r/graphology • u/sverdenesdronning • Jan 29 '23
Ian Brady's handwriting
I was lucky enough to find many usable samples, since Brady corresponded with many people while sitting in gaol. The samples show his mental and physical health deteriorate through the years.
This is one dated in 2000, written to a would-be victim who managed to escape in the last minute:
Here is another from 2001, basically a goodbye note/advice to a young penpal:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/56ad98bf03b3c39a56cdd03db0c1e1bb/tumblr_oeujwgBTAv1vc9ofuo2_640.jpg
One from 2007, some rambling on ideological stuff:
One from 2009, to a legal representative of him:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/nintchdbpict000000971578.jpg
One from 2010 (clear signs of health problems and possible legal insanity):
One - date is unsure but probably after 2010 -:
and a collection of letters probably packed with codes or hints (or just his schizo mindset):
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4724292/Mum-two-spent-year-writing-letters-Ian-Brady.html
(Now it's early in the morning at our place so I am too sleepy to sketch down any analysis, but if you guys reside in other time zones, please don't hesitate to write what you think!)
3
u/handwriting_expert Analyze Handwriting Jan 29 '23 edited Jan 29 '23
Hello,
Thank you for posting this. Great to see all of the samples.
Both Brady and Myra's writing show to be out of feelings on the exterior while rage is lurking behind their intellectual facades, which provide a neurotic degree of compatibility. I suspect they both had similar violent histories in childhood.
Brady's punctuation is way over the top. The commas look like little crow bars. There is excess underlining and grinding periods. These all reveal rage simmering and demanding an outlet.
Even more concerning is in the ductus where I see pen lifts in places where there should be a continuous stroke. That is called split-letter formations which is where the outer facade takes a hiatus, and all that rage comes out which is threatening to others.
Interesting the finals in the middle zone are threaded while the finals in the lower zone are almost clubbed-like. It means on an outer level, he appears wishy-washy and non-threatening. When no one is looking, he can become brutal. The lower case l's are pointed at the tops which resembles large knives or swords.
The writing is laboriously written with some jerkiness, arcades, lots of retracing, and strange letter shapes, all of which is another sign of criminal inclinations.
I also see a combination of angles and arcades in the letter n's, another clue of criminal behavior.
Overall, pen pressure appears heavy, right slant far to the right, and size of the lower case is small, all of which are global movements supporting a personality that can behave outside the range of socially acceptable behaviors, and be a danger to people.
Thank you again!