Trajectory reconstruction from trace evidence on spent bullets. II. Are tissue deposits eliminated by subsequent impacts?

STR-based individualisation of biological deposits on bullets after perforation of tissue, can identify the person injured or killed by a particular bullet and comparison with the firearms used can identify the weapon and thus possibly the person who did the shooting. In this study, the effect of subsequent impacts on intermediate targets such as loss of cells was investigated by amplification of mitochondrial (mt) DNA. Bovine tissue was perforated and the 9 mm Luger FMJ bullets were recovered from the bullet collector.