Forensic Linguistics: A Means of Solving Crime

Abstract

Forensic linguistics has become an important part of solving crime with the passage of time and the purpose of this research paper was to identify the role that it plays and to analyze verbal and non-verbal signs in American crime fiction. For the analysis the researchers have used the Information Manipulation Theory for analyzing verbal text and Kinesics Theory for studying non-verbal clues. The researchers wanted to see how when the verbal and non-verbal analysis is taken side by side, it increases the authenticity of the results. For this we took two cases from the American TV series How to Get Away with Murder and American Crime Story. After the analysis the researchers found out that the forensic linguistics is very helpful in detecting the authenticity of statement and non-verbal and verbal signs taken together generate more accurate results.

Keywords: forensic linguistics, verbal and non verbal signs, crime, legal text