Who Wrote Jack the Ripper’s Letters?
Hundreds of letters claimed to be from Jack the Ripper flooded London in 1888. Most experts, including Scotland Yard, doubt any were written by the real killer.
Bart Baggett- Ask a Forensic Handwriting Expert
Articles by Bart Baggett.
Bart Baggett- Ask a Forensic Handwriting Expert
Articles by Bart Baggett.
Tag Bart Baggett
The Lindbergh Ransom Notes: How Handwriting Shaped a Historic Case
The Lindbergh kidnapping case turned on thirteen ransom notes and a controversial handwriting analysis. Eight examiners agreed on their findings, but the way exemplars were collected still shapes forensic practice today.
The JonBenét Ramsey Ransom Note: Thirty Years, No Answers
The JonBenét Ramsey ransom note—two and a half pages found in the Ramsey home—remains one of the most examined but inconclusive documents in American crime. Nearly 30 years later, no one has identified its author.
Joseph Cosey: The Forger Who Fooled Collectors with “Lincoln” Letters
Joseph Cosey forged letters by Abraham Lincoln and others for decades. Some of his forgeries still circulate in collections today, now openly labeled as his work.
Mark Hofmann and the Forged Salamander Letter
Mark Hofmann’s forged Mormon documents fooled collectors, the church, and even federal investigators—until document examiners uncovered the truth. This case ended in tragedy and changed how experts approach questioned documents.
The Hitler Diaries: How Forensic Testing Exposed a Historic Forgery
In 1983, sixty volumes of supposed Hitler diaries fooled historians and publishers—until forensic testing revealed modern paper and ink. The case is a lesson in why originals matter.
THE ZODIAC MOVIES WERE GREAT… BUT THEY GOT IT WRONG.
Sherwood Morrill, California's lead document examiner, compared the Zodiac letters to the main suspect's writing—and ruled him out. Sometimes, exclusion is the answer that matters most.
Clifford Irving and the Howard Hughes Fake Autobiography
In 1971, Clifford Irving convinced a major publisher that he had Howard Hughes’s authorized autobiography—using forged documents. Here’s how the deception unfolded, and why even respected experts can be misled without genuine writing to compare.
Aretha Franklin’s Couch Will: The Handwriting Question That Wasn’t Asked
Aretha Franklin’s handwritten will was found in her couch. The jury didn’t question the handwriting, but what if they had? Here’s how document examiners approach cases like this.
Credentials of Bart Baggett
For the past 25 years, Bart Baggett has been known as one of the world’s leading Forensic Handwriting Experts. You may have seen him on TV discussing one of his many handwriting analysis books or commenting on current events as…