Could this help solve JFK's murder? New technique that identifies fingerprints on a fired bullet with 68% accuracy could shed new light on thousands of cold cases

  • There is currently just 1% chance of recovering fingerprints from used bullets
  • However, the new technique shows an initial 68% success rate for some casings
  • Technique uses vacuum metal deposition to detect fingerprints on fired bullets
  • This attached tiny silver vapours to the casing which is placed in a vacuum chamber to make any invisible fingerprints become visible to the naked eye

Scientists in Bristol have developed a ground-breaking forensic technology that allows fingerprints to be obtained from bullets for the first time.

West Technology Forensics's system could be used by police forces across the world to help solve thousands of unsolved gun crimes.

These might include the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy which has always been shrouded by conspiracy theories and the 1984 murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan Embassy in London.

Scientists in Bristol have developed a ground-breaking forensic technology that allows fingerprints to be obtained from bullets for the first time. Fingerprints can be obtained from fired bullet and shotgun casings with a success rate of almost 70 per cent

Scientists in Bristol have developed a ground-breaking forensic technology that allows fingerprints to be obtained from bullets for the first time. Fingerprints can be obtained from fired bullet and shotgun casings with a success rate of almost 70 per cent

As a result of the heat and pressure created when guns are fired there is just a one per cent chance of recovering fingerprints from used bullet or shotgun casings using current techniques.

But the newly developed process, which is already attracting the interest of forensic scientists and police forces worldwide, has shown an initial 68 per cent success rate for some casings.

The technology behind the process, Vacuum Metal Deposition (VMD), has been used by the forensic science and police communities for several decades.

It was key in gathering the crucial evidence to convict a number of high profile murderers including the infamous Scottish serial killer Peter Tobin.

Tobin was convicted after the VMD technique was used to recover his fingerprints from a bin bag he used when he disposed of the body of one of his victims Vicky Hamilton.

The VMD process is simple to use; evidence is placed in a vacuum chamber and then tiny amounts of metal, traditionally gold and zinc, are heated and vaporised.

Peter Tobin is a convicted serial killer from Scotland who is currently serving three life sentences at HMP Edinburgh for a string of murders between 1991 and 2006. He was caught using the VMD technique from the bin bag of a victim 

Peter Tobin is a convicted serial killer from Scotland who is currently serving three life sentences at HMP Edinburgh for a string of murders between 1991 and 2006. He was caught using the VMD technique from the bin bag of a victim 

The technology behind the process, Vacuum Metal Deposition (VMD), has been used by the forensic science and police communities for several decades. Evidence is placed in a vacuum chamber and then tiny amounts of metal, traditionally gold and zinc, are heated and vaporised

The technology behind the process, Vacuum Metal Deposition (VMD), has been used by the forensic science and police communities for several decades. Evidence is placed in a vacuum chamber and then tiny amounts of metal, traditionally gold and zinc, are heated and vaporised

These metallic vapours, then attach on to the evidence and make any invisible or latent fingerprints become visible to the naked eye.

The VMD process was originally developed as a result of the IRA's bombing campaign in the 1970s and '80s.

Until now it has been used to recover fingerprints from various evidence materials including paper, plastics and fabrics.

Eleigh Brewer, a forensic scientist at West Technology based in Bristol, has been carrying out research on fired bullets for just under a year with remarkable success.

The scientist, a world-leader in her field, has been using different metals in her research and discovered that silver or sterling silver yielded the best results for developing fingerprints on fired bullets and shotgun casings.

WHAT IS VACUUM METAL DEPOSITION?

Vacuum Metal Deposition (VMD), has been used by the forensic science and police communities for several decades. 

The VMD process is simple to use; evidence is placed in a vacuum chamber and then tiny amounts of metal, traditionally gold and zinc, are heated and vaporised.

These metallic vapours then attach on to the evidence and make any invisible or latent fingerprints become visible to the naked eye.

The VMD process was originally developed as a result of the IRA's bombing campaign in the 1970s and '80s.

VMD is often used for items that have been exposed to harsh or extreme environments. 

Many heavy metals and alloys are used to form a physical layer over the print. 

The particles form a 'reverse image' as they adhere to the ridges of the prints not the gaps between.

This means it does not interfere with any further DNA analysis that can take place on the same piece of evidence in an investigation.

The technique used high temperatures and almost a complete vacuum to get the heavy metals to stick to the fingerprints. 

 

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West Technology work with police and forensic science laboratories around the world and customers include the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, NYPD and several major UK police forces.

Their system was recently used to solve a knife murder in Austria even though the blade had been wiped clean after the killing.

In this image, West Technology Forensics' Eleigh Brewer is at work in the company's high-tech lab in Bristol. The technique could help sold the JFK conspiracy theory once and for all

In this image, West Technology Forensics' Eleigh Brewer is at work in the company's high-tech lab in Bristol. The technique could help sold the JFK conspiracy theory once and for all

Despite the emergence of DNA evidence, fingerprints are still considered in courtrooms as the most reliable form of evidence when it comes to successfully obtaining convictions.

DNA material can be vulnerable to contamination and human error but fingerprint evidence is still seen as the best way to connect a suspect to a specific location or prove they have handled a piece of evidence.

Ian Harris, the managing director of West Technology, is convinced his company has come up with technology which has the potential to clear up thousands of unsolved gun crimes.

John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963 by an unknown gunman. Several conspiracy theories surround the death of the 35th US president and VMD could shed light on who was at fault 

John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963 by an unknown gunman. Several conspiracy theories surround the death of the 35th US president and VMD could shed light on who was at fault 

He said: 'Until now it has been accepted wisdom by police forces and forensic scientists across the world that it is pretty much impossible to recover fingerprints from fired ammunition.

'We have been working on different VMD processes since last March and are delighted with the results when we used silver and sterling silver.'

He added: 'The potential for this new process is enormous when you take into account the number of unsolved gun crimes across the world.

'In certain countries there are very high rates of gun crime compared to here in the UK.

'Every police force has a cold case unit and there must be thousands of murders and shootings that could be solved easily and quickly with the use of this technology.'

Investigators do not have to be experts to be able to use the system thanks to the way it has been designed and manufactured.

Mr Harris added: 'We have had a lot of interest from police forces because of the high success levels we have had with our research.

'And the success rates of our tests also have the potential to save valuable time and money for police forces who are under increasing pressure to solve high-profile violent crimes and murders.

The system developed by West Technology has been used successfully in the past on bin liners of victims of serial killers. Although the environment of a gunshot can destroy any evidence 

The system developed by West Technology has been used successfully in the past on bin liners of victims of serial killers. Although the environment of a gunshot can destroy any evidence 

'When fingerprints are recovered from used bullet casings then there is the potential to clear up crimes as soon as the evidence is recovered.

'If there is strong evidence against a suspect then they are much more likely to admit to the crime which means there won't be as much need for lengthy and expensive investigations.

'However, the most important thing in all of this is that we have developed the technology which has the capability to ensure people who have carried out life-changing crimes will be brought to justice.'

Eleigh Brewer said: 'The key to the breakthrough is the use of alternative metals such as silver and sterling silver instead of the traditional gold and zinc.

Police officer Yvonne Fletcher was shot outside the Libyan Embassy in London in 1984. The 25 year-old police officer was murdered by an unknown gunman. Scientists hope that improving the VMD technique could solve old cases such as this 

Police officer Yvonne Fletcher was shot outside the Libyan Embassy in London in 1984. The 25 year-old police officer was murdered by an unknown gunman. Scientists hope that improving the VMD technique could solve old cases such as this 

'The use of single metal processes opens up exciting prospects for other difficult exhibits such as smartphones, IEDs and fabrics.

'We knew from previous experience that VMD could develop fingerprints on a range of difficult exhibits, including items that had been submerged and buried, so we wanted to test to see if it could develop prints on fired ammunition.

'It's fair to say the amazing results we've had so far were a pleasant surprise and very exciting.'

She added: 'It's a game changer. Even if the success rates drop for real police casework, VMD will still offer significantly more than any other technique.

'What I find exciting and most rewarding is that police forces that invest in VMD technology won't only have a strong chance of developing prints from ammunition and firearms, they'll also have a technique that can process other difficult exhibits.

'If the use of VMD can help solve even a small proportion of crimes that have involved firearms then I will be extremely happy; the effort I have put in to this research will have paid off and the knowledge of knowing that it has helped victims of crime is the best reward I could ask for.

'I think the breakthrough is in the use of single metal processes, such as silver and sterling silver. The traditional gold and zinc process is not suitable for this type of evidence.

'It was very exciting when I first successfully developed a fingerprint on a fired casing. It was completely unexpected, given the reported lack of success of all other fingerprinting techniques.

'What made it more exciting was the level of detail we had managed to develop. The fingerprint would have easily been identifiable.'

Ian Harris, the managing director of West Technology, is convinced his company has come up with technology which has the potential to clear up thousands of unsolved gun crimes 

Ian Harris, the managing director of West Technology, is convinced his company has come up with technology which has the potential to clear up thousands of unsolved gun crimes 

WHY DOES THE ASSASSINATION OF JFK CONTINUE TO AROUSE INTRIGUE TO THIS DAY?

President John F Kennedy's assassination has attracted conspiracy theories ever since he was gunned down in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. 

In 1964, the Warren Commission concluded that former Marine Lee Harvey Oswald was the only person responsible for assassinating Kennedy. 

In 1979, however, the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded that Kennedy was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy, although it did not identify any individuals or groups. 

Countless articles, books, films and documentaries over the years have put forward alternative explanations.

These have included accusations of involvement of the CIA, the Mafia, sitting Vice President Lyndon B Johnson, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro and the KGB.

Some go further to suggest the US government covered up crucial information in the aftermath of the assassination.

Thousands of previously classified records released in 2017 still haven't settled the best-known, real-life whodunit in American history.

One file revealed how, just a few hours after Lee Harvey Oswald was killed in Dallas, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover dictated a memo.

This said that the government needed to issue something 'so we can convince the public' that Oswald killed President John F. Kennedy.

Official documents like this have only served to fuel the fervor of anyone convinced of a cover-up.

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