Genetic cues - and Photoshop - help FBI artist 'age' murder suspect Robert Fisher
For the rest of us, the marks of aging may creep upon us through sun damage, a smoking habit or a loss of elasticity in the face and neck.
Robert Fisher has Photoshop to blame.
Last week, officials released age-progressed images of what the Scottsdale fugitive may look like today, 15 years after his last confirmed sighting. Fisher remains the lone suspect in the April 10, 2001, slayings of his wife, son and daughter.
Fisher's 55th birthday is this week.
By and large, the eight photos released by Scottsdale police and the FBI depict a healthy middle-aged man.
This was by design, said Wesley Neville, an FBI visual-information specialist who created the time-warped images at a lab in Quantico, Va.
Fisher’s an outdoorsy guy, Neville reasoned. It’s not likely he’d let himself go.
“It’s obvious he tried to stay in shape,” Neville said in a Tuesday interview. “I think these traits will carry through life, especially if he’s on the run.”
Neville and his counterparts’ work blends the studies of forensic artwork with facial anatomy. Facial morphing software is used on occasion, but Neville prefers Photoshop.
The photo-editing software allows him to layer and stretch various features while still viewing the underlying image, Neville said. The warp tool lets him move the face around without changing the facial triangle — the way the eyes relate to the nose and mouth.
Neville’s artwork is a product of informed guesses, based on both genetic and acquired characteristics. His frames of reference included photos of Fisher’s family and lifestyle cues provided by the case agent. \
PREVIOUSLY: New images, few leads in 2001 Robert Fisher case
Earlier photos of Fisher feature a prominent jawline that may result in a jowly appearance when the skin starts to sag later in life, Neville explained.
“We had his father’s picture, and he also had jowls,” he said. “He (Fisher) would be very beefy back there because of the structure of the bone underneath.”
Fisher’s mom, dad and sister had all grayed by the time they turned 50, Neville said. And if you look closely at his older photos, it's apparent Fisher would be able to grow a full beard.
Chewing-tobacco habit
Neville said he also considered lifestyle choices that could take a toll on one’s appearance. For one, Fisher had a habit of chewing tobacco.
“If you look a little closer, with the parting of his mouth, I kind of dirtied up his teeth a little bit,” Neville said. “It’s the little things that matter — they might not recognize the whole end, but it’s going to be enough … that it’s gonna trigger somebody’s memory.”
Early on April 10, 2001, the charred remains of Fisher's wife, Mary, and his children, Brittney and Bobby, were found inside their burned home. Their throats had been slit, and Mary also had been shot in the head. Notably absent was husband and father.
Fisher quickly was named the lone suspect.
His wife's SUV was discovered 10 days later in the mountains near Payson, along with the family dog and Fisher's Oakland Raiders hat.
Fisher is wanted on three counts of first-degree murder, arson of an occupied structure and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
The FBI has received about two dozen tips after Friday's release of the new images, said Jill McCabe, FBI Phoenix spokeswoman. The majority came from Arizona, and a few others emerged from other states and even outside the U.S..
Neville works on about two age-enhanced renderings a month and boasts a few notable success stories. His work included the depiction of a serial killer caught in Montenegro, a small Balkan country, and a rendering of a fugitive apprehended in Tijuana, Mexico.
The artist said he’s been fairly pleased when comparing his work with the actual look of the captured suspects.
“Of course you’re not going to get an exact likeness, because there’s so many things in life that can change your face,” he said. “But if you’re in the right ballpark … people will recognize them through the work.”
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