One of my first major criminal cases—about two decades ago—put me in a situation you don’t forget. I was working with the District Attorney, and I had to go down to the Los Angeles jail to obtain handwriting standards from an individual accused of a double homicide.

Here’s what made it unusual: two bodies were reportedly found beneath a tarp in Los Angeles, and there was graffiti on the tarp. Investigators wanted to know if the graffiti could be tied to the suspect—because the allegation was that after the killings, he “tagged” the tarp with his gang sign as a warning to other gangs.

Why this mattered (forensically)

Gang tagging isn’t casual handwriting. In that subculture, tagging is a form of identity and creative expression. Many gang members develop a distinctive script style that differs from their everyday handwriting—sometimes intentionally—and that’s an important nuance in any comparison.

What surprised me most

People imagine jailhouse interactions as hostile. In my experience that day, the suspect was cordial and cooperative. He wrote what I asked him to write. And his natural handwriting—separate from stylized tagging—was some of the most precise, looped, and visually striking handwriting I’ve ever seen.

Did the tarp graffiti go to court?

Even though I observed similarities between the graffiti and the individual’s writing, the “tarp testimony” was not ultimately brought into evidence. The testimony I did provide in court related to a letter he wrote while in prison.

That case also taught me something practical: experts often worry about retaliation. But what I learned from people familiar with gang culture is that threats are more commonly directed toward judges and attorneys than expert witnesses—especially when the expert is seen as “doing their job,” not picking sides.

Case #2: The JonBenét Ramsey Media Whirlwind

The second “craziest” experience wasn’t about sitting across a table from a criminal suspect—it was about being swept into the media machine.

During the period when authorities announced they believed they had identified Jon Benét Ramsey’s killer—and a suspect was arrested in Thailand (John Mark Karr)I ended up doing a rapid series of radio and TV appearances. It became a three-to-four-day media sprint, including a sit-down with Larry King on CNN to discuss the case from a handwriting and document perspective.

Important clarification

I was not involved in the original Jon Benét Ramsey casework. My mentor (Phyllis Mattingly), served as the official police hired handwriting expert in Colorado. I learned about elements of that case through her involvement and the broader forensic discussion surrounding it.

High-profile cases are always “interesting” in a different way—because the science can become secondary to headlines, speculation, and public pressure.

What Most Forensic Handwriting Cases Actually Look Like

People love dramatic criminal stories, but the truth is most documented cases are civil disputes. A lot of them are about money—business conflicts, estate issues, contracts, and people suing each other. They’re real, they’re important, but they wouldn’t always make great TV.

Still, that steady work is what keeps the lights on—and it’s also why having trained, court-qualified handwriting experts across the United States (and internationally) matters.

If You Need Help

If you’re in a legal case where handwriting, signatures, or questioned documents matter, you need someone who can evaluate the evidence and present findings in a way the court understands.

Start here: HandwritingExpertusa.com