Misconduct is any kind of bad, unethical, or illegal activity.

When there's misconduct,

someone is doing something wrong. Since conduct is behavior, misconduct is behavior
that's not quite right: some kind of shady or criminal conduct.

Untested Ballistics Evidence: Societys Misfire?

Posted by Pete Gagliardi Dec 31, 2014 2:18:00 PM
A person is murdered.
Who speaks for the victim?
Us. Society.
The damage inflicted by a person taking another's life is irreversible and long lasting. Therefore our
societys degree of vigilance must be as high as humanly possible.
For every deadly act of violence, we must ensure that everything possible is being done to bring
justice to the victims, closure to their families and to restore peace to our neighborhoods.

Forensic Ballistics Tsunami: IBIS Hits PNP

Posted by Pete Gagliardi Mar 20, 2012 8:59:00 AM
A

good source in the Philippines related this story in hopes

that it would be shared.
The 3K Killings began with a seemingly random murder
Cavite, a southern province of the Philippines, in October
2005.

in
In

the two and a half year period that followed, a series of

thirty-three extremely violent and senseless criminal acts
would leave thirty eight people dead and almost as many
wounded across ten cities and seven provinces.
On March 13, 2008, firemen arriving at the burning
apartment of Scarlet Garcia found the body of the starlet
and cover girl along with three others. All had been shot.
The Scarlet Garcia murders generated international
attention. The pressure was on from every corner of

society to put a stop to all this.

In April of 2008, the Philippines National police (PNP) responded to a call of a crime in progress and
caught two suspects in the act of committing rape and robbery, a signature of the 3K killers. Two
guns were seized and police linked one to the Scarlet Garcia Murders and another to six other
shootings involving 10 fatalities.

The good news is that the two suspects were convicted and have been imprisoned.
The bad news was that the two killers refused to identify their cohorts and the thirty one
remaining unsolved cases in the 3K-Killings series soon went cold.

Police had hundreds of pieces of firearms evidence related to the 3K-Killings. They believed that 11
different guns had been used during the crime spree - considering the two seized in connection with
the Scarlet Garcia Murders that meant 9 remained unaccounted for.
During that same year, the Republic of the Philippines put new policies in place hoping to better cope
with gun crime including the so-called "Extra Judicial Killings". The Government required all new
firearms to be test-fired before being sold to the public. The test fires were to be saved for future
ballistics imaging and encoding. A period of amnesty was also declared during which possessors of
unlicensed firearms could have them licensed and test-fired without fear of being criminally charged
with possession of an unlicensed firearm.
In March of 2011, the PNP Firearms Identification Division (FAID) began the ballistics imaging
process of their inventory of ballistics evidence with their newly-acquired Integrated Ballistic
Identification Systems (IBIS). Within six months, IBIS helped the FAID generate over 500 hits
(matches) from their evidence database of about 15,000 exhibits.
Encouraged by their initial results, the FAID focused on entering the cold case evidence from the 3KKillings into IBIS. This action met with surprising results the identification of three more 3K-Killings
cases expanding the total number of cases to thirty six and sadly adding more victims to the list.
Then in December of 2011, the FAID generated an IBIS hit so big as to be described as a Ballistics
Tsunami. Its effects were particularly surprising because the hit came from an unexpected source
the database of test fired ballistics reference images from the 2008 amnesty guns!
The amnesty test fire from a certain Glock pistol in turn hit to ninetyother exhibits linking that gun to
twenty four of the thirty six open cases associated with the 3K-Killings series. It is the gun used in the
first of the 3K-Killings the one from the murder in Cavite Province in 2005 police had searched for
it for seven years.
This Ballistics Tsunami carried police investigators to the front door of the Glock's owner of record.
Because the case is ongoing police are not saying anymore at this time except that the cases are
progressing.
However, Supt. Rey de Guzman, Chief of the PNPs FAID made this general comment about the
matter: It was made possible through the three essential components: people, processes and IBIS
technology - it works!
Pete Gagliardi
Foreword.
1 Firearms.
1.1 A Brief History of Firearms.
1.2 Weapon Types and Their Operation.
1.3 Proof Marks.
Further Reading.
2 Ammunition.
2.1 A Brief History of Ammunition.
2.2 Ammunition Components.
2.3 Non-toxic Shot.

2.4 A Brief History of Propellants.

2.5 Priming Compounds and Primers.
2.6 Headstamp Markings on Ammunition.
3 Ballistics.
3.1 Internal, External and Terminal Ballistics.
3.2 Internal Ballistics.
3.3 External Ballistics.
3.4 Terminal Ballistics.
4 Forensic Firearms Examination.
4.1 A Brief History of Forensic Firearms Identification.
4.2 Rifling Types and Their Identification.
4.3 Fluted, Annular Ringed, Helical, Perforated and Oversized Chambers.
4.4 Basic Concepts of Striation Matching.
4.5 Basic Methodology Used in Comparison Microscopy.
4.6 Mathematical Proof of Striation Matches.
4.7 Accidental Discharge.
4.8 Identification of Calibre from the Bullet Entry Hole.
4.9 Ricochet Analysis.
4.10 Bullet Penetration and Trajectory through Glass.
5 Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations.
5.1 Introduction.
5.2 The Use of X-ray Photography.
5.3 Range of Firing Estimations for Pistols and Rifles.
5.4 Chemical Tests for Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Entry/Exit Hole Identification.
5.5 Range of Firing Estimations for Shotguns.
6 Gunshot Residue Examination.
6.1 Introduction.
6.2 Formation of Discharge Residue.
6.3 Distribution of GSR Particles.

6.4 Identification of GSR Particles.

6.5 The Use of the SEM for GSR Detection.
6.6 Sample Collection.
6.7 GSR Retention.
6.8 Conservation of GSR Particles on the Hands.
6.9 GSR Distribution on the Hands.
6.10 Identification of Type of Ammunition, Country of Origin from GSR Analysis.
6.11 Environmental Contaminants.
6.12 Sources of Elements Commonly Found in Lead-Based GSRs.
6.13 Extending the Recovery Period for GSR.
7 Gun-Handling Tests.
7.1 Introduction.
7.2 Methodology for Ferrozine Use.
7.3 Case Notes.
8 Restoration of Erased Numbers.
8.1 Introduction.
8.2 Methods Used for Removal of Serial Numbers.
8.3 Theory behind Number Restoration.
8.4 Non-recoverable Methods of Number Removal.
8.5 Practice of Number Restoration.
8.6 Chemical Methods of Restoration.
8.7 Reagents Used for Various Metals.
8.8 Electrolytic Methods of Restoration.
8.9 Reagents Used.
8.10 Ultrasonic Cavitation for Restoration.
8.11 Magnetic Particle Method for Restoration.
8.12 Other Methods of Restoration.
8.13 Laser-Etched Serial Numbers and Bar Codes and Their Restoration.
9 Qualifying the Expert and Cross-Examination Questions.

9.1 Introduction.
9.2 General Background Questions.
9.3 Comparison Microscopy.
9.4 GSRs.
9.5 Ferrozine Test.
9.6 Standard of Review: Daubert Trilogy.
10 Classification of Firearm-Related Death.
10.1 Multiple-Shot Suicides.
11 Glossary.
Appendix 1 Important dates in the History of Firearms from 1247.
Appendix 2 GSR results for Chinese and USSR ammunition.
Appendix 3 Primer content of some cartridge-operated nail guns.
Appendix 4 Commercial and General Abbreviations for Bullet Configurations.
Appendix 5 Trade Names.
Appendix 6 Gun Marks.
Appendix 7 Powder Burn Rate.
Appendix 8 Hearing Loss.
Appendix 9 General Firearms Values Conversion Table.