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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 10:36 AM (EST)
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"DocG takes on the NE"
 
   I got an email from DocG inviting me to post his response to the National Enquirer's story on Patsy's handwriting.

Here it is - - thanks,Doc

Part 1

Tight fisted DocG actually went to the supermarket today and plumped down three bucks for a copy of the National Enquirer. Lightning did not strike. The Heavens did not open. The Rapture remained on hold. (What ails the Universe, anyhow?)

Since DocG's favorite hobby is tearing the "experts" to shreds, he simply could not resist getting his sweaty hands on this particular issue, which screams: "Patsy's Writing Is An Exact Match." (Note absence of exclamation point!) Fun fun fun. And so: rubbing his hands together with glee, he proceeded to find the following juicy tidbits:

On p. 70. "Expert" Ted Widmer says "The word 'carefully' in the first line of the left-hand sample is an exact match for the word 'carefully' in the first line of the ransom note. You can practically superimpose one over the other." Well, shades of Lou Smit! Flipping back to p. 67, DocG finds both "carefully"'s blown way up, one beneath the other -- and -- Lo and Behold: They look NOTHING like one another at all. The "c" in the note is pointed at the left, Patsy's is rounded; the "a" in the note is "manuscript a," while Patsy's lacks that little "hat" at the top; Patsy's "r" is totally illegible (she was printing with her left hand after all) while the "r" in the note is clearly defined; Patsy's "e" consists of two strokes, the "e" on the RN was made with one; the upper part of Patsy's "e" is open and horizontal with a straight line in the center, while the upper part of the RN "e" is closed, tilted up to the right and fully rounded; the top of Patsy's "f" is straight, while that of the RN is rounded; the "u" in the note is rounded but Patsy's "u" is squared; one of Patsy's "l"s is, very roughly, similar to the RN "l," but the other is totally different; the two angles in Patsy's "y" are practically the same size, while the angles of the RN "y" are very different in size.

Widmer found some other "matches," with the words "that", "faction" and "letter." Here again any similarities between any of the letters involved are purely coincidental. I do see a rough match between Patsy's "f" and the RN "f." And the "l"s are roughly similar. That's it. Every other "match" is a huge strrrrrrrrrrrrrrretch.

Back on P. 70, we see two "100%"s. According to "expert" Widmer, "They are perfect little circles that match." But when you actually LOOK at them, they aren't even close. Patsy's zeros are shaky and one abuts the other (again, she was printing left handed). Her diagonal line is also shaky. The top zero of the percentage figure is closed -- and certainly NOT a perfect circle. Her "1" is back slanted. The zeros of the RN are not shaky, are clearly separated and the zeros of the percentage symbol are both clear, clean and open. The diagonal line is perfectly straight -- AND the "1" is horizontal -- no back slant.

What's most annoying about what Widmer has to say is that there is NO MENTION of the sort of things an expert might notice that some ordinary person would not. He simply asserts that certain words or letters are "a match," as though that were obvious. It is NOT. If you don't believe me, then, hey, why don't YOU plump down three bucks and look for yourselves, folks.



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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 10:47 AM (EST)
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1. "DocG's other work"
In response to message #0
 
   DocG did a couple pages long ago to compare John Ramsey's writing to that of the ransom note. While I have seen John's writing and think the authorities were 100% correct in clearing him as the writer of the note, I think DogG's analysis was interesting in that it showed how anyone can take bits and pieces of almost any documen and find SOME matches.

I wish the page he put up was labeled more clearly to show this is JOHN's writing. But here it is - - just food for thought.


DocG is not a member here, I confess I have not kept up on his thoughts and theories about this case.

I appreciate his email and permission to share his analysis of the NE article. Since many of us still don't have access to the tabloid, we depend on posts like his to let us know what is happening out there.


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LovelyPigeon
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Oct-28-02, 02:21 PM (EST)
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2. "Heeeere's Ted!"
In response to message #1
 
   http://www.handwriting.org/ishs/

Ted offers a free "lesson" at his website


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 04:01 PM (EST)
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3. "RE: Heeeere's Ted!"
In response to message #2
 
   Um...

I am reading the site - - soundslike he is a graphologist - - a person who can tell about people's personalities from their writing. Is he also a handwriting expert qualified to compare writing and attribute a sample to a certain individual?


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 04:03 PM (EST)
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4. "RE: Heeeere's Ted!"
In response to message #3
 
   Interesting quote from his site:

"Every feature in a handwriting has to be looked at in the context of the
whole writing. When we do an analysis, we are solving a mystery, and
much like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, we must look at all the
evidence, both the parts and the whole.

You will learn that a particular handwriting feature may be modified, or be
expressed differently in different writings depending on other things in the
writing. You will also learn, as was just illustrated, that what in one
handwriting may operate as something neutral or positive, may in another
type of writing have a negative impact, or at least be a source of conflict
for the writer.

You will also learn not to overlook clues to personality that have nothing
to do with handwriting per se, but rather are unconscious expressions in
the form of what we call "graphic gestures." A graphic gesture is
something writers do that have nothing to do with communicating
through the alphabet, but nevertherless reveal much about their
unconscious motivations. Doodling, adding flowers or smiley faces,
crossing certain things out, using a particular type style or font on a
person's business card - all of these are examples of graphic gestures
that reveal a lot about people's personalities."

I wonder how much of his analysis depended on the client and the client's expectations when the report was delivered.


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 04:07 PM (EST)
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5. "ROTFLMAO"
In response to message #4
 
   From Ted's Q&A page:

Q: Will I be a certified graphologist after taking this course?

A: Neither the state of California nor any other state that we know of
has a licensing board which "certifies" graphologists or sets
standards of practice, such as is required by chiropractors, nurses,
etc. In other words, no certificate or certification is necessary to
appear as a handwriting expert in court or to practice handwriting
analysis in any form.

We will be offering a certificate of completion to those who have
finished the introductory course and wish to take a test. This is
available for both the live classes and the home study course.

IMO, this man is the same kind of "expert" as Dale Yeager and Don Foster. His report is worthless and belongs in the nearest circular file.


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 04:11 PM (EST)
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6. "I emailed Ted and asked...."
In response to message #5
 
   Are you a graphologist who determines a person's personality from their writing or a handwriting expert trained in comparing handwriting samples to prove authorship?

Would you please share with me information on your experience as a trial witness?


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 04:18 PM (EST)
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7. "This is fun!"
In response to message #6
 
   Seems Ted has worked for the Enquirer before! Found this during a search...


Expert graphologist Ted Widmer, director of the International School of Handwriting Science in San Francisco, studied (Ken) Starr's handwriting and found a man who may be consumed by unfulfilled sexual fantasies.

"He is practically a textbook example of someone who lives more in fantasy than reality. A strong relationship has long been
recognized between large, circular loops, such as those in his writing, with those who are consumed by sexual fantasy. He has a very
strong sex drive, but it's not fulfilled."


http://medicolegal.tripod.com/starsexaug98.htm

I really would like to see a photo of Ted. Wonder if his voice is an alto.


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 04:22 PM (EST)
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8. "now he is a forensic psychologist???"
In response to message #7
 
   http://www.castroonline.com/directory/Professional_Services.html

Forensic Psychology

Handwriting Experts

Contact: Ted Widmer
498 Corbett Ave
San Francisco CA 94114-2218
Phone: (415) 864-3332


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 04:23 PM (EST)
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9. "and Epstein didn't like CINA?????"
In response to message #8
 
  
The International School of Handwriting Sciences,
Graphological Society of San Francisco (GSSF)
498 Corbett Avenue, San Francisco, CA. 94114. U.S.A.
Tel: (415) 864-3332 . Director - Ted Widmer


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 05:38 PM (EST)
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10. "a note from DocG"
In response to message #9
 
   Thanks for posting my response to the NE piece. And my comparison
gif. A word of explanation regarding that comparison. It combines
exemplars from the legal deposition by John, that's been on the Internet
for some time, with exemplars from the note -- and challenges anyone who
might claim "John's printing looks nothing like the note" to sort them
out. I posted it a few years ago and no one has ever been able to do
that. Since the thing has been around so long I have no problem letting
people in on the "key" at this time: on each line the first exemplar is
from the note, the next from John's deposition, the next from the note, and
so on. I.e., they alternate. The only exception is line 6, where the
first exemplar is from the note and the next two are by John. Also, the
4th exemplar on line 4 has been flipped horizontally to highlight the
similarity with the previous one.


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-28-02, 07:50 PM (EST)
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11. "Heard from Ted"
In response to message #10
 
   He says he does both and has testified in 50 trials. I wrote back to him about other suspects having similar handwriting. I wonder if he will offer to look at them.


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jamesonadmin
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Oct-31-02, 07:15 PM (EST)
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12. "update"
In response to message #11
 
   No word from Ted. I think he doesn't want to deal with this forum and people who are really LOOKING at the things he said.

I scanned the words he said matched - - look for the thread "The scans the BORG avoided"


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jamesonadmin
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Nov-01-02, 10:49 PM (EST)
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13. "DocG"
In response to message #12
 
  

This is John's writing - verified by Pam Paugh in chat. Posted per DocG's request.


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