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Source: ONE News -
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Forensic scientists may soon have a new tool in their crime solving armoury and it is all down to the work of an Otago post graduate student.
Gemma Radford is creating a blood spatter model that will help determine whether a gunshot wound was self inflicted or not.
It's the gory stuff of television drama that inspired the Otago masters student.
"I guess programmes like CSI did have a big influence on me, not that I'd like to admit that or anything," says Radford.
She is fighting bad guys with science as she is creating the world's first back spatter model which helps explain how blood is dispersed from a gunshot injury.
"Back spatter is blood ejected out of gunshot entrance wound," Radford explains.
It is that kind of science which Michael Taylor of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) says will be helpful in court.
"We think it is important in specific cases, involving firearms where allegation an individual has been responsible and he has blood stains on him. It's very important we understand how to interpret those accurately," says Taylor.
Radford explains how models were created for the experiments.
"We used silicon for the skin, resin material for the bone, and gelatine for the brain, then pigs blood for the blood component. We made up a bunch of these models and just had a go at shooting them," says Radford.
Radford's experiments were based around a 9mm glock pistol and she says once perfected it she will be able to figure out exactly how far away the shooter is placed from the bullet's point of entry.
Earning a place on the forensic world map makes it worth all the effort.
"I think its really awesome its quite novel and if my research, the model can become something that's used then that would be great," says Radford.
Radford will finish her thesis in November but says getting the model to perfection will take a few more years.
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