NCJ Number
159175
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 40 Issue: 6 Dated: (November 1995) Pages: 964-968
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the development of toolmark examinations in the literature from the turn of the century to the present.
Abstract
The literature reviewed is divided into that produced at the turn of the century, from 1910 to 1940, from 1940 to 1960, and from 1960 to the present. In toolmark examinations, the tool used in the commission of a crime is identified and used to link the suspect to the scene of the crime. The identification of the tool is based on the scratches, depressions, and other marks that the tool leaves on the object with which it comes into contact. The combination of these various marks has been termed toolmarks, and the claim is that every instrument can impart a distinctive mark. The literature suggests that the early 1990's shows much promise for the advancement of objective toolmark comparisons. According to the Association of Firearms and Toolmarks Examiners' Criteria for Identification Committee, the interpretation of toolmark individualization and identification is still considered to be subjective, based on one's training and experience. Commercial comparison systems have already been reported, although they have not yet gained widespread use. Continued promising studies reported by Uchiyama, advances in the science of surface topography measurement, and the law enforcement community's needs seem to show that by the end of this decade, the puzzling problem of objective toolmark striation comparisons will be solved. The challenge is not only to develop a solution but to do it in a way that will enable most of the forensic laboratories to acquire and operate such systems. 54 references