title: Use of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDXA) in identification of foreign material on bullets.
abstract: The authors report two cases in which examination of foreign material embedded in or adherent to bullets provided critical information in the reconstruction of a crime scene. Analysis of small particles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) can be accomplished without destruction or injury of the particles. In one case, the detection and identification of mineral fragments embedded near the nose of a bullet provided conclusive evidence that the bullet had ricocheted from a fireplace before striking the victim. In the second case, analysis of particles from two bullets identified them as them as bone fragments, thus proving which shots fired from a police officer's gun had killed a suspected burglar. SEM-EDXA has not been widely used to identify such material on bullets, but should be considered a potentially powerful tool in forensic science.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000473:pathology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals