2006 Recognition by forensic facial approximation

Facial approximations constructed from the skull of the remains found at Lower Light. (a) Different versions of the same facial approximation constructed by interstate forensic scientists using computer methods, as advertised in ‘‘The Advertiser’’ newspaper on 19 April 1998. (b) Facial approximations produced by different individuals using two-dimensional drawing methods, some of which were advertised on television during 1996 (Channel 7, ‘‘Crime Stoppers’’).

The facial approximation constructed by the first author (CNS) with hair (a) and without hair (b), and the target individual to whom the skeletal remains belonged (c). The image of the target individual is adapted from the ‘‘Sunday Mail’’ newspaper, 6 June 1999.

The face pool constructed from Australian newspaper images of young males, as used to test the accuracy of the facial approximation constructed by the first author (CNS). Faces are illustrated in orders corresponding with Figs. 5 and 6—top row, from left to right, indicates face numbers 1 through to 5; bottom row, from left to right indicates face numbers 6–10.

Frequencies and box plots of resemblance rating responses (scores out of 10) for the facial approximation constructed by the first author (CNS). In the box plots, the rectangle indicates the inter quartile range (25–75th quantiles), with the middle line representing the median. The diamond, at its highest point, indicates the arithmetic mean; the left and right tips of the diamond represent 2 standard errors or the 95% confidence interval. The ‘‘whiskers’’ or lines coming off the rectangle represent: the upper quartile + (1.5 Â interquartile range); and the lower quartile À (1.5 Â interquartile range). The bracket at the edge of the interquartile box represents the ‘‘shortest half’’ or the most dense 50% of the observations. Kurtosis values have been rescaled relative to 0, not 3.

Recognition responses to face arrays when the assessors ( n = 15) had no knowledge of the facial approximation. Dashed line indicates the recognition rate expected by chance for each of the faces in the face array (10%). ‘‘NI’’ indicates instances of ‘‘no identification’’. The target individual or face number 4, is indicated by the black arrow.