After giving much thought to the many areas covered by Forensics Sciences, the main criteria to which my choices were narrowed and ultimately the final decision of Ballistics and/or Fingerprint Analysis was based on by the complexity of the job, need for a keen eye, and my wanting to be challenged in a career. I have no doubt that there are other areas that would be just if not more challenging however interest is a another key element in the making such a life changing and difficult decision.
The history of firearm and tool-mark identification has been a long one having evolved with great bounds over the last 165 years from the simple observation, physical matching, and caliber determination from an examination of shape/size of a projectile to the ability to match the projectile to the exact weapon from which it was fired. The first discussion regarding rifling of firearms was brought to light by Emperor Maximilian of Germany in 1493-1508 though the value of such identification did not occur for nearly 500 years.
In the earliest part of the last century (1900-1930) such scientific analysis of firearms and tool-mark identification became a recognized science in several worldwide judicial systems due to vast research by pioneering examiners such as Colonel Calvin Goddard, a professor of police science at Northwestern. In 1925 Goddard wrote an article for the Army Ordnance titled "Forensic Ballistics" in which he described the use of the comparison microscope regarding firearms investigations, in April of that same year, Goddard along with several others established the Bureau of Forensic Ballistics, which was formed to provide firearms identification services throughout America. Goddard researched, authored and spoke extensively...
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...sciences for many reasons.” (Ashbaugh, 1991)
Works Cited
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Ashbaugh, D. (1991). Ridgology. Journal of Forensic Identification.
Hamby, J. (1999). The History of Firearm and Toolmark Identification. Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners, Vol. 31 No. 3.
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Menzel, J. D. (1977). Inherent Fingerprint Luminescence. Journal of Forensic Science, 106-115.
Muehlberger, C. W. (1955). Colonel Clavin Hooker Goddard 1891-1955. The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, Vol. 46, No. 1.
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The shell casing could be matched to a particular model of gun, further DNA and
Weapons have been around from the Neanderthals of the post-ice age, to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Rocks became knives, sticks became spears, and bayonets became AK-47’s. The technology from the French and Indian War was revolutionized and manufactured by the newly opened weaponry companies. Colt and Winchester had a new end of the market during the times of conflict in the United States.
When it comes to identical twins we have come to learn that twin identical or not will not have the same fingerprint. Fingerprints are unique and are made to identify a person. So even when you clone humans or other primates I believe that the Friction ridge pattern will be similar but not exactly the same. I believe that in the process of the cloning process something will cause the fingerprints to come out different. Because cloning is dangerous there has yet to be a human cloning, but there have been cloning of monkeys and according to the data even though the monkey was cloned the fingerprint still isn’t the same.
The first example of a case that was solved using ballistics is the case of Manuel Rojas versus the death of Valentina Giles Rogue. In this case Valentina was roughly twenty years old and she was at her apartment, she had the simple desire for peace and quiet nevertheless there was noise coming from outside her apartment. There were some drug dealers loitering outside her apartment that was located in Santa Ana and because she spoke to them she ended up getting shot in the chest at a close range. Valentina still continued to climb up her stairs with the wound and died in front of her twenty-four year old son and his wife. The Orange County were unable to link the shooter m. In 2009 the investigators of the case asked Edward for help to link the shooter to the scene. With the help of the company's newly developed ballistics analysis system called IBIS BULLETTRAX-3D the investigators were able to links Manuel Rojas to the murder of Valentina (Forensic technology 2016). The second case example is a case where a man fired a gun eight times into the air in North Charleston, South Carolina in March of 2007. The shell casing were collected and entered into National integrated ballistic information network (NIBIN). On July of 2007 a man shot three people in their apartment so there were no eye witnesses and the investigation did not find a gun. Although
A majority of weapons used in World War II were improved weapons from World War II. Most guns increased in power and abilities. In World War II people thought that pistols were useless but this was proved wrong due to the fact that the U.S. Mi...
Some choose the noble choice of the military, others to work in construction and automotive toiling with shovel and wrench. Others choose more precise work, such as becoming machinists, doctors and engineers--the secret behind the scenes people who make things work in today’s society. But, there is a job that entails all, something complicated requiring the finesse of a heart surgeon, but with the understanding of a engineer: the art of gunsmithing. An art that essentially made the United States possible and separates it from others in the world. From the invention of black powder and the hand cannon to the 6,000 round per minute Dillon Minigun, firearms
United States. Department of Justice. CAROLYN WARREN, ET AL., APPELLANTS, v. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ET AL., APPELLEES; WILFRED NICHOL, APPELLANT, v. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT, ET AL., APPELLEES. By Joseph M. Hannon. Guns Alert. Web. 14 July 2011.
"FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: A History." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 81.12 (2012): 1-2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Lyman, D. Michael; Criminal Investigation, The Art and Science; 3rd edition, 2002 Prentice Hall. Pgs. 188-200.
Some errors that could arise from this type of source include biases and limited points of views that lead to misinformation. However, using secondary sources does not detract from Chase’s ability to construct a general theory about firearms development, because a general theory does not require absolute accuracy. Chase also uses many paintings to show military formations in past societies and what weapons they possessed. The conclusions he makes are rational and the inclusion of the paintings provides visually engaging primary sources that further justify Chase’s thesis. Using more primary sources would strengthen the credibility of his descriptions of firearms development in the world, but his construction of a rational theory based on known facts is enough to give this work acceptable credibility.
Osprey Publishing Ltd 2007 6-185 print Meyerson, Joel D. “Machine Gun.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2014 Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
Mishara, Brian L. "Firearms." Macmillan Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. Ed. Robert Kastenbaum. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2002. 288-289. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 May 2014.
Forensic Science, recognized as Forensics, is the solicitation of science to law to understand evidences for crime investigation. Forensic scientists are investigators that collect evidences at the crime scene and analyse it uses technology to reveal scientific evidence in a range of fields. Physical evidence are included things that can be seen, whether with the naked eye or through the use of magnification or other analytical tools. Some of this evidence is categorized as impression evidence2.In this report I’ll determine the areas of forensic science that are relevant to particular investigation and setting out in what method the forensic science procedures I have recognized that would be useful for the particular crime scene.
As far back as 1832, James Marsh was the first to use forensics at trial to give evidence as a chemist in 1832. Since that time forensic science and evidence has come a long way in various ways and technology to help in determine if the suspect is guilt or not, through such things as DNA testing, blood, and fingerprints. The first forensic police crime lab was created in 1910. The contributions of Dr. Edmond Locard, a French scientist and criminologist, proposed that “everything leaves a trace”. This principle is still valid today as it was so many years ago. No matter how small, the specialized trained technicians and investigators can take these methods and go to a crime scene to get evidence. “Forensic science is the application of sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology, computer science and engineering to matters of law.” (Office of Justice, 2017) These different sciences can help achieve and assist in solving a case. Forensic science has also the ability to prove that a crime was committed, it can find the elements of the crime, it can help place the suspect at the scene and whether the suspect had any contact with the victim. However, in the last several years the techniques and with the use of technology the evidence that forensic science uncovers can also exonerate an innocent individual who has been falsely accused of the
In 1784, someone using a flintlock pistol shot Edward Culshaw. In those days, there were no bullets, as we know them. Gunpowder and a ball of lead were put into the gun’s muzzle and packed with paper wadding. A spark made when the gun’s hammer struck some flint at the back end of the barrel ignited the powder. When the constable examined Culshaw’s wound, he found a piece of newspaper used as wadding to pack the powder in the killer’s gun. The prime suspect in the killing was a man named John Toms. When a piece of newspaper found in Toms’ pocket was compared with the piece found in the wound, the pieces fit together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Based on the evidence, Toms was easily convicted. The Toms case was probably the first in America in which ballistics was used to solve a crime.