NCJ Number
182153
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2000 Pages: 324-332
Date Published
March 2000
Length
9 pages
Annotation
To optimize the collection of evidence following the detonation of a large improvised explosive device (IED) and to aid in its interpretation, a number of controlled detonations of large IEDs were performed in New Mexico, beginning in November 1994; the physical and chemical signatures produced on witness materials placed around the charges were studied.
Abstract
The trials were occasioned by recent criminal acts in the United Kingdom, United States, and other countries, which have shown the dangers to public safety from the criminal use of improvised explosives on a large scale. Four sets of trials were conducted over 4 years, partly in collaboration with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, involving the firing of large bombs, mostly fertilizer based. The principal objectives of the firings were to measure the physical effects of the explosions upon objects representative of those that would be found at a real bomb scene and to recover any chemical traces deposited on these objects. The results are intended for use as an aid in determining the approximate size and type of an explosive used in a terrorist attack. This paper, the first of a two-part article, describes the background of the trials, the procedures for preparation of witness materials and charges, and the collection and analysis of physical and chemical evidence. 12 tables and 6 figures