On the effect of decomposition processes on fired bullet striae and post-mortem interval estimates.

Bolton, Matthew Scott

On the effect of decomposition processes on fired bullet striae and post-mortem interval estimates.

Bolton, Matthew Scott

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2024

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bolton, Matthew Scott
dc.date.accessioned	2024-10-10T21:42:48Z
dc.date.available	2024-10-10T21:42:48Z
dc.date.issued	2024
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/181380
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Science.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	Most firearm related homicides involve the deceased being forensically examined within a day or two, however, there are times when bodies have been examined and the fired components removed several days or weeks after death, when the body is in an advanced state of decomposition. This project aims to determine at what approximate time after death the fired bullets can no longer be identified to each other, which may assist investigators with an estimated time-of-death. There have been no known studies completed of this type under Australian conditions. Fired copper jacketed bullets were exposed to a human donor in cool conditions and a human donor in warm conditions. These bullets underwent manual microscopic examinations by examiners across Australia. Results have indicated that the bullets corrode quickly in warm conditions, compared to bullets exposed to decomposition in cooler conditions.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (MScience)
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/181380/1/thesis.pdf
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	© 2024 Matthew Scott Bolton
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/cph
dc.title	On the effect of decomposition processes on fired bullet striae and post-mortem interval estimates.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

Most firearm related homicides involve the deceased being forensically examined within a day or two, however, there are times when bodies have been examined and the fired components removed several days or weeks after death, when the body is in an advanced state of decomposition. This project aims to determine at what approximate time after death the fired bullets can no longer be identified to each other, which may assist investigators with an estimated time-of-death. There have been no known studies completed of this type under Australian conditions. Fired copper jacketed bullets were exposed to a human donor in cool conditions and a human donor in warm conditions. These bullets underwent manual microscopic examinations by examiners across Australia. Results have indicated that the bullets corrode quickly in warm conditions, compared to bullets exposed to decomposition in cooler conditions.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/181380