Woman who survived murder attempt becomes a forensic artist, helps catch 1,300 criminals
Lois Gibson is the world¡¯s most successful forensic artist! No, this is not an exaggeration made by her, but it is how the Guinness Book of World Records describes the 74-year-old. That is because as a forensic artist, Gibson's sketches have helped the Houston Police to identify 1,313 criminals.
From fine arts to sketches of criminals?
What makes Gibson's story even more impressive is how she became a forensic artist. Gibson used to dance on TV and worked as a model before attending university to earn a degree in fine arts. But her life changed forever when she was 21 years old.
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In 1971, she was attacked by a stranger inside her Los Angeles apartment, who attempted to strangle her to death and sexually abuse her. Gibson barely survived the brutal assault but did not report the incident to the police. She later moved to Houston, Texas, where she started working as a portrait artist. After realizing that her sketching skills could help the cops identify criminals, Gibson convinced the Houston Police to hire her as a forensic artist.
First case solved
Thus, in 1982, Gibson became a forensic artist with the Houston Police. She was convinced that her sketches could stop a murderer from committing another crime, but her first attempt at solving a case took an emotional toll on her, but it led to the arrest of the culprit.
¡°And I had planned to not ever do it again because doing that sketch was so horrific emotionally, but once I realized that I caught the guy, I knew I was hooked. You get addicted to catching criminals once you realize you can catch them with just a little bitty sketch that took less than an hour," Gibson told GWR.
Guinness world record
The journey that followed was nothing short of legendary, and until February 2024, her sketches have led to the identification of 1,313 criminals. In 2017, she also set the Guinness World Record for most identifications by a forensic artist.
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Why she is better than AI
According to Gibson, one in three of her sketches has led to the positive identification of a criminal. Gibson, who retired in 2021, believes that even AI can't generate forensic sketches accurately, as she relies on human interpretation and uses various techniques to put the victims at ease and help them recollect the perpetrators better.
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