Criminal Handwriting Analysis

Handwriting examiner Kimon Iannetta analyzes the signatures and writing of three ruthless criminals―John Wilkes Booth, Jesse James, and Charles Manson―and speculates on why they may have been likely to commit their crimes.

John Wilkes Booth

The far-right slant and heavy pressure show that Booth was a passionate man who was capable of influencing people, which probably served him well as an actor. The underscored signature reveals confidence and self-reliance; Booth was challenging himself to take initiative into uncharted territory. Booth’s loyalty to his rigid and extreme beliefs, along with persistence, unbridled passion, and rage toward what he felt was unjust authority, was a deadly combination for Abraham Lincoln.