if we're going to cut and paste wiki
Chester A. Ubowski
* Ubowski Findings
1. "Indications" Patsy May Have Written RN. Some of Ubowski's preliminary findings were revealed in the affidavit used as justification for the Charlevoix search warrant. According to affiant Jane Harmer, Ubowski provided Detective Linda Arndt the following information: "The analysis of the handwriting samples obtained from Patsy Ramsey showed "indications" which suggest that Patsy Ramsey may have written the reported ransom note."
2. Evidence Falls Short. Later in the affidavit, Harmer further states "He determined that there is evidence which indicates the ransom note may have been written by Patricia Ramsey but "the evidence falls short of that necessary to support a definite conclusion."
3. Full Range of Handwriting Sought. Affiant Harmer also stated: "It would be helpful to obtain additional historical samples of Patsy Ramseys writings so that a more conclusive determination could be made on the analysis of her handwriting compared to the handwriting contained in the reported ransom note. CBI Agent Ubowski informed Detective Arndt that samples of Patsys handwriting which had been completed prior to December 26, 1996 might not include or contain any elements of distortion, attempts to disguise handwriting, or nervousness. Agent Ubowski further stated that these handwriting samples would help to display a full range of the variation of the writer. CBI Agent Ubowski had been present when a third handwriting sample had been obtained from Patsy Ramsey on February 28, 1997. The handwriting was completed in a standard block style. A REDACTION APPEARING TO BE A SINGLE SENTENCE APPEARS HERE. Agent Ubowski stated that the handwriting samples obtained from Patsy do not suggest the full range of her handwriting. Harmer noted that "Detective Arndt said that approximately 16 pages of handwriting have been provided by Patsy Ramsey to the Boulder Police Department to date."
4. Carnes Opinion. "Chet Ubowski of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation concluded that the evidence fell short of that needed to support a conclusion that Mrs. Ramsey wrote the note. (SMF P 197; PSMF P 197.)" (Carnes 2003:26, note 14).
5. 24 of 26 Letters Matched? According to Internet poster Cherokee, Ubowski "is said to have found 24 of 26 letters in the ransom note which matched exemplars from Patsy Ramsey" (Thomas 2000: page number not provided).
6. Patsy Sole Possible Author of 100 Examined? Likewise, according to Internet poster The Punisher, Carol McKinley stated in the Fox News story that Ramseys sued Fox over: "Many forensic document examiners have given their opinions as to who wrote the note. But the only one to testify before a grand jury in the case was Chet Ubowski, forensic document examiner for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Out of 100 people he analyzed for the Boulder Police Department, he found ONLY ONE person whom he thought may have authored the document, Patsy Ramsey. Investigative sources tell Fox News that the disguised letters and bleeding ink from the felt tipped pen used to write the note kept him from 100 percent ID of Mrs. Ramsey." It is not clear who the source for this report was, but it would appear to contradict the sworn testimony of Alex Hunter. In his deposition for the Wolf v. Ramsey libel case, Alex Hunter acknowledged that these experts had concluded chances of Patsy writing the note were "very low" and also asserted there were other individuals who were under suspicion whose handwriting was analyzed that were not eliminated as the author of the note.
7. Schiller's Account. But Schiller claimed "The police never bothered to ask Ubowski if he had put his entire analysis of the ransom note into his report. Either way, Ubowski was prepared to say, 'Patsy wrote the note.' The CBI saw this as another missed opportunity" (Schiller 1999a:536-537; quotation and source provided by Internet poster The Punisher). Schiller further notes: "experts from the CBI presented their evaluations into evidence, including Chet Ubowski. He also told Pete Mang, his boss at the CBI, that his gut told him it was her handwriting" (Schiller 1999a:740; quotation and source provided by Internet poster The Punisher).
* Qualifications. Ubowski is a member of the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners, the only professional certifying organization in the profession. He served as the CBI laboratory agent in charge of the JBR investigation.
Leonard Speckin
* Speckin Findings.
1. Unable to Eliminate. "Leonard Speckin, a private forensic document examiner, concluded that differences between the writing of Mrs. Ramsey's handwriting and the author of the Ransom Note prevented him from identifying Mrs. Ramsey as the author of the Ransom Note, but he was unable to eliminate her. (SMF P 198; PSMF P 198.)" (Carnes 2003:26, note 14). Speckin's report stated: "When I compare the handwriting habits of Patsy Ramsey with those in the questioned ransom note, there exists agreement to the extent that some of her individual letter formations and letter combinations do appear in the ransom note." (Epstein Deposition (p. 138:9-14) "When this agreement is weighed against the number, type and consistency of the differences present, I am unable to identify Patsy Ramsey as the author of the questioned ransom note with any degree of certainty. I am, however, unable to eliminate her as the author." (Epstein Deposition (p. 138:25 through p. 139:1-6).
2. Infinitesimal Chance of Intruder Match to Patsy. However, Speckin reportedly was ready to testify that "there was only an infinitesimal chance that some random intruder would have handwriting characteristics so remarkably similar to those of a parent sleeping upstairs." (Thomas 2000
age number not provided; quote and source provided by Internet poster The Punisher).
* Speckin Qualifications.
1. "Leonard Speckin is a forensic document analyst, retired from the Michigan State Police. He has given expert witness testimony in this area over 500 times, for many courts, state committee hearings, and federal grand juries. He is certified by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners" (pdf).
2. Gideon Epstein Assessment. In his deposition in the Wolf v. Ramsey case, Epstein, a handwriting expert testifying against the Ramseys said: "Speckin I don't consider a document examiner. Speckin has a document laboratory. He's basically a chemist, he does ink and paper work. He's a young fellow with very little experience. If he has done handwriting, it's been very little handwriting" (p. 158:2-7). It would appear that Epstein mistakenly was alluding to Leonard Speckin's son, Erich Speckin, who did a "two-year residency with Leonard A. Speckin his father in the examination of questioned documents" and indeed only has a degree in chemistry (See Chapter 29 here). Erich Speckin runs a forensic laboratory in Okemos, MI Wall Street Journal.
Edwin F. Alford, Jr.
* Alford Findings
1. Evidence Fell Short. "Edwin Alford, a private forensic document examiner, states the evidence fell short of that needed to support a conclusion that Mrs. Ramsey wrote the note. (SMF P 197; PSMF P 197.)" (Carnes 2003:26, note 14).
2. Evidence Failed to Provide Basis. According to Internet poster Jameson (see Nov. 02 2002,6:18 pm), Alford asserted: "Examination of the questioned handwriting and comparison with the handwriting specimens submitted has failed to provide a basis for identifying Patricia Ramsey as the writer of the letter."
* Alford Qualifications. Alford is a diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ZoomInfo.com).
Consultants Hired by Ramseys (2 experts)
Lloyd Cunningham
* Cunningham Findings.
1. No Significant Similar Characteristics. "Lloyd Cunningham, a private forensic document examiner hired by defendants, concluded that there were no significant similar individual characteristics shared by the handwriting of Mrs. Ramsey and the author of the Ransom Note, but there were many significant differences between the handwritings. (SMF P 201; PSMF P 201.)" (Carnes 2003:26, note 14).
2. Cannot Identify or Eliminate Patsy as Author. In his Wolf v. Ramsey deposition, Gideon Epstein agreed with Ramsey attorney James Rawls' characterization of Cunningham's findings: "he cannot identify, nor eliminate Patsy Ramsey as the author of the ransom note..." and "he has spent 20 hours examining the samples and documents and found that there were no significant individual characteristics, but much significant difference between Patsy's writing and the note" (p. 148:9-11 and 13-17).
* Cunningham Qualifications. Cunningham was a police officer in the San Francisco Police Department from 1963-1991; he became the department's first forensic document examiner after receiving training with the U.S. Secret Service. He is a member of the Southwestern Association of Document Examiners and served as its president from 2001-2003. He is best known for being the world's leading expert on the handwriting in the Zodiac killer case.
Howard C. Rile, Jr.
* Rile Findings. "Howard Rile concluded that Mrs. Ramsey was between "probably not" and "elimination," on a scale of whether she wrote the Ransom Note. (SMF P 202; PSMF P 202.)" (Carnes 2003:26, note 14). This also is confirmed in Epstein Deposition, p. 150:6-9).
* Qualifications. Rile is a member of the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners, the only professional certifying organization in the profession.
Authors/Internet Analysts (2 individuals)
Sheila Lowe and Associates.
* Lowe Findings. Based on differences between Patsy's personality profile (inferred from handwriting) and those of the perp,this on-line analysis concludes Patsy is not the writer.
Beverly East
* East Findings. Her on-line personality profile of Patsy Ramsey draws no direct conclusions about whether she was the note's author, but appears inconsistent with her having written the RN.
* Qualifications. According to her Web site, Ms. East trained intensively for 4 years and was qualified in the world's foremost institute of graphology, based in Chicago, Illinois. She established Strokes & Slants in Washington, D.C. in 1989 and in London, England in 1991.
