Disguising handwriting

Did the writer of the ransom note attempt to disguise his/her handwriting?

Did Patsy Ramsey alter her handwriting after the murder?

Susan Bennett (aka jameson) sold Patsy ramsey's handwriting exemplars to the National Enquirer a couple of years ago and we therefore can see examples of Patsy's London Letter and left and right handed samples. The National Enquirer used the samples to "prove" that Patsy wrote the ransom note with her left hand (I believe handwriting experts prefer to talk about dominant and non-dominant hands).

In response to the suggestion that Patsy disguised her handwriting in order to write the note, jameson has issued a challenge for readers to substitute the 5 vowels with shapes and to try and write the ransom note. She wants to show people how hard this would be (and hence that it is a ridiculous suggestion).

I propose that jameson's is a ludicrous analogy. The ransom note didn't have substituted letters for goodness sake.

jameson's "challenge" is akin to asking someone to substitute 5 commonly spoken words with 5 different words and to see how long they can keep it up. This is a much harder task than to get someone to speak with a silly accent or in a "put on" high or low pitched voice and speak for a while. Most people would keep up a phoney accent for longer than they could substitute "certain" words. In fact - some comedians who do this are highly acclaimed for their skill.

There is FAR more concentration required to substitute particular words or letters than to adopt an overall different style and maintain it for a period of time.

Now, a better test would be this:-

- Hold your dominant hand out palm upwards.
- Push the pen - point down between the middle and ring fingers.
- Grasp the pen as best as you can.
- Try and write the ransom note.

The altered writing style will come naturally because of the sheer awkwardness of the writing position and you can concentrate totally on the written content. Alternatively, if you can - try writing it with your non dominant hand. However, the above method (or any one of countless alternatives) would be quicker.

Easy.

a few other reasons that suggestion of jameson's are ridiculous...

1 - whoever wrote the note had all night to do so.
2 - if PR used her left hand, no disguising is necessary. nobody can question the samples she gave after-the-fact with her left hand, because it was not her dominant hand. and i doubt she had any pre-1996 samples of her left hand's handwriting...

There was a tv programme on in the UK recently where three celebrities had to disguise themselves and then trick close friends into not recognising them.

In doing so, they had to alter their appearances AND their voices (obviously). A voice is as individual as handwriting.

In each case, the celebrities were "helped" to disguise their voices with protheses - cheek pads, false teeth and in one case, by using cosmetic rubber to pull the mouth back into a different shape.

Similarly, in many, many movies, we have seen actors covering their mouths with hankies to make phone calls - in order to alter their voices.

*****

All that you need to alter/disguise your handwriting is to hold the pen differently or even to write wearing a pair of heavy gloves. These would easily alter ALL aspects of a person's handwriting in one fell swoop. The writer only has to concentrate on the words to be written.

This really is a very simple concept to grasp.

jameson says:-

There wasn't just a difference in 5 letters between patsy's writing and that in the ransom note - - there was a slight difference in size, slant, pressure. The BORG has her disguising all kinds of things - - and that under extreme stress. Sorry -- they are really expecting people to believe the impossible.

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Yes - holding the pen awkwardly or wearing a heavy glove would effectively achieve all of these. One doesn't have to be "BORG" to recognise this simple fact.

A person wearing a plaster cast on their wrist has altered writing. Wrap a towel around your wrist and hand leaving only your fingers free and then try to write in your normal handwriting.

Patsy admitted she could write with both hands, though akwardly. She was known to be ambidextrous.

The note was written by a left handed person and there still appeared to be an attempt to disguise the hand writing. If you look at the note it cleary goes from very shaky to smooth and hurried as the writer found it was too much trouble to continue with the disguise attempt.

Becba said:

Patsy admitted she could write with both hands, though akwardly. She was known to be ambidextrous.

The note was written by a left handed person and there still appeared to be an attempt to disguise the hand writing. If you look at the note it cleary goes from very shaky to smooth and hurried as the writer found it was too much trouble to continue with the disguise attempt.

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Its not the handwriting that makes PR the most unlikely of writers its the RN's content's.

Zman said:

Its not the handwriting that makes PR the most unlikely of writers its the RN's content's.

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I strongly disagree. For me it's the content that proves it was her.

Linda7NJ said:

I strongly disagree. For me it's the content that proves it was her.

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I agree with you Linda.

Patsy didn't write the ransom note.

The government's six nationally-recognized handwriting experts, after analyzing the original note and all of the past and present exemplars from Patsy, concluded there was a very low probability that she wrote it. Two of the experts flatly excluded her as the possible writer.

The writer obviously tried to disguise his/her handwriting, but it wasn't Patsy. Please look elsewhere in the house.

BlueCrab

I assume you mean Burke. I have a very hard time believing a nine year old boy could have been the author of the long and rambling note. Are there are examples of Burke's handwriting prior to the murder on Christmas night? Any other examples of him writing something that long and detailed?

BlueCrab said:

Patsy didn't write the ransom note.

The government's six nationally-recognized handwriting experts, after analyzing the original note and all of the past and present exemplars from Patsy, concluded there was a very low probability that she wrote it. Two of the experts flatly excluded her as the possible writer.

The writer obviously tried to disguise his/her handwriting, but it wasn't Patsy. Please look elsewhere in the house.

BlueCrab

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So Blue Crab, you obviously think it was John?