NCJ Number
195641
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 52 Issue: 3 Dated: May/June 2002 Pages: 254-262
Date Published
2002
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article presents the use of caricature drawings of faces as an effective way of identifying subjects in forensic processes.
Abstract
The authors present the story of the use of a caricature drawing in the apprehension of an escaped criminal in order to illustrate the “caricature advantage.” William “Boss” Tweed was a New York political giant who was sentenced to prison in 1873 for embezzling between 30 million and 200 million dollars from New York City. During his prison sentence, Tweed escaped and fled the country. Alerted that he was on a boat bound for Spain, Spanish authorities sent away for a picture of Tweed so they could detain him upon his arrival. In response, they received a cartoon drawing of Tweed. Although while on the boat Tweed lost 110 pounds, Spanish officials immediately recognized him from his caricature drawing and sent him back to United States officials. This case example is followed by a brief survey of the psychological literature concerning face recognition and the power of caricatures. The authors point out that test subjects are better able to recognize faces from a caricature than from a true picture, making the use of caricatures in forensic identification an appealing process. References