Brandon Twp.- The skull was found in the Nevada desert, a mystery waiting to be solved. Who was the woman?
Assistance was sought from Oakland County Sheriff’s Forensic Artist Barb Martin, but the skull was flaking and too fragile to be moved. A photograph of the skull was sent to Martin, who studied the picture and reconstructed through a sketch what the woman would have looked like when she was alive. The drawing brought forward the parents of the woman, who had been missing for more than 30 years.
‘Now they know who died,? says Martin. ‘They can do an investigation. Before, they only had that skull.?
As a forensic artist, Martin’s work includes creating composites of crime suspects based on descriptions from witnesses or by enhancing photos or video stills, reconstruction of faces to identify the deceased, and age progressions to find missing persons or fugitives.
Martin will present a two-hour program for teens in grades 7-12, ‘CSI: Fact or Fiction??, at 2 p.m., July 25, at the library, 304 South St. During the program, Martin will discuss the differences between a real crime scene investigation and what is often portrayed on television shows like ‘CSI.?
For example, she says, the actors on CSI never do paperwork, whereas she always has notes from witnesses she has interviewed and 3-4 pages of typed reports so she can testify in court if she has the opportunity. The other differences are numerous.
‘We don’t get to arrest people,? she says and adds, laughing, ‘And we want to know, who are these people who leave whole, rolled prints and not partial or smudged prints? We don’t get to run around in high heels, either. How do these people not get dirt on their lab coats? I always have pencil on my face, arms and hands.?
Martin’s path to becoming a forensic artist began in 1968 while she was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in art education from Eastern Michigan University. At that time, a serial killer was killing brunettes. One woman was taken from 25 feet in front of the house where Martin, also a brunette, lived.
‘That was too close,? she says.
Martin’s interest was piqued in police work, but after obtaining her degree in 1971, she taught art full-time for a few years and sent letters to police departments to do police sketches on the side. She joined the OCSO full-time as a clerk in 1979 and became a full-time forensic artist four years ago.
Martin says the object of a composite is not to be a photo, but a similarity. In her job, she interviews witnesses, sometimes at the crime scene, and victims at the hospital. She has visited morgues, dentists, plastic surgeons and anthropologists, all to help solve a crime. But she wants potential jurors to know, real life isn’t like TV.
‘The show has real scientific statements, but they also overplay the evidence,? she says. ‘They overeducate the public to think it’s that crisp and clean. Life is not always filled with perfect evidence.?
Registration for ‘CSI: Fact or Fiction?? is preferred. Call (248) 627-1461.