The best Forensic ArticlesBehavioral Profiling and Risk Assessment Using Written Communication
By Kimon Iannetta
Handwritten material often shows red flags for negative behavior that might not be detected through more traditional investigative techniques. This cutting-edge risk assessment tool provides a discreet and unobtrusive way of validating hunches and gleaning useful information about suspected deceivers, assisting in the implementation of alternative possibilities in investigations.
Handwriting analysis is a comparatively quick method of peering into a subject’s mind and is especially useful in detecting devious and potentially dangerous or risky behavior. The following samples illustrate this method of predicting and tracking behavior, revealing how the writer/suspect was feeling at the time of the writing, as well as showing long-term behavioral patterns.
This dynamic method was developed and tested over a period of 10 years by the authors of this article, graphologist Kimon Iannetta and Dr. James Craine, head of Neuropsychology Services Department at Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
The basics regarding risk evaluation through handwriting are presented here. However, readers are encouraged to consider Iannetta’s Danger Between the Lines, a resource manual pertaining specifically to the evaluation of risk and violence potentialthat resulted from the Hawaii study. To help flesh out a useful profile of any subject, it is also recommended that readers use the full set of 124 Forensic Profiling Cards (some of which are illustrated here), which include all of the danger signs as well as the facilitators and inhibitors to dangerousness identified by the study. Also recommended is Hayes’ Between the Lines, which covers a full range of graphological material outside the criminal context.
Profiles of subjects presented herein are designed to illustrate specific handwriting indicators and how they can manifest in individuals’ behavior. The analyses are admittedly brief and are not intended to be exhaustive studies. However, additional profiles that are interactive and more in-depth are available at http://www.trialrun.com/id4u/profiles.html.
Handwriting, being closely tied to one’s brain and emotional responses, illustrates a person’s state of mind at the moment pen is placed to paper. As moods and circumstances change, so the writing will change, often subtly, but sometimes more dramatically. This calls for the evaluation of more than one sample of writing for added accuracy and insight, whenever possible. This also permits the analyst to consider the writing over a period of time, which can add further clues to the investigation process or contribute to better understanding of crimes after the fact.
Michael Jackson
The handwriting of Michael Jackson is clearly reflective of extreme changes over many years.
Among the obvious benefits of graphological assessment is that the subject need not be present when the examination takes place and, in fact, does not even have to participate in any testing procedure. There is, therefore, little chance that the material to be examined will be consciously or deliberately altered in hopes of creating a certain result. Drawbacks include limited samples of writing—perhaps written under adverse conditions—or the evaluation of written material produced after a crime has already been committed. The competence of the analyst may also be a contributing factor as to the accuracy of the evaluation.
No analysis should be based on one or two factors or an individual finding in the writing. Rather, the writing must be carefully weighed and evaluated by taking all signs into consideration. People—including criminals—are complex. Red flags should be considered for both frequency and intensity, and positive factors should be weighed against negative.
It is to be noted that there is no specific “criminal type” as identified by handwriting, as crimes and other negative behavior come about for a variety of reasons. There are nevertheless many writing clues that, when considered as a whole, are highly valuable in determining perpetrators’ characters and the motivating factors behind their misdeeds.
Red flags
A red flag with respect to one’s emotional state is when the writing lines sink downward. This is suggestive of a depressed mood likely accompanied by negative thoughts, which dampens the person’s energy and enthusiasm and may contribute to negative or desperate behavior. Note, however, that downhill lines can be a temporary sign that may show up as a result of fatigue or illness and then disappear as the individual becomes rested. (More than one writing sample is obviously required.) Also, this is not necessarily an indicator of suicidal ideation. It is nevertheless clearly evident in the writing of Charles Bishop, the teenager who believed Osama Bin Laden to be justified in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and who subsequently flew a small plane into a Florida building.
In some instances it is relatively easy to detect mental instability from writing, as in the case of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin, Sirhan Sirhan. His unstable, disorganized character is clear in the erratic letter forms and spacing, variable slant and pressure, tangled lines, cross-outs, and rambling language. The writing is devoid of controls.
On the opposite end of the spectrum lies the writing (opposing page) of a long-time underworld hit man, which at first glance seems “normal” or “nice.” In this case, the rigidly perfect writing shows a façade of strength, masculinity, and over-control. There is no flexibility, no give, to the writer’s thoughts and emotions. Along with these indications are the multiple angles that may not at first be evident, revealing intense anger, especially considering the heavy pressure of the writing which represents intensity of feeling. His “job” as a hit man is a perfect vent for the inner rage and hostility that dominate his life.
Every exaggeration in handwriting is symbolically representative of the extreme views and outlook of the subject: whether the writing is too slack or overly rigid; has exaggerated spacing, size or pressure; or contains repeatedly odd forms. Unusual and unique symbols all reflect the dance of the mind as the writer leaves behind footprints that are easily tracked and deciphered. If the symbols are aesthetic, well-formed, and supported by other positives, they may indicate talent or special skills, but if visually unpleasant and combined with negative factors, can reveal obsessions or odd thinking.
Frequently criminals use a personal pronoun I (PPI) that deviates strongly from the copybook model. This letter, symbolic of one’s self-image, is often distorted or unusual in some way, pointing toward an odd or disrupted view of self which, when accompanied by other negative signs, can facilitate criminal behavior. (See Forensic Profiling Cards D-1, Page 44.)
Charles Ng, serial killer
Serial killer Charles Ng wrote twisted, awkward personal pronoun I’s. Ng, along with Leonard Lake, is suspected of murdering up to 25 people at Lake’s ranch in Calaveras County, California in the early 1980s. Ng’s creativity was instrumental in building a complete torture chamber where the two filmed themselves raping and abusing their victims, most of them women. Ng was convicted of 11 of the murders—those of six men, three women, and two baby boys—and is presently on death row awaiting execution. Ng’s personal pronoun I is contorted, showing a distorted self-image. The downstroke of the letter is bent, suggesting a twisted “backbone” and a perverted approach that contributed to his ability and willingness to bond with Lake. The i dots are repeatedly made like slashes, indicative of deeply rooted hostility, expressed in this extreme case as rage and cruelty. Down-slanted crossbars (see t in “best”) reveal a need to dominate and control. At the same time, Ng had little control over his own urges and emotions as the variable slant and pressure patterns of his writing attest. Lower loops that pull strongly to the left are suggestive of regressive, underdeveloped, or odd sexual attitudes.
Broken letters
The writing of criminals sometimes contains broken or segmented letters, suggesting weak boundaries between conscious thought and unconscious drives. This implies that the “current is broken.” It is often seen in the writing of those who are dishonest or able to compartmentalize their lives; in some instances the person leads a double life. (Note: Care must be taken to determine that the breaks are not the result of a faulty pen. Also, this sign is at times a reflection of physical health issues, particularly if the writing in general is tremulous or uncertain. Breaks between individual letters do not count here.)
Segmented letters are clearly evident in the writing of Ken Lay, best known for his role in the corruption scandal that led to the downfall of Enron Corporation. CEO and chairman of Enron from 1986 until his resignation on January 23, 2002, Lay became synonymous with corporate abuse and accounting fraud when the scandal broke in 2001. He was found guilty of securities fraud and related charges and could have faced 20 to 30 years in prison, but he died of heart failure before his scheduled sentencing.
Lay’s rather firm personal pronoun I denotes confidence and independent thinking, supported by printscript suggestive of self-control. The repeated angular formations of the t’s that look like flags or sails and reach into the upper zone of the intellectual arena point toward strategic thinking and an ability to see various angles of situations. Rather closely dotted i’s indicate attentiveness to detail. However, segmented letters (especially lower case a’s) denote poor integration and a propensity for devious, dishonest behavior so that the right hand did not know what the left was doing. Variable emotions and responses are implied by fluctuation in slant and letter size. Tangled lines imply confused thinking and poor judgment despite Lay’s ability to strategize. (Note that Charles Ng’s writing also contains segmented letters.)
Beth Friedman
Writing formations often referred to as “felon’s claws” are frequently seen in the writing of unsavory, dishonest characters.
These claws are evident in the handwriting of Beth Friedman, a 54-year-old Florida school teacher convicted of having improper sexual relations with one of her male students over an extended period of time. Underhanded behavior is suggested in the claw-like lower loops that are repeated in the personal pronoun
I. As noted above, distortion of this letter indicates a poorly developed sense of self, particularly when combined with the childish nature of her writing indicative of a mentality that is not much more advanced than that of her students. Wide distances between words portray emotional isolation and difficulty forming intimate relations.
Martin James Kipp, rapist & killer
Distorted lower zone formations are seen in the writing of rapist and serial killer Martin James Kipp, above. Kipp was the son of a prostitute who abandoned him at the age of 22 months. He was adopted by relatives and raised by an alcoholic “father” who often beat him in public. Kipp joined the Marine Corps, where he won divisional honors in boxing. In 1981 he was accused of abducting and raping a woman and, rather than face charges, went AWOL. He was eventually captured and sentenced but released from prison after serving only 19 months. In 1983 he beat, raped and strangled a young woman in a savage attack, and struck again 15 months later, leaving another victim strangled. The seemingly innocuous words of Kipp’s writing sample might appeal to some young lady seeking the perfect, well established partner, but the slowly written, artificial handwriting screams danger. Although the writing is clearly designed to impress, the bizarre lower loops show contorted, angry views and attitudes related to sexual fantasy. The personal pronoun I is angular and hooked, revealing intense anger closely connected to his self-image. Clubbed writing strokes that plunge heavily downward show brutality and relentless urges, especially when combined with heavy pressure, an indication of deep-seated emotions and lasting thoughts and feelings. Odd, disconnected formations (for example, the f’s) reveal forbidden thoughts and desires, all carefully hidden by near perfect midzone letter forms and an exactly straight baseline which together constitute a façade constructed to make an impression. Kipp has few social boundaries and, given his lack of social skills, his victims were generally taken by surprise in places such as dark parking lots. His murders were especially brutal.
Eric Rudolph, Olympic Park Bomber
Eric Rudolph, who committed a series of bombings across the southern United States in the 1990s that killed three and injured at least 150 others, also writes distorted lower zone structures. Rudolph was connected with the Christian Identity movement: a militant, racist, and anti-Semitic organization. He declared that his bombings were part of a guerrilla campaign against abortion, which he described as “the homosexual agenda.” The distorted lower loops of Rudolph’s writing pull strongly to the left, representative of the past and, more specifically, mother. The script is highly connected, which denotes one whose thoughts are compulsive and unbroken—once started on an idea or plan, there was no turning back. Rigidly braced initial strokes reveal deep-seated resentment—unresolved anger from the distant past—while ground-in dots (after “planet” and “mother”) denote explosive anger. Down-slanted cross bars such as those in “task,” “most,” and “significant” show a need to dominate and control while retraced upper loops suggest restrictive, narrow morals. The smallness of the writing lends focus and concentration, as do the relatively well placed i dots. Disappointment or depression is shown in words that sink downward (see “mother” and “whether”).
Aileen Wuornos, serial killer
Club formations, also very negative, are evident in the handwriting of Aileen Wuornos, a Florida prostitute who shot her “Johns” at point-blank range. She was filled with rage and aggression as indicated by her exceptionally sharp, spiked writing style full of club-like strokes (see markings) and all held under wraps by repression (tightly squeezed letters) until the point of explosion. Strong focus is shown in the concentrated, rather careful writing. Precisely placed t crosses add to detail-mindedness and also show strong willpower at times amounting to brutality, hence the clubbed forms. Letters that jut below the baseline point to negative unconscious motivations and aggressive behavior, intensified by letters growing successively larger. The personal pronoun I’s are rigid, retraced, and unpleasant, and the upper loop formations are constricted, showing limited or undeveloped ethics.
Christine Falling, trusted nanny
Christine Falling, whose writing contains twisted upper loops, killed a number of children (she often said she “loved them to death”) and an elderly person who had been placed in her care. Her killing method of choice was, as she called it, “smotheration” in response to voices chanting, “Kill the baby” after which she simply reported that the child had “stopped breathing.” Distorted ethics (twisted upper zone forms) and odd ideas (bizarre letters such as g in “everything” and “anything”) are seen along with poor self-worth (disrupted personal pronoun I, low t crosses, and primarily midzone script). Ground-in dots denote anger and obsessive thinking. Essentially midzone writing with undeveloped upper loops implies a limited outlook and no sense of ultimate consequences.
Susan Smith, who drowned her two sons
Susan Smith seat-belted her two young sons into her car and pushed it into a lake where they drowned, after which she claimed they were kidnapped by a black man. The writing is exceptionally mundane (shown by a predominant midzone), immature (childlike writing style), and repressed (squeezed, retraced letters), which together reflects lack of discrimination and self-understanding. Its carefulness is indicative of a façade of normalcy and a desire to create a certain impression. Poorly defined morals are reflected in the stunted upper loops, and exceptional self-underestimation in the very low t crosses. As desperation took hold, Smith probably felt there was no other way out than to eliminate her children from her troubled life.
O.J. Simpson
Orenthal J. Simpson, known as “O.J.” or “The Juice” is one of the most famous running backs in American football history, and was winner of the Heisman trophy. In 1995, Simpson was acquitted in criminal court of the double murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman. In 1997, he was found liable for their deaths in civil court, but to date has not paid the judgment. In 2007, he was arrested and charged with making an armed attack for an incident involving his efforts to recover sports memorabilia he regarded as “stolen.” A jury convicted Simpson on all charges and he was awaiting sentencing at the time of this article’s publication.
The writing sample below is from the so-called suicide note written by Simpson after the murders and before the infamous car chase on the freeways of Los Angeles. The first statement of the sample appears to be a lie, as it is incomplete and improper. In fact, Simpson was unable to write that he did not murder Nicole. Additionally, there is exceptional anxiety in the cross-outs after the word “understand.” Extra wide spacing between “I” and “loved” denote pauses in thought, suggestive that perhaps he did not love Nicole after all. Segmented letters (see d in “loved”) show compartmentalized thinking and point to dishonesty. Out-of-place capitals (pop-up letters) reveal strong independence and self-assertion, intensified by words that grow larger (“understand,” “always,” “and”). Strange letter forms indicate odd thinking (b in “problem,” p in “despite”) verified by unclear letter formations (“weren’t” and “least”) and nonsensical statements (“for now we weren’t right for each other at least for now”). Explosive anger is revealed in the heavy dot after “now” (and others not shown here), and strong willpower is portrayed in firm cross bars. Emotional turmoil is evident in the variable slant, letter size, and pressure patterns, augmented by the stressful cross-outs and corrections.
As earlier suggested, handwriting produced over a period of time can be instrumental in producing longitudinal studies of subjects. In the case of O.J. Simpson we have access to signatures that (with one exception) were written within a three-day time span during a traumatic phase of his life and reveal extremes of feeling during that time. The signatures work much like a lie detector or body language, only the dynamic thinking and personal symbols are preserved for continued study. In other cases (see Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski, below), writing samples show changes over a longer time span.
Signature 1: Written years before the murders, the signature proceeds rapidly forward, showing smooth mental and physical movement. The swings in the lower zone are easy and fluid, much like O.J.’s quick moves on the football field for which he was famous.
Signature 2: Written earlier on the night of the murders during the dance recital for O.J.’s and Nicole’s daughter Sidney. The signature pulls sharply leftward, hiding what lurked just beneath the surface—a symbolic knife blade written with heavy pressure showing intense feeling regarding that symbol. The knife formation appears to stab the downstroke of the assertive p stem, then forcefully changes direction and moves forward with speed, organization, and stealth right along and under the same path as the “son” portion of the signature, which lies in the conscious midzone. These strokes rise upward and forward, becoming increasingly large and with added final thrust. The image portrays planning, thoughtfulness, organization, force and concealment.
Signature 3: Penned that evening after the murders upon O.J.’s arrival at LAX Airport. Still pulling to the left, the implication is one of hiding and subterfuge. At the same time the signature races forward, with the knife blade formation in the s in “son” still dark in his mind, the vision still impressed in his head ... and racing to flee to safety.
Signature 4. Signed just before the infamous car chase. The “tic” (leftmost arrow) shows rage, while confusion and turmoil are evident in tangled formations and the midzone letters (representing the person’s reality) are squashed to nothing and turned upside down toward the end. This reflects an effort to hide while still running in circles, to find a way out of his waking nightmare.
Timothy McVeigh
Three samples of Timothy McVeigh’s writing are provided. The first was written sometime before McVeigh carried out the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which killed 168 people, including 19 children. The second sample (a personal note to his sister signed “Tim”) and the third were written while awaiting execution after being convicted of the bombing.
McVeigh grew up in a small town in upstate New York. His father, a blue collar worker who was employed making radiators, and his mother, a travel agent, were reportedly often absent during his formative years. In school he was considered outgoing, bright and talkative. According to biographical accounts, McVeigh loved guns at an early age and often took them to school. He is said to have spent hours by himself shooting at targets and dreaming of one day being in the special forces unit in the military.
After high school McVeigh joined the Army, where he served as an artilleryman. Those who recall his time in the military remember that he talked incessantly. During the Gulf War he killed two enemy soldiers and bragged about it. He finished his tour in the Gulf and then wanted to become a Green Beret. However, frustrated over his failure to complete the required training, McVeigh became bitter and eventually turned his rage on the team he so wanted to be a part of.
He became a drifter, living in motels, frequenting gun shows, and growing increasingly bitter about the federal government and its control. He became outraged and started planning his personal protest when the FBI raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas on April 19, 1993—which happened exactly 2 years before the bombing in Oklahoma City—and he visited the site to demonstrate his anger over the raid. He witnessed the tanks used by the government on the Davidian compound as the same tanks he had driven in the Gulf War, which further inflamed his anger. This created the framework for the violence that would later erupt in Oklahoma City.
McVeigh chose to print. This reflects a desire to communicate clearly without revealing emotional content and also suggests an urge to be in control of his immediate environment. Printing often shows someone who is cautious about establishing and maintaining significant interpersonal relations and, with other signs, points to improper bonding and attachment. This often contributes to suspicion and doubt regarding others’ motives, particularly when wide spaces appear between words, indicative of a need for “elbow room.”
Overall, McVeigh’s rather consistent writing depicts intelligence, systematic thinking, and an ability to be shrewdly manipulative and controlling. The writing is organized and focused. Well-placed t crosses show precision, while relatively straight baselines denote self-control. Every i is dotted and every t crossed, so he would not miss any important details in any undertaking.
However, negative signs abound. Certain repeated structures in the writing reveal McVeigh’s obsession with unmet dependency needs. In particular, the g’s curl into a fetal position, as does the capital T in the first signature. The y’s in the first sample are especially troublesome as they are angled and weapon-like, revealing aggressiveness and a hidden agenda. (As shown in the later writing samples, these angles disappeared after the bombing.) The unusually formed y and g structures reveal improper bonding and an overwhelming need for intimacy, yet emotional withdrawal is shown in the unnatural leftward pull, the wide distancing between words, and the linear printing style.
The signature is particularly revealing in that it is of an entirely different style than the text above it, a sign of conflict between inner desires and feelings and outward expressions. What you see is not necessarily what you get. The initial letter pulls far to the left, showing emotional withdrawal and preoccupation with the past.
Upon close examination, there are subtle characteristics that reflect special personal concerns and behaviors of this writer. Of particular note are the habitual reversals in direction of the writing at certain critical junctures. These occur with unique endings such as the “ut” and “nt” at the end of words. Similar backward formations are seen in “exists” and “which.” Contrary to normal, this denotes defiant, I’ll-do-it-my-way thinking, indicating that he is able to carry out his activities in a creative, unconventional manner.
Aggressive impulses are seen in club-like structures at the beginning of some downstrokes, especially visible when the writing is enlarged (see t in “arrest” and “tell”), in the angular y’s as previously noted, and letters that are written as X’s (in particular, the letter t). The expression of his violent urges is facilitated by the backward formations and out-of-place capitals that reveal resistance to authority. Further, he is able to compartmentalize his thoughts and desires because the writing contains segmented letters (Y in “York,” for example). It appears that McVeigh was ready for battle.
From McVeigh’s writing, we would recognize in advance, without knowing him or his violent crime, that he was an introverted person and an organized planner. He conceived ideas based on his personal belief system and carefully and accurately put things together with precision and perfection. His thinking style was obsessive and driven by strong, powerful feelings and a desire to act on them. He needed to communicate and did so clearly. McVeigh wanted to be important, yet felt rejected, and his final rejection resulted in retaliation.
The next two handwritings were written by McVeigh while in prison. The personal note was signed “Tim” as he felt comfortable with the recipient, his sister, with no need to impress her because he knew she loved him unconditionally.
The final note before his execution was signed with his affected signature but not so bold or extreme as before. What we are left with is still a lonely, intelligent, and organized man, maintaining his dignity and pride and ready for his own end. All of the anger apparent in the first letter had been expended with his grand finale/explosion, and he seemed to be at peace in comparison.
Osama bin Laden
Another well-organized terrorist is Osama bin Laden, whose writing appears at right. Although the sample is of poor quality, it is nevertheless evident that the lines are straight and even, and the writing is arranged nicely on the page, indications of organized thought processes. As the text is written in Arabic, it moves from right to left.
Therefore, the right represents where he is coming from and the left is symbolic of his future, his goals. As the writing gradually moves away from the right margin and proceeds closely to the left edge of the paper, there is evidence that he is future-oriented and he is intent on meeting his aims. He sees the big picture and plans far ahead.
Bin Laden’s handwriting and signature (at right) are interesting pictorially, whether or not we are capable of deciphering the Arabic characters. Both are written with exceptional slowness, indicating careful calculation and deliberate movement suggestive of certainty and strong will. The enlarged size of the signature reveals tendencies toward megalomania and a desire to rule and prove himself. The two circles—black versus white, positive versus negative—show conflict and anxiety. The signature shape seems to symbolize a menacing insect or a rifle.
Theodore John ‘Ted’ Kaczynski
Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, commonly known as the Unabomber, is a convicted terrorist best known for his campaign of sending bombs to several universities and airlines from the late 1970s through early 1990s, which killed three and wounded 29. Charged with many federal offenses stemming from this activity, Kaczynski pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.
While an infant, Kaczynski had a severe allergic reaction to medication. He was in the hospital for several weeks and allowed only infrequent visits from his parents, who were barred from holding their child. The once-happy baby was reportedly never the same. Afterwards, he became increasingly withdrawn and unresponsive to human contact.
According to various accounts, testing showed the young Kaczynski to have a high IQ, and records indicate that his academic performance throughout his early life was brilliant. As a result of his intelligence, he was allowed to skip the sixth grade, which he described as a pivotal event in his life. He remembers not fitting in with the older children and being subject to verbal abuse and teasing from them.
Kaczynski did well academically in high school but reported some difficulty with mathematics in his sophomore year. He was subsequently placed in a more advanced math class and mastered the material. He then skipped the 11th grade so that he was able to graduate from high school two years early. In the fall of 1958, at age 16, he was accepted as a student at Harvard.
At Harvard, Kaczynski was a volunteer test subject in personality-destruction experiments conducted by Harvard psychologist Dr. Henry A. Murray, a former CIA interrogation and psychological warfare expert, who was known to have experimented with multiple mind-altering drugs. The experiments, called “Dydactic Interaction Of Alienated Subjects” tested subjects’ beliefs and personality traits. The test results have since been sealed. Kaczynski later traced some of his emotional instability and fear of mind control to those tests. (Further details about these experiments are covered in Peter Vronsky’s highly recommended book, Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters.)
After graduation from Harvard in 1962, Kaczynski attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a master’s degree and a PhD in mathematics. There he began a research career, but he made few friends. One of his professors said, “It is not enough to say he was smart.” At Michigan he held a National Science Foundation fellowship, taught undergraduates for 3 years, and published articles related to his dissertation in mathematical journals. After he left Michigan, he published additional papers.
In 1967, Kaczynski was hired as an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, but his aloofness and reserve caused students to rate him poorly. Despite pleas from the department staff, he resigned without explanation in 1969.
After resigning his position at Berkeley, Kaczynski held no permanent employment. He lived a simple life in a remote shack on very little money, occasionally worked odd jobs, and he received some financial support from his family.
As with Timothy McVeigh, Kaczynski’s handwriting confirms his intelligence. The first sample of printing (produced many years before the bombings) is organized and well placed on the page. It is clear, direct, and efficient. The lines are even, spacing is consistent, and all dots and crosses are in place. Together, these factors denote clarity of thought and expression and an ability to think logically and with an eye toward important details. The exceptional consistency of the writing points to perfectionism, compulsion, and rigid self-control.
The signature (representing one’s outward expression, the face that is shown to the world) conforms closely to copybook writing, suggesting a desire to be seen as fitting in and seeming to adhere to what is expected. Like the printed text, it is clear and relatively consistent. The i is carefully dotted, indicating care with details and specifics.
The additional samples reflect changes over the years. The awkwardly bent upper loops of sample two, along with the somewhat variable slant and baseline, show emotional stress and potential breakdown. This is a letter in which Kaczynski expressed anger to a friend he felt had betrayed him.
The third Kaczynski sample, written to a family member, is interesting in that it is a mixture of cursive and printing. The printed portions, which grow larger and bolder as they progress, are obviously produced for effect and emphasis. However, the authors note that a mix of writing styles within one sample is sometimes a facilitator to the expression of negative urges. It suggests sudden bursts of energy or self-assertion and is often accompanied by out-of-place capitals, which signals independence and defiant action. In this sample and the previous one, the personal pronoun I is more vertical than the rest of the script, again confirming independent thinking and a tendency toward withdrawal. The retraced upper portion of the letter portrays repression and a narrow philosophical outlook.
Sample four, less stable than the previous writings, is from a letter written to a potential girlfriend. While Kaczynski wanted a significant female in his life, he was never very comfortable with women and had difficulty communicating intimately with them. The variable slant and baselines show fluctuating emotional responses. The personal pronoun I is changeable in size and slant, suggestive of a shifting self-image. Intense irritability and growing anger are seen in the jabbed dots and heavy punctuation. Segmented letters reveal disconnectedness or disassociation, allowing for compartmentalized thinking (see especially the g in “Although” and some of the y’s as in “any” and “celebicy”). Kaczynski’s difficulty with intimacy is confirmed by the rather small and/or incomplete lower loops of his writing, which imply emotional or sexual isolation. Wide word spacing also shows emotional distancing.
The final sample, penned after Kaczynski was imprisoned, is notable for the changes evident in the personal pronoun I. The bottom of this letter—its base and the symbolic foundation of the self—is relatively weak. This implies some lack of stability and personal strength, although this might be expected given the protected surrounding in which Kaczynski now finds himself. The writing remains organized, consistent, and focused, allowing him to center his attention on reading and study. Feelings of isolation continue to show in the wide distances between words. It is evident that in fact Kaczynski needs the structure and stability of prison in order to “hold things together.”