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.