NCJ Number
229277
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 54 Issue: 6 Dated: November 2009 Pages: 1349-1352
Date Published
November 2009
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This report describes trajectory reconstruction through analysis of trace evidence in bullet-intermediate target interaction by the use of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX).
Abstract
This method was used in the course of investigating a case in which a young male was shot to death by a police officer with a Chinese type 64 7.62 mm pistol when he was dealing with an aggravated assault arising from a traffic accident. By using SEM/EDX, trace deposits on the discharged bullet and the intermediate target (a concrete telegraph pole at the scene) were identified to be from each other. This finding demonstrated that the bullet that caused the death ricocheted from the concrete telegraph pole before striking the victim, thus indicating that the shooting was accidental. This case report shows the evidential value of trace materials derived, respectively, from discharged bullets and intermediate targets in bullet-intermediate target interaction for trajectory reconstruction. Further, the case indicates that the SEM/EDX method, which is nondestructive compared to other methods, may be more helpful in certain situations in determining the origins of trace evidence deposits on substrates. Although an absolute match between two objects is difficult or even impossible in many actual situations, the combined analysis of several findings can be linked to specific things with a high probability. In the current case, the analysis strongly indicated the particles' origins, thus yielding crucial evidence for trajectory reconstruction. 4 figures and 16 references