ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 July 1979
Page Count: 8

Determining Sequence of Fire in Gunshot Wounds: Two Case Reports
Hennigar, GR
Assistant professor of pathology and chief medical examiner of Charleston County; and professor and chairman, Department of Pathology, Medical University of South Carolina,

Sexton, JS
Assistant professor of pathology and chief medical examiner of Charleston County; and professor and chairman, Department of Pathology, Medical University of South Carolina,

(Received 26 October 1978; accepted 29 December 1978)

Abstract

There are many facts that can usually be learned about a gunshot wound during a forensic autopsy. These include the range of fire (contact, near, or distant range), the path through which the bullet entered the body, what caliber bullet or bullets were used (and which was probably the fatal shot), and, finally, specifically, what gun fired the fatal shot if the bullet removed at autopsy is found to match a suspected weapon. Sometimes, when a defective weapon has been used, the bullet holes and the bullet will show that the firearm was defective. All of these facts are very helpful in understanding the circumstances surrounding a death.

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Paper ID: JFS10878J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS10878J
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