Eyewitness reports are very important to an investigation, especially when there aren’t many leads. They provide details that could otherwise be missed and make the detectives’ work a lot easier. Usually. But sometimes, human memory reminds everyone that it’s far from perfect, and someone needs to fill in the blanks.
That’s where police sketch artists come in. However, the task of turning vague descriptions into suspects is no easy feat, and the results can be more funny than forensic. These facial composites, for example, probably wouldn’t help catch a cold, let alone a criminal.
#1
“While the sketch provided by the witness may have appeared amateurish and cartoonish, it, along with the distinctive physical descriptors, jogged the memory of at least one investigator to provide a potential suspect name,” Lancaster Police wrote in their report.
Image source: Lancaster Police Department
#2
The man is described as black, approximately 6′ tall with a slim build and high cheekbones.
Image source: Saskatchewan RCMP
#3
This sketch is based on the recollections of eyewitnesses, who say the suspect wore a motorcycle helmet at the time of the robbery.
Image source: Thailand police
#4
Witnesses believed the suspect was disguised under a wig and fake mustache.
Image source: Snellville Police Department
#5
Image source: West Allis Wisconsin police
#6
The witness described the robber as being in his 20s or early 30s with sandy to brown-colored shoulder-length wavy hair, police said.
Image source: Crime Alert Berks County
#7
#8
It was a sketch drawn by a witness and given to police.
Image source: Miami-Dade Police Department
#9
The artist’s rendering is based on descriptions provided by an elderly woman. Witness told cops that the suspect wore a knitted hat and had teeth in need of a dentist’s attention.
Image source: Anderson County, South Carolina police
#10
The suspect is described as white, five feet eight inches tall, of medium build with short greying hair. He was chubby in the face and wore blue jeans, a grey or blue coloured long-sleeved shirt and a baseball cap.
Image source: West Parley police
#11
Image source: fkzizice4.webnode.cz
#12
Here’s the full description given by the victims, which admittedly wasn’t all that much for the artist to go on: “6 foot tall or a little taller, approximately 25 to 30 years old with no or very thin facial hair, and a muscular build.
“His nose was straight with no flare in the nostrils. He has short black hair and a round face, with tattoos covering both arms and a tattoo on the left side of his neck.”
Image source: Lamar County Sheriff’s Department
#13
The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 35 to 45 years old, 5-feet-3-inches to 5-feet-8-inches tall with sandy/blond hair and a sandy/blond mustache and/or facial hair.
Image source: Illinois State Police
#14
Described as a heavy-set black male.
Image source: Clemson police
#15
Image source: Mount prospect police
#16
He is described as 5’9″ tall, skinny with slight growth for facial hair and basic short hair cut. He has been seen wearing a stocking cap and a hoodie pulled up.
Image source: Escanaba police
#17
A sketch of a suspect – who has never been identified. Cops had a clear description of the suspect as white, aged between 30 ad 50, from 173 to 180 centimetres tall, of medium build with a small pot belly. His identity was never uncovered.
Image source: Victoria Police
#18
Clean-shaven man with a large curly blonde mane.
Image source: Gloucestershire police
#19
The suspect is described as a white man, aged in his late 30s to early 40s, around 5ft 10in tall, of skinny build with blonde hair.
Image source: Suffolk Police
#20
Suspect is described as white, about 5ft 5in with short dark hair. He had a tidy appearance and was wearing a dark jacket and dark jeans.
Image source: Wilton Police
#21
Gwent Police described the suspect as a white man, between 40 and 50 years old. He is 5ft 10in tall and clean shaven, with a narrow chin and broad shoulders.
Image source: Gwent police
#22
Image source: Toronto police
#23
The suspect was described as a Black male in his early 20’s, around 6’ tall with a thin build, perfectly aligned yellow teeth with dark gums and a black mole under his eye. He was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt with a black Nike swoosh symbol. He was wearing the hood up to partially obscure his face. He was also wearing black shorts, black crew length socks.
Image source: Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
#24
18-years-old with brown shaggy hair, blue eyes, straight teeth, and a thin build. He has pale complexion with a diamond studded earring in his left ear and was wearing a bright green t-shirt.
Image source: Spartanburg Police
#25
The suspect is described as a black man who is 25 to 30 years old. He is about 5-feet-11-inches to 6-feet-2-inches tall with a slender build. He is described as clean shaven. In most cases the suspect has worn a hooded sweatshirt with the hood over his head.
Image source: Citrus Heights Police Department
#26
Police described the man as in his mid-20s with short dark hair and a widow’s peak, five-foot-six to five-foot-10, with a slim athletic build. He was wearing black track pants with stripes, and a shiny nylon hoodie.
Image source: Victoria Police Department
#27
Image source: Kenton County Detention Center
#28
The FBI described the person of interest as a white, balding man about 40 years old.
Image source: Denver FBI
#29
The e-fit of a man, as drawn from memory by witness. The sketch was described as ‘an egg with a side-parting’.
Image source: Portuguese police
#30
An 11-year-old Connecticut girl used her doodling skills to sketch out a suspicious man for cops — and the likeness led him to be charged.
“He was wearing a black hoodie. He had on black skinny jeans, had really grungy hair. He just looked gross.”
Image source: Stratford Police Department
#31
Suspect is described as a slim white female who is approximately 5ft 3ins tall with dyed blonde hair.
She was wearing a black leather jacket and blue jeans at the time.
Image source: Dartford police
#32
He is described as white, 25 to 30-years-old, 5ft 10in to 5ft 11in, thin build, long face, with a large thin nose.
He has short dark brown or black hair and was wearing a grey sweatshirt.
Image source: Police Scotland
#33
The suspect is described as a white man aged around 40, with stubble on his chin, short, straight dark hair. He spoke in a local accent and was wearing a white T shirt.
Image source: Kent Police
#34
Image source: qhnews.com
#35
Image source: unknown
#36
She called herself “Purgatory” and wore strappy black leather costumes as she “sang” — or rather growled — her way through death-metal tunes with pals named “Ruin” and “Lord Draconova” in her garage band, Divine Infamy.
Image source: nypost.com
#37
The man is described as white and aged approximately 25. He was 5ft 11ins tall and of thin build, with blonde gelled hair and blue eyes and was clean shaven. He was wearing a black vest with ‘police’ on it and a light blue short sleeved shirt with a collar, black trousers and a black belt.
Image source: Metropolitan Police
#38
Described as 6ft tall with short black hair, a round face and tattoos on his arms and neck.
Image source: Lamar County Sheriff’s Department
#39
Image source: Unknown
#40
Image source: Unknown
#41
Described as having wavy blonde/greying hair and being about 40.
A Hampshire police spokeswoman said: “We make every effort to ensure that the e-fits we circulate are as accurate and detailed as they possibly can be from the description provided by the witness.
“This is borne out by the quality and detail contained within the facial features.
“We are, though, currently experiencing technical problems with the quality of the hair and are waiting for an upgrade to the system from the company who provides us with the software.
“It is important to point out that the suspect in this case is described as having blond-grey hair.”
Image source: Hampshire police
#42
Image source: Avon and Somerset Police
#43
The suspect is described as being white and aged between 18 and 25 years old.
He was at least 6ft tall and of a slim build, with grey or blue eyes, short black hair, sideburns and a trimmed beard.
He was wearing a grey army-style combat jacket, a black bandana and green and white headwear.
Image source: South Yorkshire Police
#44
The suspect is described as white, aged 35 to 38 years of age, with shaven blonde hair. He has what is described as a long oval shaped face and a long narrow nose.
Image source: Darlington police
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