questioned documents

Dave Wilentz

attorney general

Bruno Haupptmann

convicted of the crime

Anna Haupptman

Alibi

Govener Harold Hoffmna

granted stay of execution

Edward Reilly

Defense Attorney

Dr. Condon

middleman

Isador Fisch

alibi for source of money

Col. Schwartzkopt

In charge of investigation

All evidence found at Hopewell (the crime scene)

3 piece homemade ladder, footprint in flowerbed, ransom note, 3/4 chisel

Evidence at Hauptmann home

$14,000 in ransom money, gun hid with money, missing chisel in set, wood board used in ladder, Condon’s number and addy, sketch of ladder, wood planer used to smooth steps

what crime did hauptmann commit in Germany

highway robbery, breaking into mayors house using ladder, escaped prison stowaway on a ship to NJ

what markings did Mr. Koehler visualize that began his search for the origin of these 2 rails (12 and 13)

saw the cutter marks and striations from the planer

what two traits regarding the planner was Mr. koehler able to determinate

planer had 8 blades, belt-driven

rail 16: what traits did this rail possess that suggest it was once used for something else

nail holes spaced 16inches apart

two characteristics of the rail that prove it was part of hauptmann’s attic

there were nail holes in the rail that lined up with nail holes on the floor of his attic

The growth rings on the rail matched the growth rings on the same floor board in his attic

guidelines for collecting known writing samples for comparison

obtain the same type of writing, dating close in time, take writing samples within the law, should contian same words

sample guidelines

comfortable setting, never shown the document, suspect should use paper and pen similar to document, put in the text the same type of words and phrases, suspect writes sample 3 times, obtain sample from weak hand

documents are altered by

erasures, crossing out, overwriting

erasures

mechanical-erasing part of the document

sandpaper

razor blade

india rubber eraser

chemical erasures

strong oxidizing agents leave a clear product, can be seen with microscope or UV light

crossing out

unusual dye to being obvious, 2 pens are able to be distingueshed using UV light, same pen its impossible to tell

indents

a pad with the top sheet removed can reveal the last page by its indentations

revealed by: rub with a pencil, angled light, electromagnetic imaging

Pen ink chromatography

samples are from various points from the document and dissolved into paper

ink is then transferred to filter paper

compare the inks

water acetone butanol