The Second Part

Last Friday, Sir Chan did the Paraffin Casting and yesterday Mam Vicky performed the paraffin test. Together with Faye and Mark who had just reported, we observed how Mam Vicky did the test. She put Diphenylamine or commonly known as Lange's Reagent to the cast. If it is positive of gun powder nitrates, a blue color will appear from the bottom and will continue to grow bigger. Sometimes there are blue dots that would appear, but if it didn't come out from the bottom, so it is not gun powder nitrates. It could be a contamination because nitrate can also be present in other like the soil.

The paraffin test can be performed only within 72 hours from the time that person fired the gun because after 72 hours the nitrates might already be blown away by the wind or other factors. They don't also perform paraffin test to a person who was already embalmed because the pores of the skin will no longer open so it you put a hot wax for the nitrate to evaporate it will just stick to the wax.


posted by:

Isabelle Melinette M. Gucor

Paraffin Casting

Today, May 7, 2007, Ma'am Vicky let us observe a paraffin testing. Last Friday, I and Isabelle observed paraffin casting. Today, we had test the paraffin cast they have made from last Friday casting. Ma'am Vicky applied DPA( a solid substance + H2SO4 ). If the victim do really fire a gun, there would be a color blue that will come from the cast. However, the result of the test was negative, there were no color blue thing that came out from the cast. Ma'am Vicky explained to us how things happen in the paraffin casting and testing. She also told us when they would not execute Paraffin casting and explained why. Ma'am said they would not cast a paraffin on dead people who was already "balsamar" neither they will cast a paraffin on a person who is suspected to fire a gun in more than 72 hours.

Also today, Mark Carlo reported to the agency.

Macro Etching

Sir Jayger gave us a lecture on Physical Identification particularly in Macro Etching. Physical Identification includes tool marks, macro etching, molding & casting, hair comparison/identification, glass fracture and fingerprint but fingerprint has a separate division because it is a wide coverage. He can only explain to us Macro Etching because the others will be explain to us by our supervisor. All that are include in the Physical Identification Division are perform by a chemist or a chemical engineer but Sir Jayger as a licensed criminologist was authorized by Ma'am Vicky to do the Macro Etching or the Examination of the engine number and chassis number of motor vehicles if there is a sign of alternation or tampering, because it uses only a small amount of chemicals and also the lack of chemist and chemical engineers.

Paraffin Test

We observed a Paraffin Test last Friday. A Paraffin test is use to determine the presence of gun powder in the hands of someone who is suspected of firing a gun. The test is painful because the wax that will be put on your hands is hot but it won't burn your skin. You will just avoid touching water for ten to fifteen hours. The test wasn't finish yet because a reagent will still be drop to determine the presence of gun powder and our supervisor will do it next week.

Paraffin Casting

On Friday, May 4,2007, together with Isabelle we observed a paraffin casting. A civilian from Loboc, Bohol was blaimed firing a gun in there place. He wants to prove that he not guilty, he undergo paraffin casting to know if there are gun powder in his hands. Sir Chan performed the casting by heating wax. The wax would be applied to the suspect's hands. It is very very hot that the suspect would nearly cry. His body was colored red. Then after, Sir Chan placed cotton and applied wax again and they will wait for it to dry. Sir Chan made it to the other hand. When it was already dry, they removed the hand and the cotton that was cast was left. It would go for further examination by our supervisor but since Ma'am Vicky was on a court duty, the further examination would be done next week.

When I saw the pain in the suspect, just seeing the casting made me wanna cry. Just seeing the casting, I felt the pain. I told myself that I don't want to experienced the same thing the suspect experienced. That is why, I wouldn't fire a gun illegally.

posted by: Faye

Firearms

On Wednesday, May 2, 2007, I and Isabelle listened to a lecture about firearms and Sir Florentino explained to us the Principle of Firearms Identification, Principles involved in Bullet Identification and Principles involved in Shell Identification. He also told us about the two general characteristics of firearms. Using a Bullet Comparison Microscope, we saw microscopic markings in a primers of a bullet shell. We saw the similarities or differences of the markings found in the primers.

Sir Art arrived at the agency when we were using and observing the microscope. He talked to Ma'am Vicky and to the personnels in the agency. After their talk, we also have some chit chat with Sir Art. He leave the agency before lunch since he need to visit PHO where Gino and Mark are.

In the afternoon, we observed gun firings. Since we were not allowed to fire gun ourselves, we observed Sir Jayger and Sir Florentino firing a gun.

Posted by: Faye

Bang!

Today, Sir Art visited us. Before he arrived at the agency, we had a lecture about firearms with Sir Florentino. He explained to us the Principles of Firearms Identification, Principles in Bullet Identification and Principles involved in Shell Identification.

We were viewing the primer of a bullet shell under a Bullet Comparison Microscope when Sir Art arrived. He and our supervisor were talking while we were observing the minute differences and similarities of the primers of two bullet shells. Sir Jayger also gave us some informations of how a gun work. He showed us some examples of different kinds of bullets for different kinds of gun. He asked permission if we could try to fire a gun but we were not allowed because we are still young for it so we just observed Sir Jayger and Sir Florentino fired a gun for testings.