A Complete Graphology Guide to Serial Killer Handwriting

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Analyze the handwriting of the world’s most famous serial killers

Co-authored by Sydney Bermudez and Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 Fact Checked

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• What is serial killer handwriting?
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• Common Characteristics
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• Analyzing Famous Serial Killers' Handwriting
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• Graphology Basics
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• Video
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• Tips
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• Warnings

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Ever wondered if someone’s handwriting could indicate whether or not they are a serial killer? Or, better yet, ever wondered if your handwriting has serial killer vibes? We’ll give you the answers to both of these questions in this ultimate guide to serial killer handwriting characteristics, the handwriting of famous serial killers, and more.

Note: Some of the research in this article has been based on evidence left by known serial killers, while other studies have been done on non-violent individuals with diagnosed psychopathy or antisocial personality disorder. Please keep in mind that having a certain personality disorder or handwriting style does not definitively mean that someone is or is more likely to be a serial killer.

What does serial killer handwriting look like?

Serial killer handwriting may look messy, illegible, sharp, angled, cramped, inconsistent in size and spacing, or full of irregular letter formations. However, while these characteristics may be associated with known serial killers or people with psychological disorders, they do not prove that someone is dangerous.

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Section 1 of 4:

What does it mean to have serial killer handwriting?

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1. 
   Having “serial killer handwriting” likely means writing in an erratic or inconsistent way. The idea of “serial killer handwriting” in pop culture suggests that specific handwriting characteristics are associated with people who are psychopathic or who commit serial murders. Some of the most common characteristics associated with serial killers include too-wide or too-narrow spacing between letters and words, abnormal letter formations, and inflated loops in lowercase letters (e.g., “g,” “j,” and “y”).

   • Another very common characteristic in serial killer handwriting is sharp angles or jagged lines, which may be associated with aggressive or violent tendencies.
   • Serial killers may also have more illegible or indecipherable handwriting.
   • All that being said, it is crucial to note that there’s no scientific evidence connecting certain handwriting elements to serial killers.
   • Wondering if you have serial killer handwriting? Take our Serial Killer Handwriting Quiz to find out! Or, take our Handwriting Analysis Quiz to learn what your handwriting says about your personality in general.
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Section 2 of 4:

Common Serial Killer Handwriting Characteristics

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   Unusual word spacing According to some sources, reported serial killers often space their written words out in an abnormal way. On one hand, a serial killer may be more likely to leave extremely wide spaces between their words. On the other hand, a serial killer may be more likely to write in a “cramped” style, with the spaces between each word being identical to the size of the spaces between each letter.

   • In graphology—a field that’s not backed by scientific evidence and that is still classified as a pseudoscience—the spaces between words indicate how the writer approaches relationships.
   • Wide spaces may reveal a difficulty connecting with others, while narrow spaces may reveal a fear of abandonment—both of which could spur on psychopathic tendencies in the right environment.
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   Left or upright slant In graphology, a left slant (or a backhand slant) means that the letters lean backwards (or to the left). The writing as a whole may also trail upwards to the right, since the letters themselves are slanting backwards. Allegedly, this type of slant has been found in the writings of several serial killers.

   • According to graphologists, a leftward slant in writing could indicate a desire to hide one’s emotions. A serial killer, who may be trying to hide their crimes or keep their violent impulses in check, might be hoping to hide the emotions in their writing.
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   Tense strokes Multiple serial killers have been reported as having “tense” handwriting, meaning that their writing is very straight, clear, and calculated—they’re likely writing very slowly and putting heavy pressure on their writing instrument. For instance, William Heirens (“The Lipstick Killer”), David Berkowitz (“Son of Sam”), and William Suff (“The Lake Elsinore Killer”) were all shown to write with a tense and so-called “vigilant” script.

   • In graphology, writing with a heavy amount of pressure or tension may indicate a personality with high emotional energy, intensity, sensuality, and vigor.
   • While these personality traits certainly aren’t exclusive to serial killers, many murderers do express hyper-sexual behaviors or an extreme emotional intensity.
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   Excessive or absent punctuation Serial killers are thought to use punctuation in erratic and unusual ways. They might use many more punctuation marks (e.g., periods, commas, exclamation points) than would normally be necessary. Alternatively, they might use no punctuation marks—or at least very few. Ultimately, serial killers seem to be more likely to use punctuation marks (or not use punctuation marks) in ways that are unusual, nonsensical, and far from grammatically correct.

   • For example, writing samples from Roy Norris, one of the two Tool Box Killers, show an excessive amount of periods, brackets, exclamation points, and parentheses.
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   Narrow, twisted, printed, or broken letters One of the most commonly known identifiers of serial killer handwriting is a narrow, cramped writing style. And for good reason, as several known serial killers have displayed extremely narrow letters as a characteristic of their handwriting, including Albert De Salvo (“Boston Strangler”), Roy Norris (“Toll Box Killer”), Wayne Williams (“Atlanta Child Murders”), William Suff (“Lake Elsinore Killer”), and George Putt (“Memphis Serial Killer”). A serial killer’s letters may also appear broken, printed, or twisted.

   • “Broken” lettering means that none of the letters within a word are connected or joined, and that there is a space between each one.
   • “Broken” writing is similar to “printed” lettering, which has also been associated with serial killers. Printed letters are similar to broken ones, except they may be written more closely together, as if printed by a press or computer, while broken letters are often abnormally far apart from letters in the same word.
   • “Twisted” lettering appears distorted in a way that can make the writing illegible or messy. The letters might float above or below the baseline, be written with too many strokes, or be unevenly spaced.
   • According to graphology sources, broken, twisted, cramped, or otherwise illegible letters can mean that the writer is unwilling to let others know what’s going on in their head—a trait not uncommon amongst serial killers.
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   Made-up letters In some cases, serial killers have been known to “invent” or make up their own letters in written text. These letters may be completely new, or they may be similar to the letters that should’ve been written in their place. Paul John Knowles, the Casanova Killer, was known to write with invented letters, as was William Heirens, the Lipstick Killer.

   • One of the most famous examples of invented letters, however, was the Zodiac Killer, who sent the police a slew of cryptic, coded messages that were made up of invented letters (e.g., a backwards “F,” a mermaid’s tail-like shape, a circle with a cross over it, etc.).
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   Inconsistent letter height In general, many serial killers showcase large or extreme height differences between letters in their handwriting. While standard handwriting will have taller uppercase letters of a consistent height and shorter lowercase letters of a consistent height, a serial killer’s handwriting may not follow these rules. Instead, the height (and capitalization) of their letters will vary widely. In graphology, this inconsistency in letter height generally indicates poor self-esteem, insecurity, and internal suffering.

   • In particular, serial killer handwriting may feature an oversized capital “I” throughout the text.
   • You may also see an over-emphasis on the first letter in a given text. For example, if the first word of a note is “T,” then this first capital “T” will be much larger and more distinct than any other letter in the text.
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   Text covering the whole page Another key characteristic of serial killer handwriting is that it often covers the entire page that it’s written on. In other words, no space is left on the border of the page. In standard writing, the writer would leave a margin of about 1 in (2.54 cm) on all sides of their written work. A serial killer, however, is more likely to write from edge to edge of the page.
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   Corrections Scribbled-out words, crossed-through phrases, and other seeming “corrections” can be common occurrences in the writings of serial killers. More specifically, however, these corrections are more likely to be “artistic” in nature when done by a serial killer. They might be neatly scribbled out, or they might use a strikethrough to make a point—i.e., crossing out one phrase to replace it with another, but still allowing readers to see the original phrase for added emotional impact or insight.
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Section 3 of 4:

Prominent Serial Killers & Their Handwriting Traits

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   Ted Bundy The handwriting of Ted Bundy—one of America’s most infamous and prolific serial killers—is unique for having an emphasized lower zone, which is the area underneath the baseline. In other words, the tails and loops of lowercase letters like “g,” “j,” and “y” are particularly large and dramatic. According to graphology, these expansive loops may indicate a creative or fantastical imagination—which plays into Bundy’s manipulative tendencies and self-image as a charismatic and intelligent individual.

   • Bundy’s handwriting also showcases severe angles, narrow letters, and crowded spacing—all of which are characteristics common in serial killer handwriting.
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   John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy was a so-called “Killer Clown” who claimed more than 30 victims in the Chicago area during the 1970s. Gacy’s handwriting is known for its extreme pastocity—a graphology term for a large amount of excess ink flowing onto the page from the pen. According to some sources, pastocity may indicate that someone enjoys graphic violence or finding others in pain and distress (which isn’t a surprising allegation against Gacy).

   • Gacy also writes with loops in the lower zone that extend dramatically to the left.
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   Jeffrey Dahmer Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or Milwaukee Monster, wrote with a script that contains a number of characteristics commonly found in serial killer handwriting. For instance, he wrote printed letters with wide spaces between the letters and the words (in graphology, these wide spaces are thought to indicate challenges connecting with others, which isn’t surprising for Dahmer). He also wrote with a right-leaning slant and broken, deformed letters—like open “O”s and lowercase “A”s.
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   David Berkowitz David Berkowitz was best known as the Son of Sam, a name he received in the press before pleading guilty to eight shootings in New York City during the 1970s. Berkowitz’s handwriting is most notable for its covering strokes, meaning that he’d frequently re-draw or emphasize existing lines in his letters. He would also use a large amount of strange, invented letters and write in a slow, tense manner. His writing was quite dark, showing that he used a heavy hand when applying his writing utensil to the page.
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   The Zodiac Killer The Zodiac Killer’s handwriting—which may have been forced or altered in order to disguise their identity—contains many of the hallmarks of classic serial killer handwriting. For instance, the murderer (who still hasn’t been identified) wrote printed letters at a slightly left-leaning and upright slant with overly wide spaces between each word. The Zodiac Killer’s writing also showcases made-up letters in their truest form—the killer’s messages included coded, cryptic messages written with mysterious and invented symbols.
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Section 4 of 4:

Understanding the Basics of Graphology

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1. Graphology uses handwriting traits to determine someone’s personality. Also known as handwriting analysis, graphology is a pseudoscience that claims that subconscious parts of a person’s personality, character, and mental state can be revealed through their handwriting. Graphologists analyze specific aspects of handwriting, including letter size, slant, pressure, spacing, and letter shape. In the list below, you’ll find some of the most important handwriting characteristics studied in graphology, as well as the personality traits they allegedly indicate:

   • Letter Shape:
     • Open letters indicate a relaxed and open personality.
     • Straight letters indicate a more tense and uptight personality.
     • Rounded letters indicate a more artistic and creative personality.
     • Pointy letters indicate a rational and aggressive personality.
   • Letter Size:
     • Large letters indicate someone who likes to be the center of attention.
     • Small letters indicate someone who’s modest and unassuming with strong concentration.
   • Letter & Word Spacing:
     • Wide spacing between letters indicates someone who doesn’t like to be crowded and needs personal space.
     • Narrow spacing between letters indicates someone who likes to be around people and easily feels lonely.
     • Wide spacing between words indicates someone who’s very introverted.
     • Narrow spacing between words indicates someone who’s very extroverted.
   • Slant:
     • A left-angled slant indicates a defensive and fearful personality.
     • A right-angled slant indicates an expressive, intense, and impulsive personality.
     • Up-and-down writing (with no slant) indicates rationality and independence.
   • Pressure:
     • Heavy pressure indicates an intense and emotional personality.
     • Light pressure indicates a passive, sedentary, and confrontation-averse personality.
     • Moderate pressure indicates a balance between these personality traits.

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Warnings

• Keep in mind that having any of the above handwriting traits doesn’t mean that someone is definitely a serial killer or a dangerous individual. Handwriting analysis (or graphology) is technically a pseudoscience, meaning that it’s subjective and not officially based on the scientific method.
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