CAREER PROJECT ON BALLISTIC EXPERTS By: Jameson Hale and Garrett Liming

FORENSICS SCIENCE Forensic Science is any science used for the purpose of law. Forensics scientists aid in the investigation of crimes. Anytime evidence is needed in court, forensics science is involved. It is unbiased and applies equally to either side of any criminal, civil, or other legal matter.

WHAT FORENSICS SCIENTISTS DO A forensic scientist must be able to determine which facts/ items of evidence are relevant in a case. In most cases, the items are provided to the forensic scientist for examination and analysis. In other cases, the forensic scientist may need to personally go to the scene to conduct an analysis on scene, gather evidence, or document facts for later. After being handed the evidence, the forensic scientist then has to decide and conduct which examinations, tests, or analyses are appropriate/relevant to the issue in dispute.

WHAT DO BALLISTICS EXPERTS DO A ballistics expert is a forensics specialist who analyzes weapons and ammunition for crime scenes and court cases. They analyze ballistic fingerprints, which are specific markings that can prove which firearm ammunition came from. Also, they enter information and use a database to identify ballistics evidence.

HOW TO BECOME A BALLISTICS EXPERT To become a ballistics expert, one would need to obtain a degree in forensics science. Common core classes for this degree are: Chemistry Biology Laboratory Chemistry Laboratory Criminalistics Calculus Analytic Geometry Physics Laboratory College Physics Calculus-Based Physics Training for a ballistics expert often includes: Ammunition Expert witness testimony Evidence handling Crime scene searches Firearms identification Microscopy Gunpowder and primer residue Wound ballistics Also, it is not uncommon to serve a two year period as an apprentice.

TYPES OF EVIDENCE WORKED WITH Ballistics experts often work with evidence such as: Firearms Spent cartridges Spent shell casings/bullets Shot shell wadding Live ammunition Clothing

HOW MUCH MONEY DO THEY MAKE Ballistics experts’ salaries often vary between locations. Higher crime areas receive more money. Some of these include: Nassau County, New York: $39,085-$77,532 Wheaton, Illinois: $40,390-$67,318 Los Angeles, California: $77,402-$96,152 Arkansas State Crime Lab: $37,332-$62,616 Norfolk, Virginia: $50,139-$83,880 Ventura County, California: $71,606-$100,465

WHERE DO THEY WORK AND WHEN WILL THEY BE CALLED ON SITE The majority of a ballistic expert’s work is performed in the laboratory, although they are also called to crime scenes to preserve and collect evidence. They may also be required to serve as expert witnesses during criminal trials and hearings. Most ballistics experts work for local, state or federal crime labs. However, they may also work as private consultants or contractors.

FAMOUS CASE In 1961, a taxi driver was shot in the head and killed. Police later caught an 18 year old boy named Edward Freiburger. Edward was carrying a loaded.32 caliber revolver, the same type used to kill the taxi driver. However, technology was not advanced enough to prove that this was the gun used to kill the taxi driver. The case was reopened in 1997, and in 2001 firearm fingerprinting was used to identify Edward’s revolver as the revolver that shot and killed the taxi driver 40 years earlier.

SOURCES Ballistics solve murder after 4 decades. (2002, August 3). Retrieved August 27, 2015, from Firearms Examiner Career Description and Education Requirements. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2015, from Forensic Science Technicians. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2015, from science-technicians.htm