Forensics expert Eric Spokini walks through a wild decades-old case: a 1963 Seattle incident involving a visiting Buddhist priest, a later rise to high priest, and a diary used as an alibi—until document science, infrared ink tests, and even a Harvard statistician dismantled it in court. We unpack fountain-pen mechanics, how front/back page intersections reveal timing, and why the judges concluded the entry was added years later. If you’re into true crime, forensic document examination, or courtroom twists, this one’s for you. Like, comment, and subscribe to support more stories like this! 

Chapters

00:00 - Intro: Meet host Will and expert Eric Spokini

00:41 - Setup: 1963 US visit and Seattle stop

01:45 - Power shift: Excommunication and Soka Gakkai dispute

02:32 - New witness: Seattle host “Hero Klo” steps forward

03:26 - 3 a.m. call: Police custody after street altercation

05:20 - Follow-up probe: Newspaper finds the arresting officers

07:32 - Lawsuit: High priest sues for slander

08:46 - Alibi unveiled: The 1963 diary says “went to bed 1 p.m.”

10:06 - Key question: Was the entry contemporaneous or added later?

11:10 - In Tokyo: Exam setup and fountain-pen basics

12:54 - Infrared testing: Comparing inks across days

14:12 - Front vs. back: How line intersections reveal sequence

17:59 - Findings: The entry added after backside writing

19:12 - Appeals: More experts and statistical review

20:40 - Chernoff’s analysis: Probability the entry was added later

23:35 - Credibility hit: “Carousel Room” notes and court takeaways

25:37 - Outro: Forensics sorts fact from fiction

Links

SunlitStudios.com

Hashtags

#ForensicDocumentExamination #HandwritingAnalysis #TrueCrime #LegalForensics #JapanHistory #BuddhismHistory #CourtroomScience #FountainPens #InfraredAnalysis #Statistics #HermanChernoff #DiaryAnalysis #SokaGakkai #SeattleHistory