Correlation of distance and damage in a ballistic setting

Forensic Investigation is a discipline which relies on various fields in order to be able to reconstruct an incident. Forensic Ballistics focuses upon the mechanics of projectile launch, flight and the effects of the projectile when impacting a target as well as firearms and ammunition. One of the most common evidence types in firearms related events is Gun Shot Residue (GSR), where typical analysis methods involves chemical confirmatory tests. Therefore, the fields traditionally associated with forensic ballistics are chemistry and physics, however there are various other scientific fields which could potentially further knowledge in this area such as radiography and computational science.

Arguably one of the most important considerations within Forensic Ballistics is the ability to accurately reconstruct an incident. Currently there is limited literature aimed at understanding GSR spread at distances above 15 metres, which is a limitation for the criminal justice system (chapter 1). This work aims to further this knowledge by gaining an understanding of GSR spread at various distances, both short and long range (chapter 4), whilst combining this with Gun Shot Wound (GSW) damage using radiography (chapter 3). The data obtained will then be used for computational modelling with the aim of predicting shooter distance (chapter 5).