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Retired Texas peace officer and award-winning forensic artist Leslie Willingham last week gave a captivating presentation on the role of forensic art in crime investigations, explaining that the job is much more than creating pencil sketches for criminal files. A professional artist since 1972, Willingham opened her presentation by showing a test she was given by the FBI when she first applied to be a forensic artist. As part of the exercise, she sketched horizontal and vertical images of a gentleman’s face based on a photo of a masked perpetrator. After Willingham interviewed the victim and created a final sketch, the police were quickly able to find and arrest the suspect (whose countenance was a near exact match to her drawing). Forensic art is a unique blend of art and science, requiring not only artistic skill but also the ability to understand and translate a victim’s verbal recollections of a person’s appearance and capture that in a sketch. The signed sketches are admissible in a court of law and often can make or break a case, Willingham said. This side-by-side comparison of Willingham's composite drawing and the book-in photo of a suspect from 2016 showcases her remarkable ability to capture every detail of a person's appearance based on eye witness descriptions. The man was later found guilty of attempted kidnapping. As she elaborated on the unique skill set required of IAI Certified Forensic Artists like herself, Willingham showed sketches called “double faces,” which contrast a person’s facial expression when they are relaxed versus when they are committing a crime. Creating a standard composite sketch takes her about three hours, she noted, whereas creating a sketch of an unidentified victim, such as a John Doe killed crossing a highway, can take ten hours. Willingham emphasized the need for people to learn to mentally capture and describe someone’s face, in the event they witness a crime. Remembering specific features, such as scars, moles, and earrings or facial jewelry, can be especially helpful, she noted. To read a fascinating article about how Willingham's artistry helped solve a mystery for detectives in San Antonio, check out this story from MySanAntonio.com. |
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