Forensic Approaches to Handwriting Examination In Suicide Notes: Traditional And Digital Methods

Abstract: In suicide cases, the investigating officer often comes across suicide notes, which play a vital role in any investigation. A document examiner often faces challenges in identifying and authenticating the authorship of the suicide notes. This difficulty increases when the suicide note is written on an unconventional surface with unconventional writing instruments. In this review paper, an attempt has been made by the authors to study the challenges faced during the examination of suicide notes at the scene of crime. This review paper also highlights the means and methods deployed by various researchers to overcome any such difficulties arising during the examination and comparison of suicide notes found at the scene of the crime. This study also focuses on areas of research gaps and future scope.