Michael W. Streed

For the last year we’ve talked about composite sketches and their value to criminal investigations. That makes sense because it’s the most utilized sub-discipline of forensic art.

But there is another sub-discipline that’s also important in law enforcement’s search for suspects.

Law enforcement and medico-legal investigators have the daunting task of matching names to unidentified human remains. Though their duties are somewhat different, in a parallel sense, they are quite similar. That’s because both are tasked with treating the dead with dignity, restoring their identity and giving them justice.

In the 1980’s, I was a young detective assigned to follow up missing person’s cases. Most cases ended well when the person returned home. Everyone was happy. Those who didn’t were considered “long-term” missing and often stayed missing. Those were the most difficult cases. For whatever reason they went missing, it was hard on the families, who were left with a feeling of hopelessness.

Back then, we didn’t have the training, resources and legislative guidelines that are available today. The only technology we had were dental x-rays, teletype machines and shoe leather. In retrospect, I understand why families were so frustrated with police.

Today, missing person’s cases are treated with higher priority. Now, investigators can take advantage of a myriad of training opportunities and technologies like DNA, NamUs and scores of volunteer organizations ready to assist law enforcement.

There are also better-defined reporting guidelines to help make sure police act with a sense of urgency. Still, many of those reported missing return home safely, on their own, or are located by law enforcement. Unfortunately, others are found deceased in various stages of decomposition. In most cases only the skull is located making it impossible to publicize their faces in the media.

When traditional methods for identification – fingerprints, dental x-rays and DNA fail to identify the person, law enforcement and medico-legal investigators must turn to a trained forensic artist to make faces “media-ready”.

In most of these cases someone is out there searching for their missing loved one who may or may not be far away. They scour the news and social media/internet looking for a familiar face.

Postmortem and facial approximation images have proven to be powerful media tools that have helped identify countless persons who otherwise might have remain unidentified. I’ve always believed that if you identify an unknown homicide victim, the suspect isn’t far behind.

This makes an even more compelling case for putting a face on an unidentified skull or tidying up the decomposed face of a John/Jane Doe. Even if you don’t identify a suspect, you are able to restore their dignity by giving them back their most valuable possession – their name.

Next month, we’ll add context to this month’s newsletter by discussing a two-county, two-skull murder mystery I helped solve through facial reconstruction.

In the meantime, keep your pencils sharp and your stylus charged up.

After months of preparation, we have rebranded and released SketchCop® Facial Composite System Software EDU.

 

SketchCop® Facial Composite System Software EDU is the classroom version of our popular facial composite software used by law enforcement to create stunningly accurate sketch-quality facial composites. SketchCop® Facial Composite System Software EDU is now available to educators teaching forensic science courses, or students interested in learning a new forensic tool.

SketchCop® Facial Composite System Software EDU is supported by an easy-to-follow set of instructions that provides users with the necessary information to build faces just like a forensic artist.

Using built-in editing tools, users can make minor edits to their composite image similar to the changes made by police sketch artists using their pencil and eraser.

 

Criminal justice, forensic science and advanced art program instructors should consider purchasing Creating Digital Faces for Law Enforcement to use as a course textbook or instructional aide.

Sharpen Your Skills

SketchCop® Facial Composite System Software EDU is also available to the general public. We have found that SketchCop® Facial Composite System Software EDU is a useful tool that helps users sharpen their eyewitness skills. It’s also useful for visual artists as an aid to use when learning to draw the human face. Or, even for those interested in true crime and/or the criminal justice system.

Over the next couple of months, SketchCop® Facial Composite System Software EDU will be integrated into our SketchCop® Online Academy curriculum. Our online program will soon be integrated with our live, classroom courses at SketchCop® Academy at The Vollmer Institute. The combination of these training opportunities will prepare forensic science students and freelance artists to introduce this valuable investigation tool to local law enforcement, or their eventual employer.

Next month, we’ll have another software announcement as we work towards laying the foundation for what you all signed up for – learning to Create Digital Faces for Law Enforcement.

If you’re interested in purchasing a SketchCop® EDU Facial Composite System Software license, send an e-mail to: Contact@SketchCop.com.

In the meantime, grab something to write with and let’s keep on sketching!

<strong “=””>Putting the Heat on Cold Cases

Cold case investigations are the most challenging of all cases facing criminal investigators. These cases often have little to no evidence or viable suspects. Many of them have been dispatched to storage rooms where they’ve sat for decades collecting dust. During that time, witnesses passed on, disappeared altogether or evidence has been lost or compromised.

Today, many of these cases are getting a fresh look by law enforcement. Much of the attention is due to advances in forensic science, mostly DNA, that has allowed investigators to better analyze evidence that can help identify their suspect.

We’re starting to see more district attorneys and law enforcement agencies form cold case units. With personnel shortages plaguing law enforcement agencies nationwide, many of them bring back retired detectives who either volunteer, or who are paid as part-time employees. Some of them worked the case from the beginning until their retirement. Their enthusiasm and expertise often make the difference.

Regardless of the energy they bring, all cold cases are not created equal. Some have biological evidence or trace evidence waiting to be compared and analyzed. Others have nothing more than scant evidence or the shadowy memory from an eyewitness who saw someone near the crime scene commonly referred to as ‘a person of interest’.

Those are the cases that get my attention. Under the right circumstances it may be appropriate to create, or even age a composite sketch. And while no one can claim how accurate the sketch may be, it puts a personality, or what I call a ‘signature look’ that stays with case. It connects with the public in such a way that it sticks in their mind, creating an awareness that encourages them to call with a tip.

Experienced forensic artists are hard to find. I recently decided to step up and make my skills available to The American Investigative Society of Cold Cases (http://www.aisocc.com) headed by Detective Kenneth Mains, star of The Hunt for The Zodiac Killer and the Crime & Forensics Cold Case Investigative Team headed by retired Police Detective Steven David Lampley (https://www.stevenlampley.com) , a popular radio show host, author and public speaker.

Most recently, I assisted the Utah Cold Case Coalition during their investigation of the 1995 abduction & murder of 6-year old Rosie Tapia in Salt Lake City, Utah.

For years there was an eyewitness who saw a suspect near the location where her body was found. A sketch of that person was never developed. When I saw a recent news story about the case, I made the decision to volunteer and interview the eyewitness. During the interview a sketch was created. Now, police have a person of interest that someone might recognize and help solve the case.

To learn more about my role in the Rosie Tapia investigation, click on:https://www.abc4.com/video/justice-files-composite-image-of-rosie-tapia-killer-released_20190508043046/1987977911

Some of the most heartbreaking and challenging cases for law enforcement involve the abduction and murder of young children. These are the cases that live with you long after the suspect has been arrested and convicted.

Whether it’s a child or adult, that person leaves behind loved ones that need answers. Law enforcement cold case units, or formed by retired criminal justice experts, turned celebrity, can help shine a light on these cases and make a real difference.

The opportunity to contribute is something I take seriously. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest impact. Cold case investigations require tenacity and patience. Each piece of evidence is just another piece of the puzzle. From my point of view, if I can help solve the puzzle, then I’m happy to be a piece of the puzzle, however big or small.

For me, it’s all about justice.

Over the last 3-5 years, videos and DNA have greatly impacted forensic artists. In my opinion, it’s because investigators have less confidence in eyewitness identification as they become more reliant on positive ID evidence.

It also doesn’t help that many police officers are leaving the profession and in their hasted to leave, they don’t always leave behind a list of investigative resources, not to mention their ‘favorite’ forensic artist.

Let’s assume for the moment, you are tasked with investigating a crime with blurry video and DNA evidence. From the video you can’t identify details in the suspect’s facial appearance and there isn’t a matching DNA profile any databases.

Maybe the suspect’s never been arrested, or the DNA evidence was improperly entered into the database. With no way to identify your suspect, he’s left on the street to pursue other victims.

In July of 2002, I experienced a similar scenario, minus the blurry video. In this instance, a stranger approached two five-year old females. After a brief conversation he grabbed one of them and drove away. With no available evidence, investigators requested I interview the victim’s playmate to create a composite sketch of the suspect. Sadly, the victim’s body was found the next day. She was the victim of a brutal homicide.

Although crime scene investigators found an abundance of evidence, including DNA there was no database matches. Within 48 hours from the time the sketch was released to the public, investigators had a name. They located and detained the suspect collecting his DNA which was a positive match to DNA collected from the crime scene and the victim’s body. Thanks to her playmate and a stellar job by everyone involved in the investigation, the suspect is in prison.

In many departments, especially the larger law enforcement agencies, evidence can take months to process and examine.

Even with available evidence, it’s been my experience that investigators will request a composite sketch anyway. They know it will be much faster if they identify a suspect using the sketch and later order a one-to-one analysis of the evidence.

Regarding eyewitness errors. A well-trained, experienced investigator knows that the sketch is only a tool. False identifications are usually the result of something that goes wrong during the identification process, such as the photo array, or in-person line-ups. Better training and working with a well-trained, experienced police sketch artist will help minimize some errors.

Investigators are encouraged to use the best resources for the crime they’re investigating. There’s no one size fits all. If you need a police sketch, keep in mind that a well-trained person can create a police sketch that’s every bit as effective as one created by a police sketch artist. Although a sketch is only one piece of the investigative puzzle, sometimes it may become the most important piece. A piece that when the time comes, you don’t want to be without. This is because in many cases, it becomes the key that unlocks the door that leads to other evidence.

Our goal at SketchCop® Solutions is to create products and training that address your facial identification needs. Keep an eye out over the next couple of months as we make some critical announcements will greatly increase our reach and training opportunities.

In the meantime, please go to our SketchCop® Online Academy and sign up for some courses. Learn some valuable skills and become a member of the SketchCop® family.

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to – Keep on Sketching!

Over the last year our newsletters have covered my thoughts about forensic facial imaging and its importance to law enforcement as an investigative/forensic tool. Now, it’s time to stop talking and time to start sketching!

Because you have waited so patiently, we are rewarding your patience with a live workshop.

Creating Digital Faces for Law Enforcement is a 2-day, ‘hands-on’ weekend (Saturday/Sunday) workshop that teaches students the proper foundation for obtaining key information needed to create and edit digital facial composites that help put a face on crime.

Note: Art skills are NOT required.

Our course is arguably the first of its kind to address the creation of software-driven facial composites for non-artist/technicians. Forensic science students, law enforcement or forensic science professionals/crime scene investigators looking to add another skill to your forensic toolkit, will benefit greatly by attending our workshop.

Those who are artists, a true crime junkies, authors, or just have a genuine interest in this course are also welcome to attend.

General course topics include:

• Facial anatomy
• Eyewitness interview
• Courtroom testimony
• Using Frontalis® Facial Composite System Software
• Image editing
• Practical exercises
• Additional topics as selected by instructor

Workshop students ARE REQUIRED to bring their own laptop computers running Windows® OS. Those using a MacBook, should be running Windows® Bootcamp, or Parallels Software.

Course materials include a 30-day trial of Frontalis® Facial Composite System Software, course handouts, a digital tablet and a Certificate of Attendance.

I am pleased to be instructing the workshop and look forward to meeting those who attend. As we prepare for the workshop, it would be helpful for you to let us know if you would be interested in attending.

If you’re in…and I hope you are. Then send me an e-mail at: Contact@SketchCop.com and provide your name and contact information so we can let you know when the course is ready to launch.

If you’ve been curious about how to make your move from pencils to pixels, now is the perfect time. Once we determine the number of students, we will release additional information about the cost, times, location and how to register.

Hello Everyone!,

I hope you all enjoyed a peaceful holiday season. With the new year in full-swing, it’s time to get back to work.

Here at SketchCop® Solutions we’re busy building upon what we started in 2018 with the launch of the SketchCop® Academy.

The idea to launch the academy was born through the many social media inquiries and e-mails I’ve received over the years. Through them, I learned there was great deal of interest about how forensic artists work. This includes art students who want to use their skills to give back to the community, practicing forensic artists and police agencies seeking a software-driven solution for creating facial composites, paired with relevant training.

It seemed like everyone was looking for a cost-conscious, convenient way to train as a forensic artist.

To kick things off, we currently offer three courses – How to Become a Forensic Artist, Forensic Art in Criminal Investigations and Why & When to Create a Facial Composite.

Many have already taken our FREE course – How to Become A Forensic Artist, while a few have gone on to complete one, or both of the other courses.

I know that many of you are itching for the drawing part to get started. The courses currently posted are designed to build a foundation and understanding of how forensic art works. They should be taken in the order listed above. We will be drawing soon.

In the meantime, we’ve been busy in the background. Since the last-quarter of 2018 we have partnered with targeted companies to access low-cost, reliable digital tools and software for you to purchase and use as we teach you how to go digital.

As a result of our efforts, SketchCop® Solutions is an official reseller for XP Pen Technologies and Beijing Veikk E-Commerce Co.,Ltd. Both manufacture pen tablets and graphic displays.

SketchCop® Solutions also offers Corel® software titles such as: Corel Painter and Painter Essentials.

And of course, our crown jewel – Frontalis® Facial Composite System Software is in the process of being rebranded. (More about that when it’s ready for re-release.)

Waiting for Frontalis® Facial Composite System re-release will allow us to gather everything under the SketchCop® umbrella to offer cohesive training that builds off of each product.

For now, we will continue to offer forensic art training that builds upon the foundation we have already established, providing you with a greater understanding about how the ‘non-art’ portion of being a forensic artist, some of which is detailed in my book – Creating Digital Faces for Law Enforcement.

We recommend you take the above courses and continue in the order we post them. Or, if you’re merely curious about the field and find some courses more to your liking than others, then please, feel free to enroll.

We appreciate your continued support. One of our goals this year is to increase our interaction with ALL of you.  I also encourage you to communicated back. I can be reached via e-mail at: Contact@SketchCop.com.

Or, you can connect with me on LinkedIn under my name: Michael W. Streed and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @TheSketchCop.

In the meantime, keep sketching and don’t forget to reach out. I would enjoy hearing from ALL of you!

For more information visit our website at: www.SketchCop.comor www.SketchCopAcademy.com