By: Monroe Stadler and Vernon Taylor es/users/villani/forensics/articles/ ballistics/images/ballistics8.jpg .

BALLISTICSBy: Monroe Stadler and Vernon

Taylor

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Ballistics ~ The science of mechanics that deals with the motion, behavior and effects of projectiles

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Forensic Ballistics

The science of analyzing firearm usage in crimes

Calvin Goddard collected a database of test firings from every type of handgun in the 1920’s. He is credited for inventing the field of forensic ballistics

First court case to use ballistics as evidence dates as far back as 1902 when a specific gun was proven to be the murder weapon.

Gun Ballistics

The study of projectiles from the time of the shooting to the time of the impact with the target

4 categories Internal ballistics – the study of what caused the

projectile to originally accelerate Transition ballistics – the study of the projectiles

behavior when it leaves the barrel External ballistics – the study of the projectile through

the air Terminal ballistics – the study of the bullets impact

No two firearms even those of the same make and model will produce the same marks on fired bullets making it easy to identify murder weapons

What Do Forensic Ballistics Experts Do?

Types of Evidence for forensic ballistics include Firearms, spent bullets, spent cartridge cases, live

ammunition, shot shell wadding and many others A forensic ballistics expert can either be a part

time or a full time job. Database called Drugfire is sponsored by the

FBI and used for bullet identification Credentials needed: 4 year degree in a

physical or applied science and a background in guns and how they work. Also a background in the military or police force would help.

Interview

Ballistics expert from the TBI Typical day

Evidence sent into lab from law enforcement agencies all over the state (bullets, firearms etc…)

Pick up evidence and work in the lab Generate a report with findings Send back to law enforcement agency Sometimes testify in court the findings

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Interview

What do you like about being a ballistics expert? “Every case is different and every day there is a

new puzzle to solve” What’s is the most exciting thing?

Its fun to shoot the guns in the lab during firearms identification

What techniques do you use in forensic ballistics? “The most important is the comparison

microscope” that helps identify bullets from the same gun

Case Study

In October of 2002 John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo killed 10 people in Virginia and Maryland using a sniper rifle.

The two were found in there car and arrested on federal weapons charges.

The weapon that was found was linked to the bullets found in the victims through ballistics tests.

Both were found guilty of murder.

Sources and Links

Sources "Ballistics." Wikipedia. 2009. 20 Jan 2009

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistics>. Lotter, Karen. "What is Forensic Ballistics?." 26

APR 2008 20 Jan 2009 <http://forensicscience.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_forensic_ballistics>.

Links www.firearmsid.com - comparison microscope