DNA recovery from fired hollow point ammunition

ABSTRACT

Firearm-related exhibits are often found at crime scenes. These exhibits may include the firearm, cartridges, cartridges cases or bullets. As ammunition needs to be handled to load the weapon, regardless of the action or loading type, DNA may be deposited onto the ammunition via touch. As reproducible DNA profiles have been obtained from fired cartridge casings and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fragments, it is possible that quantifiable amounts of DNA could be recovered from fired bullets. A series of 40 Winchester PowerPoint 22LR 42 grain HP Copper Plated bullets were loaded with serially diluted cell suspensions obtained from a female donor. These were shot into 500 sheet reams of A3 paper for capture and returned to a sterile DNA laboratory for removal, extraction and quantification of DNA. Repeatable partial profiles with five reportable loci pairs consistent with the cell donor were obtained in one replicate of the neat sample. Weak partial profiles were also present in 1:2, 1:5 and 1:10 dilutions. To our knowledge, this is the first reported evidence of DNA surviving the cycle of fire and being recovered from a fired bullet under controlled conditions.

KEYWORDS:

• DNA recovery
• forensic firearms
• ballistics
• forensic DNA
• DNA quantitation
• DNA profiling
• ANZFSS

Acknowledgements

Many thanks go to my supervisor, Brendan Chapman, for guiding me through this entire process and ensuring I had access to all of the appropriate equipment. Further thanks go to Bob Fawcett, Laura Nutton and Elizabeth Morahan. Without their help this project would not have been possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Funding was provided as part of Murdoch University’s Master of Forensic Science (Professional Practice) programme. No input was made by the university in regards to the study design; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.