Beltway Sniper
The Beltway Sniper case included two men John Muhammad, and Lee Malvo whom carried out attacks killing 10 people and wounding several other people. All of these attacks were carried out by using a high powered .223 caliber rifle. The ballistics processing was especially important because the use of firearm was the weapon that killed 10 innocent people, and wounded several others. This case was cracked because one of the suspects called police and mentioned they were responsible for a murder that took place in Montgomery Alabama outside a liquor store. The investigators that were working on that case found a magazine left at the crime scene, and they compared the fingerprints left on it to fingerprints of Malvo’s immigration record.
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An investigation involving a firearm is a specialty of forensic science which focuses on the examination of firearms linked to ballistics. Ballistics is related to finding out the exact flight path of projectiles. Ballistics is the area of study that examines the exact path of the bullet from the moment it leaves the muzzle of the firearm up until it hits the target. During examination many items are collected for evidence including the firearm, bullets, live ammunition, cartridge casings, trace materials such as powder residue, and anything damaged by the projectile. Firearms are often divided into three processes: Internal, External, and Terminal Ballistics. Internal refers to the inside of the firearm; the space of time in which the shooter pulls the trigger, and the when the bullet is exiting. External ballistics is the flight between leaving the muzzle of the firearm, and it striking its target. Terminal ballistics is the impact of ballistics that refers to the examination in which the projectile strikes a target. All firearms leave markings on the cartridge casings once expelled when firing. Ballistic identification and microstamping laws make it possible to link a cartridge recovered to the
Forensic ballistics and firearm investigation begin when the bullets, cartridges, a weapon, or any combination of the above found at a crime scene. With the evidence, a crime laboratory will explore for clues on some things that might cause a suspect or possible to prove that the things were used in the crime. By contrast, the markings on the bullets or cartridges found at the scene with those discharged from the suspect’s weapon, a ballistics expert will typically confirm if the rounds came from a similar weapon. Just the act of cycling a cartridge through the weapon without firing it will leave permanent scratches on the case that is distinctive to the weapon.
Upon arrival and after all parties were detained and searched for weapons Sergeant Kincaid and I were advised by the victim in this case, Thomas Fitzgerald that the suspect, Duane Fisher had pointed a pistol at him and his daughter, Marrissa Rohrbach and had laid the firearm down on a piece of farm equipment prior to our arrival. At this time I was able to locate a loaded Browning Target Shooting Pistol inside a holster on top of a tractor attachment approximately
A 9mm luger round was discovered immediately after the alert of the victim. Then two 45 GPL CP round were discovered approximately 1 inch apart from each other at 0711. Close-up and medium range pictures were then taken of the bullets. A 9mm Luger was discovered with a red stain on the bullet at 0713 approximately 1.9 feet away from the tree on the scene. A sample was then collected and sent to the lab for testing at 0716. Talking to the officers at the hospital it was found that victim never woke-up and no other evidence was discovered on the scene. A cylindrical piece of metal was found at 0719 and documented and
The case that was researched is the case of the people vs. Robert Blake. In this case it is stated that the husband Robert Blake murdered his wife Bonnie Bakley. It was determined that Mr.Blake fired shots from a world war 2 vintage 9mm Walther P38 Luger pistol. The weapon was found in a dumpster near where Mr. Blake parked his car and was covered with dirt and motor oil. The 9mm pistol was cleaned and tested fired. And the gun was fired to see if it would leave gunshot residue behind after being fired.
It is important for a forensic scientist to determine the distance from a gun to a shooter because in some cases a
Beginning in October of 2002, the Nation is gripped in fear as people are randomly shot by a sniper or snipers in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. The shootings occurred in mall parking lots, near schools and gas stations, no one felt safe. People were staying indoors, walking in zig-zag patterns outdoors and filling their gas tanks from inside their vehicles. Two men, who are later identified as John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo , drove around in a 1990 Chevrolet Caprice, with a New Jersey license plate shooting people out of the trunk of their car. The car had a hole cut above the rear license plate and the back support cushion and metal support of the rear seat removed to allow the car to be used as a “rolling sniper’s nest” . It gave the shooters access to the trunk without getting out of the car. In total ten people were killed and three wounded in a span of three weeks. What effect did press releases and press conferences have on the capturing of the suspects?
We found a 40 caliber at the house that matched the casings from the scene, we diagramed the location and the condition as well as photographed before recovering and securing. I examined to see if the weapon was loaded and it was not. I marked the position of the cylinder, using two pen marks I put on the top of the cylinder alone each side of the top strap of the frame. I noted the loaded casings found in the box of ammunition in the field notes. It was then bagged and sent to the lab.
The D.C. Sniper Attacks were a group of attacks that took place between October 2 to October 24, 2002. The Perpetrators were John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo. Ten people were shot and killed at the Beltway Attacks and three people were killed before that. Three people were also injured by the bullet, but were not killed. They asked for $10 Million Dollars to stop the attacks so that they could start a Utopian country in Canada for black children.
However, according to a documented FBI ballistics test carried out on October 12, 1975, the AR-15 rifle found in Robideau's car didn't match bullet found on the scene; even if it is assumed to be Peltier's gun, the gun cannot be linked to any bullets found in the crime scene (Incident). The FBI also did another, less effective form of test on the bullet that showed that the bullet might have come from the damaged gun. (Incident) However, since the second method of testing was more prone to fault, error, and interpretation of the agents, it should not be used in light of the first. The best the FBI could prove from the test was that the bullet came from
I think the interesting thing about working with firearm evidence is learning about different types of weapons, identifying different markings on bullets and learning about the bullet trajectory and distance. The challenging part would be examining bullets that are broken or mutilated.
The other end of the rope was still tied to the bottom of a metal shelving unit, which was fastened to the ceiling. The bottom shelving unit is approximately five feet above the floor. There was a Glock .380 semi-automatic handgun found lying under the victim’s right leg, just below his knee. There was what appeared to be blood on the slide of the Glock and the shell casing had not been ejected from the gun after being fired. There were five rounds still in the magazine of the weapon. The box for the weapon was found on a counter on the opposite side of the garage along with a box of Sig Sauer .380 100 grain / full metal jacket ammunition. There were six round missing from the box. There was a receipt found inside the gun case indicating both the firearm and ammunition had been purchased by the victim from Shooters World at 116 E. Fletcher Avenue on 05-28-2018 at 1307
This paper will try to explore two theories of the beltway sniper. The first is the conflict theory and the second is the psychological theory. There will be summarizing of the crime (dates, offenders, how they were caught if they were). The two theories will try to explore the crime. Each of the theory will shed light on the reasons for the crime. For this paper, I will provide evidence to which theory seems to be stronger. I will also show any evidence that will lead to the deviant path that was taken. I will be explaining how you determine the path that was taken for the crime. I hope that after reading this the audience will have a better understanding of the conflict and psychological theory of the beltway DC sniper.
May 8, 2007. Plot by six men to attack soldiers at U.S. Army base at Fort Dix in New Jersey was averted. Modern day terrorist often choose targets that are easily defeated. The general public of women, children, and the elderly are acceptable losses.
The Beltway Sniper attacks disrupted an already unsettled community. The Terrorist attacks that took place on September 11th 2001 the area effected by the attacks more commonly by the locals as the DMV (District, Maryland and Virginia) area. Only a year after the events of 9/11 tragedy strikes in the form of two snipers the devastated the community. One cannot really understand the motive of these men without knowing a little about the two men and the crimes the committed.
Have you ever heard of the DC sniper? Did you hear about the summary of the DC sniper case? Do you know the timeline of the DC sniper case? Have you ever heard of the evidence in the case of the DC sniper? Do you know the process for collecting Gunshot Residue? Do you know how the gun evidence will impact the case?