CBLA is a technique long used by forensic scientists for linking bullet fragments from a crime scene to ones in the possession of a suspect. The analytical technique used is inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. The seven elements analyzed for CBLA are arsenic, antimony, tin, copper, bismuth, silver, and cadmium.
A 2004 report from the National Academies' Board on Chemical Sciences & Technology says that this elemental analysis procedure is the best for CBLA, but the results should be studied carefully. According to the study, statistical tests used by the FBI forensic scientists should be reconsidered. The report also states that the results can too easily be misrepresented by prosecutors or misunderstood by juries.
In 2004 the FBI decided to stop using CBLA. Unfortunately, CBLA was used from the early 1980s until 2004. The results were used as evidence in almost 500 trials. The FBI is now reviewing those cases. In fact, as a result of these reviews a man from Florida had his conviction overturned and was released from prison in December of last year after serving 10 years for the murder of his wife.
The report can be found at:
http://dels.nas.edu/dels/rpt_briefs/bullet_lead_final.pdf
Also reported in article "Evidence Reexamined: Board's Report Leads to Overturn of Murder Conviction". Chemical and Engineering News, March 2, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I feel like I've seen this in a movie before.
I believe it's featured in a lot of forensic scenes in movies and TV shows. Maybe we should go back and review those in addition to the cases being reviewed by the FBI...
In "Wanted," they reconstruct a bullet using the bullet fragments and use it to match the bullet maker.
Post a Comment