2022
Axel Manthei
Atlanta, GA
The exclusion of the impossible in conjunction with linking ammunition to a projectile and applied ballistics led to a shooting reconstruction which eliminated all but one shooter for a fatal shot.
The passenger in a car driving at ca. 100 km/h or 60 mph collapsed and died from what ultimately turned out to be a gunshot wound. Police officers noted a hunting party in the area of the incident and the focus of the investigation turned toward this group of individuals. A firearm examiner was immediately summoned to the scene and examined the car and the scene for traces left by the bullet and the incident. He also assisted at the scene with advice regarding certain physical evidence that would likely be needed during the course of the examination.
An additional difficulty aroused from fact that the hunt was already over and some of the hunters have left with their firearms when the police focused on the hunters. So, firearms and ammunition used during the hunt could have been exchanged or tampered with.
In the course of the investigation the number of shots fired at the hunt and the position of the hunters became known. The verification of the positions was obtained by the fired cases recovered from the scene. Each of those cases was identified and linked to a particular firearm.
All firearms, the fired cases, the bullet from the victim and all live ammunition in possession of hunters were submitted and examined in the laboratory.
During the course of the examination, it turned out that the three individuals with a proper position to hit the car had almost identical rifles, all in.30-06 Springfield caliber. Two of the barrels gave the initial impression of being tampered with. This later turned out to be the standard roughness with barrels of this manufacturer. The comparison of the projectiles of these rifles with the fatal bullet was inconclusive.
A thorough examination of the shape and properties of the fatal bullet revealed that it was a design loaded by RWS (RUAG) only in rifle cartridge cases with the RWS headstamp and was not sold as a reloading component.
As the investigators had seizes all rifle ammunition of every hunter on the scene and from their homes. So, we considered this a limited universe of ammunition. The next step was the examination of these 600+ cartridges as well as the fired case from the scene if there were any RWS marked cartridge case. As the result only one hunter was in possession of two live rounds with the correct bullet. Also, he had fired the only two cartridge cases with this headstamp at the scene. His position during the hunt allowed him to access the car with his shot and he had fired multiple shots at two different wild boars. One of which was killed and one escaped.
During the shooting reconstruction it was concluded that he had actually hit the wild boar. It was this decelerated bullet which hit the passenger in the traversing and fast driven car. Without the loss of velocity in wild boar the bullet would have passed the car unnoticed.
The court considered this evidence sufficient to identify him as the shooter responsible for the passenger’s death and convicted him.
Even if the identification of a projectile and firearm may inconclusive, further evidence may act as puzzle pieces. If enough of these pieces fall into place the shape of only missing piece can be seen.
For the firearm examiner tasked with a shooting reconstruction it is of great advantage to be at the scene and see the location and evidence first hand. Also, it is a benefit for the investigators to get a timely advice which evidence may be helpful for the shooting reconstruction.