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FORENSIC BALLISTIC The most common types of crime scene evidence includes:

Brief History a. bullet holes


b. bullet damage on various mediums
 Henry Goddard c. bullet trajectories
- applied ballistic fingerprinting to link a d. gunshot wounds
bullet recovered from the victim to the
actual culprit Forensics Ballistics is divided into 3 sub-categories
- first case of forensic firearm
1. internal – study of physic-chemical phenomena
examination to be documented was in
within the firearm from the moment of detonation
1835.
of primer to the time the projectile leaves the barrel
 Regina v Richardson case (1860)
2. external – study of motion of a projectile after it
- showcases another example of the early
leaves the barrel of a firearm
application of firearm identification
3. terminal ballistics – study the effect of impact of a
- major evidence in this case was a
projectile on the target (resulting in wound ballistics)
newspaper wadding
 Calvin Goddard (1920s) Firearm-is a specialized device designed to propel a
- an early pioneer in the field of Ballistic projectile by the expansive force of the gases produced
- first used “ballistics” as a synonym for by an explosive function
firearms matching
- used the term “Forensic Ballistic”
 Oliver Wendell Holmes (1902)
- used a magnifying glass to examine a
test bullet that he fired into cotton wool
to compare its striations with those
found on the bullet recovered from the
victim during an autopsy.
 St. Valentine’s day Massacre (1929)
- first significant application of
microscope in forensic ballistic

FORENSIC BALLISTIC

- Science of dealing with the investigation


of firearms, ammunition and the
problem arising from their use

Importance of forensic ballistics:

a. It helps in determining whether the crime was


accidental, suicidal, negligent or intentional
b. It helps in determining the number of shootings
during the event and if more than one person is
involves
c. It helps in determining the sequence of occurrence of
the events
d. It helps in determining the distance between the
target and the shooter
e. It helps in determining the type of weapon used in FIRE ARM INJURY IN GENERAL ASPECTS
the commission of the crime
f. Study of bullet wounds

Related evidence includes:

a. firearms or guns
b. bullets
c. cartridge cases
A. Tattooing Protrusion of fat Absent Present
- Aka peppering/ stippling
- Small, discrete black specks which can’t
I. Entrance wound
be wiped off
A. Contact gunshot wounds
- Due to the grains of gunpowder driven
- most often implying intentional
to the skin
selfinflicted injury
B. Blackening/ Smudging
- always require accurate decsription,
- Carbonaceous deposition on skin which
and close attention to the size, shape
can be easily wiped off
and appearance of the base and
- Caused by deposition of smoke on skin
periphery of the wound
C. Lead ring/ Metal ring
- -stellate laceration
- Deposition of very small quantity of lead
B. Close-Range or Near-Contact Wounds
at site of entry of projectile
- can be defined as the maximum range
D. Grease collar/ Dirt Collar
at which soot is deposited on the
- Carried lubricant from the barrel of
wound or the clothing, usually with a
firearm on the projectile
muzzle-to-target distance of up to 30
Gunshot wounds can be classified as: centimeters in handguns.
- overlap between the appearance of
1. penetrating wound
close-range and loose-contact wounds,
- is used when a bullet enters the body or a structure,
making it difficult to differentiate the
but does not exit
two
2. perforating wound
C. Intermediate Range Wounds
- is used when a bullet passes completely through the
- hallmark of intermediate-range wounds
body or a structure.
is the phenomenon of so called powder
N.I. Pirogov tattooing
D. Distant-Range Wounds
- Russian surgeon who described the changes observes in the - the only marks left on the body are
areas of entrance and exit fire wounds produced by the mechanical action of
the bullet perforating the skin
a. absence of difference in size of entrance and exit gunshot
wounds Medico-Legal Aspects of Firearm injuries
b. defect of tissue around an entrance gunshot wound
c. abrasion collar around an entrance gunshot wound 1. Nature of Firearm
2. Range of firearm
Gunshot wounds are further classified as: 3. Direction of fire
4. Place from where firing took place
5. Cause of death
6. Manner of death

Feature Accidental Suicidal Homicidal


Site of Any part Head/Chest Any part
entry
Range Close Contact/Close Any range
Direction Any Upward/Backward Usually
upward
CHARACTERISTICS ENTRY WOUND EXIT WOUND
No. of One Usually one One or
Size Smaller when Larger when near, Wounds more
near, larger when smaller when Firearm Present Present Absent
distant distant residue
Margin Inverted Everted on Hand
Singeing, Burning, Present Absent Weapon Present Present Usually
Blackening, at scene absent
tattooing Location Anywhere Usually at home Anywhere
Abrasion, bruise, Present Absent Sex Usually Usually male Either sex
grease collar males
Hemorrhage Less More Motive Absent Depression/mental Crime
illness

Dermal Nitrate Test

- Developed in 1933
- Presumptive test developed for the
presence of GSR

Method:

Cloth dipped in molten paraffin is wrapped on


the hands of the accused then it is removed 
diphenylamine reagent is applied on its internal
surface

Results: Blue color=positive

 False Negative results


- Washed hands
- Delay in doing the test
- Weapon is well constructed
 False Positive result
- Hand contaminated with nitrogenous
compounds

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