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.
Bart Baggett- Ask a Forensic Handwriting Expert
Articles by Bart Baggett.
Bart Baggett- Ask a Forensic Handwriting Expert
Articles by Bart Baggett.
Tag forensic document examiner
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.
53. How Do You Choose The Right Handwriting Expert For Your Legal Case? Q53
If you’re an attorney or a client who needs to hire a forensic handwriting expert for your legal case, you may be searching online, and you may be thinking, “Wow, this is really confusing. I don’t know who’s qualified and…
[Q57] How long does a forensic handwriting analysis case usually take?
How Long Does a Forensic Handwriting Analysis Case Take? Once you hire a forensic document examiner, how quickly can you expect results? The honest answer is: it depends almost entirely on you. In this post, I’ll walk you through what…
Q47 How many known signatures do you actually need to compare?
How Many Known Signatures Do You Actually Need to Compare? It’s one of the most common questions we get, and the answer matters a great deal if you want your case to hold up in court. People call me, or…
[Q45] Can a document examiner trace the author of an anonymous letter?
Can a Document Examiner Trace the Author of an Anonymous Letter? Anonymous letters are some of my favorite cases to work on. Sometimes people leave a nasty note on your car, and you want to know who left it. Well,…