Computer Forensics

Computer forensics are at the center of today's news. At issue is whether or not the memos purportedly written by Lt. Col. Jerry Killian--one of George W. Bush's commanders in the National Guard, from '72-'73--are authentic. No sooner did the memos surface did an "expert" declare that they are forgeries. The computer forensics at question are typographic in nature. The computer forensic experts must determine whether the memos are real or if they were created with MSWord.

According to an Associated Press story, "Independent document examiner Sandra Ramsey Lines said the memos looked like they had been produced on a computer using Microsoft Word software." It isn't clear how this document examiner could make that determination at such short notice. A thorough and non-partisan typographic forensic examination should be undertaken immediately. If the FBI's computer forensic experts cannot clear up this issue, no one can.

At issue is whether or not Killian had the ability to produce superscript on his typewriter. Lines purports that the memo was computer generated because she was able to produce superscripts in MSWord, in a style similar to that in the memo. The AP reports that Lines is "a document expert and fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences."

True computer forensic experts should be able to determine the legitimacy of these documents in short time. All they need to do is look at other documents produced by Killian in the same timeframe. If other documents show superscripts, Lines case crumbles. If forensics turn up no other documents with similar typographic qualities, a bigger question looms.

Any computer forensic specialist with the slightest smidgen of a typographic background knows that the ability to produce superscript type was not introduced by Microsoft. Whether or not Killian had the necessary hardware at the time--perhaps an IBM Selectric II or Selectric Composer--to produce the memos, remains to be seen.