Criminal justice experts say there are many tattoos that could signify the wearers committed murders and other crimes. Here are some examples:

— TEARDROPS: Have several possible meanings, including the number of people the wearer killed or the number of stints in prison they served. A clear teardrop can mean the wearer wants revenge for the killing of a loved one.

Additional Images

The Associated Press This undated booking photo from the Kansas Department of Corrections shows Jeffrey Chapman, charged with first-degree murder in the November 2011 killing of Damon Galliart. After his attorney claimed it would be prejudicial, Chapman will be allowed to wear a turtleneck to cover a tattoo on his neck of the word “murder” spelled backward when his trial begins in August 2014.

The Associated Press This undated photo provided by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department shows convicted murderer Anthony Garcia, sentenced to 65 years in prison in 2011 after a homicide investigator discovered he had the scene of an unsolved 2004 murder inked on his chest.

— SPIDER WEBS, CLOCKS WITH NO HANDS: Can mean the wearer served time in prison.

— STARS: They can be innocent designs. On some prison gang members, however, they can represent the number of people the wearer killed. The number of points on a star can correspond with the number of years served in prison.

— THREE DOTS. Often inked near an eye or on a hand, it can refer to the “vida loca,” or crazy life, of a criminal.

— PENAL CODE NUMBERS: Some criminals get tattoos of the penal code numbers for the crimes they committed.

— CATS: Can refer to thieves, especially among Russian criminal groups.

— MASKS AND CLOWN FACES: These tattoos can represent a criminal’s “play now, pay later” lifestyle.

Related Stories