NASA Technology Used to Enhance Abduction Images
Posted on: Thursday, 5 February 2004, 06:00 CST
By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press -- NASA-enhanced images of a girl being abducted by a tattooed man at a Florida car wash were made public Thursday in an effort to jar the memories of anyone who may have seen the 11-year-old and her abductor.
Elements of the pictures of Carlie Brucia and her kidnapper were sharpened and enlarged by special equipment used at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
The Kennedy equipment was developed to help space shuttles safely return to flight, offering the ability to zoom in to inspect for possible damage. The Marshall photo sharpening equipment was developed several years ago for research.
Investigators in Sarasota first turned to NASA on Wednesday for help in getting a clearer look at the suspect, who was filmed by a surveillance camera as he led the girl away.
An unemployed mechanic with a criminal record was arrested Tuesday based on a tip before the NASA photos were made public. But one of the inventors of the technology said the enhanced pictures did help convince investigators they had the right suspect.
On Thursday, law enforcement apparently decided the improved images might help the public remember if they had seen the girl, who is still missing. The suspect, Joseph P. Smith, is not cooperating, investigators say, and he has not been charged in her disappearance. Smith is being held on a probation violation.
"This is a very powerful piece of evidence in this case," said Special Agent Carl Whitehead of the FBI.
David Hathaway, a NASA physicist at Marshall, said NASA's assistance might have helped strengthen investigators' confidence that they had the right man.
"It certainly came into play in convincing themselves ... that 'Yeah, we've got him,'" said Hathaway, who was the co-inventor, of the Video Image Stabilization and Registration System used to clarify the images.
With Smith in custody, investigators can compare articles of clothing and his face with the images that were enhanced and cleaned up by NASA workers, Hathaway said.
"I'm pretty sure they think they have the right guy," Hathaway said.
Hathaway refused to say whether investigators asked him to sharpen the suspect's tattoos or the name on his shirt during the five hours he studied the images.
"They gave me a list of things they wanted to look at," he said. "It would be easy to guess what they're interested in."
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