LUBBOCK, Texas — It’s a technique LPD said they use only three or four times a year. However, when they do, it can be an effective tool in identifying a suspect.
Mallory Prucha, a professor at Texas Tech, said she works with both police and victims to create a composite sketch.
“Usually I want to pay attention to what the story is,” Prucha said. “So that I’m telling that story with the drawing as well.”
Prucha said it can be difficult for victims to remember details since they might not be with the suspect for that long, so sometimes learning about the event itself is just as helpful.
“Sometimes it’s about that one aspect that you’ve rendered correctly that makes someone say, ‘oh, I know that guy,'” Prucha said.
LPD Detective David Schreiber, said the department uses a sketch artist when there are no pictures, videos or other evidence to go on.
“We’re hoping to put it out to the public, where somebody could look at the sketch and go, ‘oh, where was so and so doing that night,’ or ‘oh, that looks like so and so,'” Schreiber said.
