For a book I'm writing - would a note left by a murderer automatically be examined by an ESTA machine?

Question

I've written a murder mystery with a homicide detective as the main character. At this point I have used some creative license. The note the murderer left gets examined by an ESTA machine, bringing about interesting results, close to the end of the book. I didn't want the results coming in too soon. I act like ESTA machines are not all that common - therefore it takes them a while to get access to one. However I don't really know if that is realistic or not.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the SOP of dealing with notes in a murder or kidnapping investigation? In particular how automatic the using of an ESTA machine would be?

Thanks!

I'm talking about a high-tech piece of equipment that can detect latent handwriting impressions. If a note was left at a crime scene and it was written on the second page of a notepad, this machine might be able to detect the impressions of what was written on the first sheet.

My bad - I got the acronym wrong. It's ESDA - electrostatic detection apparatus

Answer 1

Could the machine be down for repairs and the missing part is only available in a couple of weeks? Or the material in the letter isn't readable by certain machines, just the one that is broken? Hope it helps.

You should think about making a game version of it for http://www.MyDarkSecret.com ... they have tools for converting your scripts ... it sounds really cool.

Answer 2

It would be if the machine were readily availible. You could try to add some filler before the main character gets a call about the results. You could surely make up some reason why the machine isn't right there to use. Good luck.

Answer 3

What is an ESTA machine? I found 23 meaning as an acronym, but none appear to relate to the topic at hand.

Answer 4

Its easier to shade the paper with a lead pencil, the impressions will show up. Try it out.