NCJ Number
218318
Journal
Forensic Magazine Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: April-May 2007 Pages: 32,34,36,37
Date Published
April 2007
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses techniques for developing composite drawings of suspects seen by victims and witnesses.
Abstract
This article recommends beginning with reference images, i.e., existing sets of facial images distinguished by features of ancestry, sex, and weight, as well as a range of different shapes and sizes of facial features. A popular source of reference images is the FBI's Facial Identification Catalog (FIC), which is an organized source of facial features for males of several races; however, the shortage of male images of some ethnicities and the lack of female facial images limits its usefulness. After the victim/witness selects a "base" image from reference samples, revisions in the image can be made by the artist based on precise information from the victim/witness about specific features. The FBI is reportedly near completion of a new FIC that includes men and women of many ethnicities. Composite-image artists are rarely called to testify as expert witnesses at trial. The author's interview with one such facial-image artist found that he had testified in court regarding approximately 5 percent of the composite images that he had done in his 28-year career. He considered most of this testimony routine, with the exception of one case. In this case, the defense attorney required the artist to explain in detail how he arrived at every feature in the face he drew. A composite-image artist must always be prepared to testify about a given image based on carefully developed procedures designed to ensure a rendering that is faithful to the information provided by the victim and/or witness. In addition to being prepared for courtroom testimony, composite-image artists must also be prepared to face critiques of images by investigators in cases with which suspect drawings are connected. 2 figures