Introduction to Criminalistics

Criminalistics Overview

• Involves analyzing and interpreting evidence using natural sciences.
• Origin of "forensics" from Latin "forum," meaning market place or public gathering.
• Focus on application of scientific knowledge to legal problems.

Key Personalities in Criminalistics

• Dr. Hans Gross: Recognized as the Father of Criminalistics; first to use the term in 1891.
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Sci-fi author who popularized scientific crime detection via "Sherlock Holmes."
• Mathieu Orfila: Known as the Father of Toxicology; published on poison detection and its effects.
• Alphonse Bertillon: Credited as the Father of Anthropometry; developed the Bertillon System for identifying individuals.
• Calvin H. Goddard: Father of Ballistics; created comparison microscopy for bullet examination.
• Albert Osborn: Pioneered document examination; his work led to acceptance of documents as scientific evidence in courts.
• Walter McCrone: Father of microscopic forensics; applied microscopic techniques in crucial court cases.
• Edmond Locard: Established the first crime lab in 1910; formulated Locard's Exchange Principle.

Ballistic Terminology

• Ballistic: Derived from Latin "ballista," referring to a large device for throwing stones.
• Rifling: Spiral grooves on the inside of a rifle barrel that improve accuracy.

Historical Progression of Ballistics

• 1493-1508: Invention of rifling under Emperor Maximilian.
• 1835: The first forensic firearm examination was documented.
• 1845: Discovery of gunpowder traces on a bullet lodged in the eye of Napoleon Bonaparte’s grandfather by Hans Gross.
• 1860: Connection made between newspaper wads found in a victim’s wound and a suspect’s house.
• 1902: Magnifying glass used to compare striations of test and crime scene bullets.
• 1915: The Stielow case re-evaluated using photographic evidence of bullet markings.
• 1925: The development of the comparison microscope and Helixometer.
• 1932: Establishment of the FBI Lab as the first Firearm Identification Professional entity.

Types of Bullet Motion

• Direct: Forward motion during flight.
• Rotatory: Circular motion as the bullet passes through the rifled barrel.
• Translational: Bullet action upon impact, including ricochet.

Branches of Ballistics

• Internal Ballistics: Processes within the firearm until the bullet exits.
  • Includes firing pin impact, ignition of primer, combustion of gunpowder, gas expansion, pressure generation, recoil, and bullet engraving.

Additional Ballistics

• Medical Ballistics: Focuses on human targets and effects of bullets on the body.
• Legal Ballistics: Involves firearm investigation and evidence in legal contexts.
• Geo Ballistics: Relates to the geography of ballistic incidents, including crime scene location.

Terminal Ballistics

• Terminal accuracy: Precision of bullet grouping on the target.
• Terminal energy: Energy transfer at the moment of impact.
• Terminal velocity: Speed at which the bullet strikes the target.
• Terminal penetration: Depth of bullet entry into the target.

Note on Shotgun Cartridges

• Typical length: 2.75 inches; Joseph Manton recognized as the Father of Modern Shotgun.

Gunshot Wound Analysis

• Odd and Even Rule: Determines the possibility of bullet lodging based on entrance and exit wounds.
  • Even count suggests no lodged bullet; odd count indicates potential lodging.

Special Considerations on Bullets

• Souvenir Bullet: A bullet that remains lodged in the body.
• Bullet Migration: Movement of a bullet from its initial location.
• Bullet Embolism: Bullet lost momentum, potentially traveling through the bloodstream and lodging elsewhere.
• Tandem Bullet: Multiple bullets discharged sequentially from a firearm.

This quiz explores the foundational concepts of criminalistics, focusing on the application of natural sciences to forensic evidence analysis. Learn about key figures such as Dr. Hans Gross and the evolution of forensic science. Test your knowledge on the principles and personalities that shaped the field of criminalistics.