NCJ Number
47278
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 23 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1978), 361-367
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO THE DIFFERENTIATION OF CONTACT, IMMEDIATE, OR DISTANT RANGE GUNSHOT WOUNDS WHICH USES BOTH VISUAL AND ANALYTIC PROCEDURES IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
DIFFERENTIATION OF RANGE OF GUNSHOT WOUNDS CAN BE DIFFICULT IN THOSE CASES WHERE THE BODY IS DECOMPOSED, THE DECEASED HAS SURVIVED DAYS OR WEEKS AFTER THE INITIAL WOUND, MULTIPLE LAYERS OF CLOTHING HAVE FILTERED OUT SOOT AND POWDER, OR WHERE THE EDGES OF THE WOUNDS HAVE DRIED IN CONTACT WOUNDS WITH SMALLER CALIBER WEAPONS. INITIALLY THE WOUND OF ENTRANCE AND ASSOCIATED WOUND TRACK IN SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE ARE EXCISED AND EXAMINED UNDER A DISSECTING MICROSCOPE FOR THE PRESENCE OF POWDER PARTICLES AND POWDER SOOT. GRAINS WHICH APPEAR SUSPICIOUS AND ARE NOT READILY IDENTIFIED MAY BE TESTED WITH A HOT WIRE OR PLACED IN A SPOT PLATE WITH DIPHENYLAMINE SOLUTION. A FURTHER ANALYSIS IS PERFORMED USING ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY TECHNIQUES TO IDENTIFY METALLIC COMPOUNDS FROM THE PRIMER (ANTIMONY, BARIUM, LEAD), FROM THE CARTRIDGE CASE (COPPER, ZINC, NICKEL), OR FROM THE BULLET (LEAD, ANTIMONY, COPPER). THE WOUND TRACK IS THEN SWABBED AND THE SWAB IS ANALYZED BY FLAMELESS ATOMIC ABSORPTION TECHNIQUES (FAAS) FOR TRACE METALS. ANALYSIS OF WIPINGS FROM THE HANDS OF THE DECEASED FOR METALS CHARACTERISTIC OF GUNSHOT RESIDUES IS ROUTINELY PERFORMED FOR ALL DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH FIREARMS. ANALYSES DATA ARE PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM FOR 18 CONTACT WOUND CASES, 5 INTERMEDIATE RANGE WOUND CASES, AND 9 DISTANT RANGE WOUNDS. ADDITIONAL DATA FOR TISSUE EXAMINATION AND HAND WIPINGS ARE ALSO PRESENTED FOR THESE CASES. IN ALL CASES, VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE CLOTHING AND TISSUE IS ALSO UNDERTAKEN. WHILE EXCISION OF TISSUE IS NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY, ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY ANALYSIS IS USEFUL FOR CORROBORATION OF CLOSE RANGE WOUNDS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)