Which data is NOT typically used in ballistic trajectory reconstruction?

Which data is NOT typically used in ballistic trajectory reconstruction?

• A. Blood spatter patterns
• B. Entry and exit wounds
• C. Bullet orientation
• D. Scene geometry

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that ballistic trajectory reconstruction relies on evidence that directly constrains the bullet’s flight path. Entry and exit wounds give the line along which the bullet passed through the body, and bullet orientation helps infer the bullet’s attitude at impact. The geometry of the scene provides the 3D relationships between shooter, victim, and environment, allowing you to map possible paths and estimate angles and distances. Blood spatter patterns, while valuable for understanding the victim’s position and movements after the shot, do not typically define the bullet’s precise trajectory through space in the way wounds and scene layout do. So the data not typically used to reconstruct ballistic trajectory are blood spatter patterns.

The key idea is that ballistic trajectory reconstruction relies on evidence that directly constrains the bullet’s flight path. Entry and exit wounds give the line along which the bullet passed through the body, and bullet orientation helps infer the bullet’s attitude at impact. The geometry of the scene provides the 3D relationships between shooter, victim, and environment, allowing you to map possible paths and estimate angles and distances. Blood spatter patterns, while valuable for understanding the victim’s position and movements after the shot, do not typically define the bullet’s precise trajectory through space in the way wounds and scene layout do. So the data not typically used to reconstruct ballistic trajectory are blood spatter patterns.