JimmyC4

Interesting story on Court TV's "Forensic Files" show tonight...I'll try to summarize.

A man was a suspect in the murder of his business partner. He had been shot in the head with a .25 pistol. Just three weeks before the murder, the suspect had bought a .25, but when police checked it they determined that it was not the murder weapon.

Employees reported that they had seen the suspect in the past showing off a different .25, an old Beretta with a tip-up barrel (Model 20 I think). Police thought that may be the murder weapon, but the suspect denied ever having owned such a pistol.

After a few years with no progress, one of the investigators had an idea. He wondered if the holster held in evidence, which had carried the .25 the suspect admitted owning, could have marks on the inside indicating it had also carried the Beretta they believed was the murder weapon. Technicians cut the holster's stitching and examined the inside of the holster (a Galco), finding carry marks that matched up perfectly with a Beretta just like the guy said he'd never owned. Busted!

Along with other evidence, this was a key piece of evidence that convicted the sleazeball of first degree murder. The motive was $650,000 in life insurance on his partner (the insurance likely funded a buy-sell agreement) that would come to him upon death of his partner.

It was good to see justice done due to the perserverance and creative thinking by the investigators.

MNBurl

Very cool idea!

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MNBurl

Side Guard Holsters

"If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking" - George S. Patton.

TN_Mike

I watched that episode too. A very good one indeed.

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A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. -Barry Goldwater 1968

Smith10

Two things

1. I agree, cool show and good police work.

2. The title had me scared that there was gonna be another CSI spinoff.

QKShooter

That was pretty smart.
Interesting.
Forensics...amazing stuff.

Slightly Off Topic but, also very interesting and somewhat related.

Forensics nabbed this one bank robber - who robbed banks completely covered up from the bank security cameras.
They were sure they had the right guy but needed more proof positive to guarantee a conviction.

So...they exactly matched the very unique dark and light denim coloration pattern on the outside stitched seam running down the side leg of his worn blue jeans with the bank security camera robbery footage.
Pretty doggone amazing.

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Liberty/Tyranny
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The Day The Moon Stood Still. Be Happy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5lQDdegr2s

Tom G

Its getting harder to get away with murder. Thank God for DNA and forensics labs which have cleared the innocent and put the guilty where they belong.

AnimalKracker

Interesting stuff, wonder how much further along it will be in 20 years?

AgentX

The only problem with all the great technology is that it leaves juries expecting incontrovertible scientific evidence for every crime. Anything else, like old-fashioned testimony, no longer seems adequate...and there's not always some great digital thingamajigger or DNA transmosifier to make the case.

The "CSI factor" can really work against the good guys, too.

AX

AnimalKracker

And sometimes it comes down to just plain ol common sense, which I'm sad to say seems to be lacking in lots of things.