Roy Moore Signature a Forgery, According to Author and Editor Thomas Wictor
When Beverly Young Nelson came out this week with the assistance of liberal Attorney Gloria Allred, opponents of Roy Moore hoped for the kill shot. Nelson became the second woman to accuse the senate hopeful of sexual assault, which is alleged to have taken place in a restaurant parking lot 40 years ago.
Nelson even alleged that Roy Moore signed her high school yearbook, as prima facia evidence of her relationship with Moore. But was that a legitimate Roy Moore signature in her yearbook, or a forgery? Some experts believe the latter. We examine.
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The basis of this analysis centers around the work of editor and author Thomas Wicker. He has scrutinized the much-talked-about Roy Moore signature on Nelson’s yearbook. According to Nelson, Moore signed her yearbook in December 1977, with the inscription: “To a sweeter and more beautiful girl, I could not say, ‘Merry Christmas’ – Roy Moore, D.A.
Well, unretouched CNN photo DEFINITELY shows that "Moore D.A. 12-22-77 Olde Hickory House" was written in different-colored ink than the rest of the inscription.
It appears that this jalopy of an accusation has completely fallen apart. pic.twitter.com/IiA0QP0l2R
— Thomas Wictor (@ThomasWictor) November 14, 2017
A main problem with the signature, according to Wictor, is that “Olde Hickory House” was written in different-colored ink than the rest of the inscription. So, either the ink dried out and Moore used another pen, or the signature was produced at another time altogether, as Wictor infers.
If it was the latter, it seems likely that noticeable indents or short scribbles should be visible, as Moore would have presumably pressed down on the pen in an attempt to get it working again. None of those marks are visible.
A second problem with the Roy Moore signature: characters from his known signature differ from the yearbook inscription produced by Nelson.
Wictor believes that a number of inconsistencies exist. For starters, he believes that the ‘R’ and ‘y’ in ‘Roy’ are noticeably different. Furthermore, Wictor tweeted, “…’12-22-77′ and ‘Olde Hickory House’ were written by a different person. Look at the two versions of the number ‘7.’”
(40) ADDENDUM: Unless Moore's handwriting has changed, the yearbook signature is a forgery.
Look at the "R" and "y" in "Roy."
Also, "12-22-77" and "Olde Hickory House" were written by a different person.
Look at the two versions of the number "7." pic.twitter.com/dn4z1dMiUe
— Thomas Wictor (@ThomasWictor) November 14, 2017
While this evidence is worth a second look, I stop short of calling this “evidence.” The variations look enough like the original that it seems possible that it emanated from the same individual. Furthermore, I am not a handwriting expert, and, to the best of my knowledge, neither is Wictor.
I’ll leave it to our readership to determine the amount of weight that Wictor’s analysis should carry.
Is the More Compelling Evidence Hidden in the Details?
Outside of the circumstantial and hard-to-prove handwriting analysis brought forth by Wictor, there are important anecdotes substantiating his claims.
The first one is embedded in the actual signature itself. Nelson produced an inscription signed “Roy Moore, D.A.” The problem is, Roy Moore wasn’t a District Attorney at the alleged time. Moore was actually the Deputy District Attorney in Etowah County, Alabama from 1977–1982, so his signature was written in error. The “D.A.” portion should have been written “D.D.A.,” unless we’re to believe that Moore miswrote his own credentials. (Source: “About Judge Roy Moore,” Judge Roy Moore U.S. Senate, last accessed November 14, 2017)
Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Judge Roy Moore speaks during a campaign event at the Walker Springs Road Baptist Church (Credits: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
I believe that it’s safe to assume that, under most circumstances, professionals do not misspell their working designations. Such oversight would be unusual, in my opinion. This is red flag number one, and a significant one at that.
Another problem resides in statement by the accuser. In it, she purports to have worked at the “Olde Hickory House” as a waitress after school. However, as far as I can tell, the restaurant’s name was “Old Hickory House” (without the “e” after “Old”). A minor oversight, perhaps, but misspelling the name of a key place in one’s life strikes me as odd.
https://twitter.com/alimhaider/status/930285836230381569
The accuser also states that her yearbook was issued in December, but her high school’s web site currently states that the school actually issues the yearbooks in August.
When will I receive my yearbook?
We create a comprehensive yearbook. It covers the first day of school until Graduation. Our staff continues to work on the yearbook once the school year had ended. Our books are published in the summer and generally delivered to SHS in August. They will be available for pick up the first week of school. Please call a day ahead to let us know when you will pick up your book and we will have it available in the office for you. It’s a good idea to bring your receipt with you.
(Source: “Yearbook Commonly Asked Questions,” Southside High School, last accessed November 14, 2017)
Please note, I’m unable to confirm whether the above policy existed in 1977. Given this fact, I consider this anecdote circumstantial evidence, although it certainly does not support Nelson’s claim.
My Verdict
Considering the evidence from Thomas Wictor and Beverly Young Nelson’s own statement, I file this into the Maybe category, with a healthy level of skepticism. Ultimately, it is impossible to substantiate or deny Nelson’s story either way. Some notable inconsistencies are evident, but perhaps that’s not unusual for a claim that’s nearly 40 years old.
