Forensic analysis : weighing bullet lead evidence / Committee on Scientific Assessment of Bullet Lead Elemental Composition Comparison, Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, Division of Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council of the National Academies.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Scientific Assessment of Bullet Lead Elemental Composition Comparison.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bullets--Identification.

Bullets.

Lead--Analysis.

Lead.

Chemistry, Forensic.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (226 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, 2004.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Since the 1960s, testimony by representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in thousands of criminal cases has relied on evidence from Compositional Analysis of Bullet Lead (CABL), a forensic technique that compares the elemental composition of bullets found at a crime scene to the elemental composition of bullets found in a suspect (TM)s possession. Different from ballistics techniques that compare striations on the barrel of a gun to those on a recovered bullet, CABL is used when no gun is recovered or when bullets are too small or mangled to observe striations. Forensic Analysis: Weighing Bullet Lead Evidence assesses the scientific validity of CABL, finding that the FBI should use a different statistical analysis for the technique and that, given variations in bullet manufacturing processes, expert witnesses should make clear the very limited conclusions that CABL results can support. The report also recommends that the FBI take additional measures to ensure the validity of CABL results, which include improving documentation, publishing details, and improving on training and oversight.

Contents:

FrontMatter

Acknowledgment of Reviewers

Preface

Contents

Executive Summary

1 Introduction

2 Compositional Analysis

3 Statistical Analysis of Bullet Lead Data

4 Interpretation

5 Major Findings and Recommendations

APPENDIXES

A Statement of Task

B Committee Membership

C Committee Meeting Agendas

D Glossary

E Basic Principles of Statistics

F Simulating False Match Probabilities Based on Normal Theory

G Data Analysis of Table 1, Randich et al.

H Principal Components Analysis: How Many Elements Should Be Measured?

I Birthday Problem Analogy

J Understanding the Significance of the Results of Compositional Analysis of Bullet Lead

K Statistical Analysis of Bullet Lead Data.

Notes:

"Support for this study was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Contract No. S2N0216700"--T.p. verso.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786610176748

9780309166430

0309166438

9781280176746

1280176741

9780309527569

0309527562

OCLC:

70738880