
returned safely that night
(courtesy of the Houston
Police Department). See
color plate.
■ A witness who saw the perpetrator drive by while shooting, at 65 miles per hour7
Figure 1.7
The sketch on the left was
done with three young men.
While driving at 60 mph,
they saw the man on the
right drive up along side
them and shoot their driver
in the head. A caller identi-
fied him when the case
aired on Crime Stoppers
(courtesy of the Houston
Police Department).
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THE MOST UNIQUE ART DISCIPLINE 7
■ A witness who was trying to lie8
Figure 1.8
The sketch on the left was
done with a 16-year-old
girl who wanted to lie
in order to protect herself
from retaliation. My
technique for sketching
yielded a likeness even
when the witness didn’t
want to cooperate. An
informant recognized the
murderer immediately
from the sketch (courtesy
of the Houston Police
■ A witness who had only one-fourth of a second glance of a face in motion Department).
(at 45 mph)9
Figure 1.9
The sketch on the left
was done with an elderly
man who saw the man
on the right drive past at
45 miles per hour
30 feet away. This witness
was under tremendous
pressure, and stridently
insisted he never saw the
driver’s face (courtesy
of the Ft. Bend County
Sheriffs Department). See
color plate.
■ A witness who was completely disinterested in the perpetrator observed10
Figure 1.10
The sketch on the left was
done with a woman who
saw the man on the right
exiting a convenience
store 100 feet away from
her kitchen window while
she washed dishes. She
was disinterested and
learned only later he
that had just killed
a Houston Police Officer
(courtesy of the Houston
Police Department).
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8 FORENSIC ART ESSENTIALS
■ A 9-year-old girl who saw her mother raped and strangled to death, and was herself
raped by the same man11
Figure 1.11
The sketch on the left was
done with a 9-year-old
girl who saw this man
hogtie, rape, and strangle
her mother to death before
assaulting her. Detectives
used the sketch in identify-
ing him. He received the
death sentence and was
executed the year the
witness turned 16
(courtesy of the Houston
Police Department).
■ A witness who saw the perpetrator’s profile only in her peripheral vision12
Figure 1.12
The sketch on the left was
done with a bus driver
who saw the man on the
right in profile in her
peripheral vision as he
followed his victim,
a 6-months-pregnant
blind woman, off the
bus. The sketch led to
his identity (courtesy
of the Houston Police
Department).
■ A 9-year-old boy who described a person wearing a hat and sunglasses who
kidnapped his 6-year-old brother13
Figure 1.13
The sketch on the left was
done with a 9-year-old
boy who saw his brother
kidnapped by the man
pictured on the right. The
sketch was shown on TV
in jail, and a woman told
her cellmate his name. The
cellmate notified detectives
and the case was solved
(courtesy of the Houston
Police Department).
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THE MOST UNIQUE ART DISCIPLINE 9
■ A witness who saw his parents shot to death, then was himself shot twice as he crashed
through a screen door to escape14
Figure 1.14
The sketch on the left was
taken from the memory of
a witness who had seen
this man’s partner shoot
his elderly parents to
death. The partner then
shot the witness twice
as he crashed through
a screen door to escape
(courtesy of the Houston
Police Department).
Figure 1.15
The sketch on the left
was taken from the mem-
ory of a witness who had
seen the man on the right
shoot his elderly parents
to death. The man then
shot the witness twice
as he crashed through
a screen door to escape
(courtesy of the Houston
Police Department).
■ A woman who was shot 15 times, two in the head, four in the neck, and who lost an
eye and seven teeth15
Figure 1.16
The sketch on the left
was done with a woman
who was robbed, taken to
a field, and shot 15 times.
The shots took out her eye
and several of her teeth.
The man on the right
was tried and sentenced
to life in prison (courtesy
of the Houston Police
Department).
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