That's the work of forensic artist Jeanne Boylan, author of Portraits of Guilt. This amazing woman, who is also an America's Most Wanted correspondent, has been used to help identify suspects in many high-profile cases, including the drowning of Susan Smith's children, the kidnapping of Ruth Mayer, and the Oklahoma City bombing.
One of the problems with witnesses, Boylan points out in her book, is that police tend not to be sympathetic. They are short on time and need answers now, which puts potential witnesses in a position to try to create information where it may not really exist. Boylan insists on spending time getting to know her subjects and insuring a relaxed and safe environment before she begins collecting information. While this seems like an obvious technique, it doesn't seem to be readily used and she discusses this at length throughout the book.
The book focuses on Boylan's personal life as well as her work with law enforcement because the two are what makes this woman tick. I found the religious references and whining about her failed first marriage mildly irritating because I really wanted to read about how a forensic artist operates, not what she does in her free time. But maybe that's just me. Think of this book more as an autobiography than a book about crime, and you'll do okay. If you approach this as a parallel to, say, something by John Douglas with lots of cases and details, you'll be pretty disappointed.
In fact, if you're expecting rough-and-tough crime stuff, this isn't the book for you. This author's compassion and patience with victims and witnesses comes through in her writing. It's no secret that these are her keys to success and she shares freely how she goes about questioning individuals to develop her drawings. I am often skeptical that police artists' vague renderings are ever useful in identifying criminals, but the resemblances of Boylan's pieces to the perpetrators are very close (with the exception, perhaps, of that hooded, sunglass-wearing Unabomber, of course). I find this particularly impressive since Boylan admits she's never taken an art class. And her drawings are supposed to have helped capture 90 percent of the 7,000 criminals she has been asked to sketch. That's a pretty good record.
I want to point out something really cool about this book: On page 257 there is a photo of Ted Kaczynski and two FBI agents. In the background is a guy holding a camera. That's my brother. But I don't expect you to read this book just for that - I'm a reasonable person, after all.
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