AFTE Store - Adding an Objective Component to Routine Casework: Use of Confocal Microscopy for the Analysis of 9mm Caliber Bullets

The analysis of firearm and tool mark related evidence has remained relatively unchanged for nearly a hundred years.
Although the science behind these analyses has undergone rigorous testing and has been accepted in courts for many years,
the science has recently been the subject of a great deal of scrutiny. In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report
“Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward” called to question the legitimacy of the comparative
sciences. Specifically, the NAS report states that the science of firearm and tool mark analysis lacks empirical research, has
not been validated, and suffers from bias and subjectivity [1]. Extensive review of the literature has shown that the science
has been validated and subjected to empirical research [2-4], but the need for adding an objective criterion exists, which will
also help to minimize bias.
The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences (ADFS) has procured a confocal microscope for the purpose of incorporating
three-dimensional (3D) topographical analysis into routine casework. The purpose of employing such a technique would
be to assist the examiner by complementing routine analysis with an independent objective analysis. This article will cover
the research procedures conducted using confocal microscopy at the ADFS thus far.