Keyword: "shooting reconstruction"

A Practical Guide to Shooting Scene Preservation for Crime Scene Investigators
Charles S. DeFrance, Carlo J. Rosati
When a dedicated shooting reconstruction team is not immediately available, the first crime scene investigators on the scene need to properly document the condition of the scene and preserve evidence that will be needed for the reconstruction. This paper offers suggested guidelines for crime scene investigators to properly document and…
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An Investigation of the Effects of Laminated Glass on Bullet Deflection
Gary Wilgus, James Bryan White, Julia Berry
This study finds that, because of the gun and ammunition used, bullet deflection varies when penetrating a laminated windshield, but not enough to significantly alter the calculated location of a shooter. All of the rounds, with the exception of two, fell within the generally accepted range of negative five degrees…
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Bullet Trajectory Reconstruction on Vehicles
Brian Vivona, Michael Gaspari
Numerous challenges are faced when reconstructing bullet trajectories fired at a vehicle because of the irregular surfaces of the vehicle, impacts through open windows, and deflections. Creating and using baselines around a vehicle allows for measuring trajectory angles in relation to each other, the vehicle itself, and the angle of…
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Detecting Patched Bullet Holes in Painted Drywall
Tom Adair, Charles S. DeFrance
Reconstructionists must sometimes deal with crime scene evidence that has been cleaned, moved, or repaired. The extent of these alterations can greatly impair efforts to understand the events surrounding the commission of a crime. In the worst of scenarios, repairs or alterations to the evidence will effectively render it “undetectable”.…
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Impact Marks from Ejected Cartridge Casings
J. K. Poorman, T. F. Spring
Ejected casings from handguns fired at a shooting range were observed to leave impact marks on nearby wooden support posts. This led to the idea that such marks could be present at shooting scenes and, if found, could provide additional information to aid in scene reconstructions. The identification and careful…
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Introduction to the Trigonometric Shooting Reconstruction Method
David Rose, Todd Ekleberry, Gary Wilgus
This article is an introduction to the use of trigonometry for the purpose of reconstructing shooting scenes. It was written to provide the crime scene investigator, without a background in mathematics, with a basic look at how mathematical reconstruction is performed. This method has been reliable and is complementary to…
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Studying Fired Bullet Performance in a Unique Environment
Matthew Noedel
Many studies have been conducted about the evaluation and reconstruction of fired bullet paths delivered in indoor scenes (1-4). Typically, the shooting environment for such training is achieved by the construction of temporary walls, artificial matrices, or other simulated surfaces so that shots of known origin can be safely delivered…
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