Real Name: Lois Gibson
Occupation: Police Sketch Artist
Place Of Birth: Unrevealed
Date Of Birth: 1950
Location: Houston, Texas
History[]
Background: Lois Gibson has been a police sketch artist in Texas for over twenty years. She is able to relate to victims because she was once one herself while trying to become an actress in Los Angeles. One night in 1971, she opened the door to a man pretending to be a neighbor. He entered her house and started choking her before sexually assaulting and almost strangling her to death. She was too filled with shame to report the attack to the police.
Six weeks later, an amazing coincidence occurred when Lois was driving and went down the wrong street. She saw a man being arrested on a balcony and realized that he was her attacker. She got to see justice and began being interested in law enforcement. She later moved to San Antonio, got married, and had a family. However, for years, she kept her dramatic incidents to herself.
Lois started drawing and making accurate sketches of her family and friends. Then, one day in 1980, she was visiting a friend when a story came up on the news about a dance instructor who had been raped in front of her young students. She then realized that she could help draw the attacker in hopes of arresting him. She also believed that working with the police would help her heal.
However, Lois had to prove to herself and law enforcement that she could draw a person based only on an eyewitness account. So, a friend of hers went to a gas station, looked at an attendant, went back, and gave the description to her. She then drew a sketch that matched almost identically to the attendant. The Houston Police Department decided to give her a try, and the result were astounding. Her sketches have helped catch suspects in over 30% of the cases she worked on, over 1000 criminals arrested. She still helps with the police on criminal sketches to this day.
Case Files:
- Denise Barnett
- Edward Bell
- Jason and Phillip Bomer
- Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre
- The Siblings of Tina Shiets
Notes:
- This case first episode on the September 11, 2001 episode.
- Lois also appeared in episodes of Forensic Files and City Confidential. The former featured her involvement in the Clear Lake Murders. The latter featured her involvement in the Rice Village shooter.
Links:
- Lois Gibson Official Website
- Lois Gibson on Wikipedia
- Lois Gibson on Unsolved Archive
- Forensic Artist Seeks Justice For Others After Surviving Rape - November 7, 2012
- 10 Sketches by Forensic Artist Lois Gibson - July 13, 2015