Buzz
Police sketches stand out as one of the most intriguing tools in criminal investigations. These artistic renditions are crafted from witness recollections or evidence left by victims. However, their success is often limited due to factors like the fallibility of human memory and the varying skill levels of the artists involved.
To counter these challenges, forensic artists frequently emphasize exaggerating distinctive facial traits to make suspects stand out and trigger memories in potential informants. This approach often leads to sketches that appear exaggerated, almost cartoonish, or eerily otherworldly. Here, we explore 10 such bizarre police sketches, each accompanied by its equally peculiar story. While some may evoke laughter, others are sure to send chills down your spine.
10. The Girl in the Suitcase
In 2014, two suitcases were discovered, each holding the remains of a woman. While Laura Simonson was quickly identified, the second victim required more effort. Authorities released a sketch of the woman, but due to severe decomposition, the artist exaggerated specific features to an almost surreal degree. This technique, often used by forensic artists, helps distinguish the subject from the countless faces people encounter daily and can trigger memories by emphasizing unique characteristics. The outcome was a sketch resembling a chilling mix of an alien and a chipmunk.
Despite its unsettling appearance, a family recognized the sketch. They noted the pronounced buck teeth, small lower teeth, high cheekbones, and narrow eyes, which closely matched a relative they hadn’t heard from in some time. This clue allowed investigators to compare dental records, ultimately confirming the victim as Jenny Gamez.
Jenny was murdered and hidden by a former police officer after they connected online. Her death occurred on their first meeting. The sketch artist’s decision to amplify Jenny’s facial features to an extreme degree played a crucial role in her swift identification. This serves as a reminder that, while such sketches may appear absurd, they are created with a purposeful and often effective strategy.
9. Deandre Charles
In 2014, Rabbi John Raskins was tragically shot and killed during a visit to Miami. A witness to the incident provided police with their own sketch of the suspect. Despite its resemblance to a character from Bob’s Burgers, the sketch led authorities to quickly identify 14-year-old Deandre Charles as the suspect.
Police shared a mugshot of Deandre alongside the sketch used to apprehend him. While the sketch was widely ridiculed, it bore a vague resemblance to him. It’s akin to those apps that transform your photo into a Simpsons or South Park character—quirky but somewhat recognizable.
While the sketch appeared to solve the crime, questions arose about its validity. Law enforcement treated the sketch as definitive evidence rather than a lead-generating tool. Deandre Charles endured three years of investigation and trial before DNA evidence ultimately cleared him of all charges.
Imagine being accused of murder based on a comical sketch that only slightly resembled you. Deandre, understandably outraged, is now suing the authorities, alleging that prosecutors withheld exonerating DNA evidence to secure a conviction. Channeling his frustration, Deandre has pursued a music career under the name Papito El Franklins, showcasing his undeniable talent.
8. Horrible Drawing, Great Results
While visiting a favorite stall at Lancaster, PA’s Central Market, Jocelyn Park noticed a stranger behind the counter clutching a bundle of cash. Unable to confront him, she decided to document his appearance while it was still vivid in her mind. As a graphic designer with two art degrees, Jocelyn went beyond a written description and sketched the suspect. Her quick drawing, though rudimentary, gained viral attention, drawing widespread mockery online and even causing newscasters to struggle to contain their laughter.
Despite the harsh criticism, Jocelyn remained confident that her sketch would lead to the suspect’s capture. Her faith was rewarded when an officer recognized the drawing as someone familiar. After presenting a photo lineup, Jocelyn identified the same individual. Within a week, Hung Phuoc Nguyen was arrested, proving the effectiveness of her amateur sketch.
Following the arrest, public opinion shifted. Many acknowledged the striking resemblance between Jocelyn’s sketch and the suspect, vindicating her efforts. Inspired by the experience, Jocelyn now offers a unique service: for those who email her at [email protected], she creates quick sketches based on submitted photos. While the previous story highlighted the risks of relying on witness sketches as evidence, this tale demonstrates their potential to deliver justice.
7. The Crimes of Lettuce Head
To fully grasp the absurdity of this recreation, it’s essential to understand E-FITs. An E-FIT, or electronic facial identification technique, is a digital facial composite created from witness descriptions. While people often struggle to describe facial features, they can instantly recognize a face when shown one. E-FITs aim to bridge this gap by compiling witness descriptions into a composite, offering slight variations until the most accurate match is (ideally) achieved.
Unsurprisingly, this process can yield bizarre results, with none more infamous than the so-called “lettuce head.” This E-FIT was generated based on an elderly victim’s description of a burglar who stole £60 from her handbag. The suspect was described as having “wavy blonde/greying hair,” but the released image was far from ordinary. A Hampshire Constabulary spokesperson defended the release, citing the clarity of the facial features, but admitted to technical issues with the hair depiction, awaiting a system upgrade. Despite its notoriety, the “lettuce head” suspect remains at large, with one commenter humorously suggesting, “Maybe he returned to his roots.”
6. Big Mouth
This case involved a distraction burglary where the suspect posed as a housing company worker, gained entry into the victim’s home, and stole a small amount of cash. It’s easy to see why the victim was distracted—though it likely wasn’t the suspect’s charm that did the trick.
Unfortunately, the tale of the wide-mouthed suspect ends here. While the victim remains without justice, perhaps it’s a small mercy for society, sparing us from the unsettling image of a man with an unnaturally large grin attempting to invade our homes and steal our money. He’s like a sinister version of the tooth fairy—perhaps the “toothy fairy”? I’ll let myself out.
5. John List Clay Bust
This artistic recreation earns extra points for breaking the mold. Unlike others on this list who exaggerated features to absurd extremes, this artist opted for hyper-realism, crafting a lifelike three-dimensional clay bust of the suspect.
In May 1989, forensic artist Frank Bender showcased a clay bust on America’s Most Wanted. The bust depicted an age-progressed version of John List, a man with a seemingly perfect life: a loving family, a successful career, and financial stability. However, after losing his job and accumulating debt, List chose a horrific path. He murdered his wife, children, and mother before vanishing. For 18 years, he evaded capture—until the clay bust was featured on the show.
Within two weeks of the episode airing, the FBI arrested Robert Clark, an accountant in Virginia. A viewer who had seen the show noticed the striking resemblance between Clark and the clay bust of John List, prompting a tip. Fingerprint analysis confirmed Clark’s true identity as John List, leading to his conviction in 1990.
4. Cheryl Bowman
On a Houston morning in 1989, individuals scavenging for aluminum cans discovered the decomposing body of a woman. She was adorned with an abundance of jewelry, had well-maintained teeth, and sported neatly polished red nails—details that stood out amidst the mystery. Much about this case remains unknown, with much of the information being speculative. However, the case has endured due to the peculiar sketch of the woman, which continues to captivate attention.
The sketch portrays the woman smiling, her hand obscuring the upper half of her face. This pose highlights her defining features: her jewelry, manicured nails, and teeth. A narrative has emerged suggesting the hand conceals severe decomposition or injuries, rendering her face unrecognizable. While unconfirmed, this theory adds a layer of intrigue to the case. The woman was later identified as Cheryl Bowman, though details about her identification remain scarce.
This sketch is undeniably striking. The hand covering the face and the enigmatic, Cheshire-like smile evoke an eerie “I know something you don’t” aura, reminiscent of a macabre game of peek-a-boo. Credit to the artist—not only did the sketch aid in identifying the victim, but it has also fueled ongoing interest among online sleuths determined to uncover the truth behind Cheryl Bowman’s fate.
3. The Ina Jane Doe
In 1993, two girls from Illinois stumbled upon a severed head in the bushes of Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park near Ina, Illinois. Authorities concluded the victim had died within the previous two weeks but found no matches in local missing persons reports. This led to the creation of what many consider the most chilling police sketch ever produced.
What makes this sketch so unsettling? As previously noted, forensic artists often exaggerate specific features to trigger recognition. In this case, the Ina Jane Doe suffered from Wryneck Syndrome, a condition causing the neck to twist and the head to tilt unnaturally. The artist emphasized this, along with her facial asymmetry, resulting in a haunting, almost ghostly depiction.
Despite the artist’s efforts, the sketch failed to generate leads, and the case went cold. Nearly three decades later, in 2022, the case was reopened, and DNA analysis identified the Ina Jane Doe as Susan Hope Lund. It’s unclear why this case was revisited, but the infamous sketch may have played a role in reigniting interest.
Susan bore little resemblance to the sketch; her Wryneck Syndrome and facial asymmetry were far less pronounced. While her identification brought closure to her family—who had been told she abandoned them—the mystery of her murder remains unsolved. The sketch, now an internet sensation, continues to haunt viewers, serving as a reminder of Susan Hope Lund’s story and the hope that her killer may one day be found.
2. Selene Delgado Lopez
As demonstrated, police sketches possess a unique ability to etch themselves into memory. When combined with the viral nature of the internet, these sketches can embed themselves into the collective consciousness of an entire population. This phenomenon is exemplified by the case of Selene Delgado Lopez, whose image transcended its original purpose and became a cultural icon.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Mexico’s Channel 5 (Canal 5) aired brief segments titled “Servicio de la comunidad” between regular programs. These segments displayed photos of missing individuals while a narrator provided details about their disappearance. Selene Delgado Lopez frequently appeared in these segments, her grainy photo becoming a recurring feature. Over time, the lack of updates about her case and the haunting familiarity of her image turned her into an urban legend, sparking numerous theories about her identity and fate.
The scarcity of information about Selene led to speculation that she might not be a real person but an AI-generated image. A YouTube video comparing her facial features to various photos and sketches worldwide gained traction, highlighting a striking resemblance between Selene’s photo and a police sketch of Derrick Todd Lee, the Baton Rouge serial killer. This comparison fueled further intrigue and debate.
Derrick Todd Lee terrorized Baton Rouge in the 1990s and early 2000s, with his capture partly attributed to the infamous sketch. Even after his arrest, the sketch’s chilling impact persists online. The expressionless face and wide, wild eyes evoke the image of a cold, calculating killer. While the resemblance between Selene’s photo and the sketch is uncanny, it likely remains a coincidental similarity.
1. Glenn Edwin Rundles
Here’s another example of a hilariously simplistic sketch that transforms the suspect into a cartoonish figure. This sketch was released in connection with a knife-point robbery. It’s worth noting that such sketches are approved by the victim before publication. In this case, two witnesses reviewed the sketch and agreed, “Yes, that’s the guy.”
An officer recognized the sketch as resembling Glenn Edwin Rundles, who was later identified by the victims. Once again, the sketch artist had the final laugh. Rundles himself saw the sketch in the newspaper and found it so accurate that he tried to alter a tattoo on his neck to avoid detection. Perhaps next time, he should consider a fake mustache and glasses instead.
