This workbook is designed to assist the Crime Scene Analyst, Technician or Investigator in documenting any bullet holes and or indentations that may be present at the crime scene. This documentation could be accomplished with overall, midrange and close-up photographs, rough sketches with the required measurement and notes. The workbook is also designed to assist the Crime Scene Analyst, Technician or Investigator in understanding the different ways of determining: a. The upward (inclined) or downward (sloped) bullet impact angles to the horizontal plane and the horizontal bullet impact angles, to the left or right when facing the surface with the bullet hole, that would be needed to reconstruct the shooting incident. b. The approximate location(s) of the muzzle of the gun at the time of the shooting. The determined or calculated bullet impact angle(s) to the horizontal plane could be used by the Crime Scene Analyst, Technician or Investigator to determine the horizontal distance(s) below the path of the bullet and the distance(s) the bullet(s) traveled from the muzzle of the gun to the hole(s) in the victim or object. These distances could then be used to determine / calculate the location of the shooter for any known or assumed muzzle height(s) based on the orientation of the shooter. Also, having the horizontal bullet impact angle the Crime Scene Analyst, Technician or Investigator could determine the perpendicular horizontal distance(s) from the muzzle of the gun to the surface with the bullet hole(s) and or indentation(s). A trajectory or shooting reconstruction could be accomplished by the utilization of one or more of the following methods. The emphasis of this workbook would be on the reconstruction of crime scene shooting incidents utilizing these methods: Strings and dowels rods Scaled drawings Calculations using the trigonometric ratios Computers programs The workbook would also provide the Crime Scene Analyst, Technician or Investigator with an opportunity to reconstruct and review fifteen real cases. More emphasis was placed on solution of these cases (which are located in the back of the book) by calculations using the trigonometric ratios and the Pythagorean Theorem since this method could be utilized to verify the accuracy of the other methods. Potentially, very valuable investigative information could be developed through a trajectory or shooting reconstruction of the crime scene that would assist the Analyst, Technician or Investigator when interviewing a subject to determine if he or she is truthful in the sequence of events or the manner in which the incident took place. Specific information may be logically inferred if the Crime Scene Analyst, Technician or Investigator is knowledgeable about trajectory or shooting reconstruction.

Shooting Incident Reconstruction, Third Edition, offers a thorough explanation of matters from simple to complex to help the reader understand the factors surrounding ballistics, trajectory, and shooting scenes. Forensic scientists, law enforcement, and crime scene investigators are often tasked with reconstruction of events based on crime scene evidence, along with the subsequent analysis of that evidence. The use and misuse of firearms to perpetrate crimes from theft to murder necessitates numerous invitations to reconstruct shooting incidents. The discharge of firearms and the behavior of projectiles create many forms of physical evidence that, through proper testing and interpretation by a skilled forensic scientist, can establish what did and what did not occur. Written by the world's most well-respected shooting scene and ballistics experts, the book addresses the terminology, science, and factors involved in reconstructing shooting incident events to solve forensic cases. It covers the full range of related topics including: the range from which a firearm was discharged; the sequence of shots in a multiple discharge shooting incident; the position of a firearm at the moment of discharge; and the position of a victim at the moment of impact. The probable flight path of a projectile and the manner in which a firearm was discharged are also discussed. Case studies illustrate real-world application of technical concepts, supported by over 200 full-color diagrams and photographs. This book will be of value to practicing forensic scientists (firearm and toolmark examiners), ballistics experts, crime scene personnel, police departments, forensic consultants (generalists), attorneys and judges, medical examiners (coroners), and forensic pathologists. New chapters on special reconstructive properties and value of shootings involving sub-machine guns or pseudo automatic firearms, rate of fire with special attention on shot-to-shot time intervals, human factors in shooting incidents Updated and revised glossary terms to fit with new technology and the emergence of standardization of terms by groups such as the Organization of Scientific Advisory Committees Provides clear practice standards and ethical guidelines for those involved in reconstructing shooting scenes

The ultimate goal of collecting, preserving, and examining physical evidence is individualization - associating each piece with its responsible source. Firearms evidence in particular has the potential to individualize its source. Accessible and comprehensive, Practical Analysis and Reconstruction of Shooting Incidents provides the foundation necessary to develop and sharpen the skills used to investigate shooting incidents. It provides an explanation of what constitutes pertinent evidence and appropriate results pertaining to autopsies, forensic laboratory analysis, and reenactments. The text also reviews basic firearm design, function, ammunition components, and the terminology required for understanding evidence encountered at the scene. The book explains the basic mathematics of shooting reconstruction and includes sample problems at the end of each chapter. It presents case studies that feature those involving the John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy assassinations. It also details proper photographic documentation and effective courtroom techniques used to present the results of shooting reconstructions to juries, with examples of acceptable demonstrative evidence. Arming the investigator with the means to successfully examine and evaluate what transpired at the scene, Practical Analysis and Reconstruction of Shooting Incidents is an important resource to have accessible at all times.

"Shooting trajectory reconstruction is a common discipline in the field of crime scene reconstruction. This discipline, however, has minimal published history about the origin, the most valuable techniques and methods, or journal articles. In addition, this type of reconstruction is used on a daily basis by law enforcement, but there is no validation of its procedures or tools. This study advanced the knowledge of the discipline of shooting trajectory reconstruction by applying geometric principles and modern day crime scene reconstruction techniques to help with the history of the discipline. Through the use of comparative analysis, this project determined beneficial and hindering aspects of modern tools. This was accomplished by analyzing three shooting scene reconstruction tools; specifically use of the Smart Tool, angle finder, and manual calculations utilizing a digital caliper to determine the efficiency of each technique. This project examined data taken by participants and determined the accuracy, precision, and error rate for the three tools. The study provided law enforcement with research enabling them to choose the most effective tool for crime scene analysis based on the tools tested in this project. This research also began the process validating the discipline of shooting trajectory reconstruction. A statistically significant difference in accuracy (mean bias) and precision (standard deviation) was found between the three tools. The difference between the accuracy and precision for the Smart Tool and angle finder was not statistically significant, however, the difference between those two tools and the digital caliper was significant. This difference between tools means that they cannot be averaged together when calculating results from a crime scene. No statistically significant difference in accuracy or precision was found between examiners and students, independent of the tools. Results indicate the angle finder was the most efficient tool tested. There was a statistically significant interaction found between the impact angles tested in this project. This interaction makes an overall error rate for the tools or discipline impossible."--Abstract of thesis.

Early in the investigation of a shooting incident, proper crime scene work is critical to the final outcome. Whether the shooting is ruled to be an accident, a homicide, or suicide often depends heavily on the initial on-scene work-up. What photographs and which measurements will one need to thoroughly reconstruct the event? What information, if any, can be learned from the physical evidence and surrounding objects in a shooting crime? Beginning with the basic tools and terminology, the book explains what a crime scene investigator needs to look for and document in the quest for the truth.

This book addresses every aspect of the analysis and reconstruction of the events surrounding a crime. Beginning with established protocols for crime scene processing, the authors outline their unique methodology for event analysis. This technique defines specific actions, discusses the order of those actions, and offers significant insight into determining what did or did not happen in the course of the incident under investigation. Using case studies and more than 200 color photos, the book demonstrates how the method can be used to explain clues that would otherwise be puzzling or ambiguous.

Crime scene investigators are the foundation for every criminal investigation. The admissibility and persuasiveness of evidence in court, and in turn, the success of a case, is largely dependent upon the evidence being properly collected, recorded, and handled for future analysis by investigators and forensic analysts in the lab. Complete Crime Sce