Planted Cartridge Theory: Having Faith In Forensic Science

Forensic investigators use crime scene reconstruction methods to analyze various patterns; foot prints, projectile trajectories to track back to the firing location and to match projectile location to cartridge location, i.e. cartridge ejection patterns. Projectile locations have a location and a angular trajectory (They can show movement of the shooter or angle of the firearm), so it is possible to match the two patterns.

In an exchange of gun fire; the criminal is firing the handgun and potentially moving at the same time. These actions are mirrored in the pattern of the cartridge casings. If the person then randomly drops or plants cartridges, those dropped cartridges would not follow the pattern that occurred during the actual action. A common criminal who has committed a murder or has drawn a firearm in a fire fight, is not going to be in the right frame of mind, nor in an opportune moment to take into consideration these types of ideas. Fight or flight response takes over.

The physical evidence is also analyzed; powder or gun shot residue (its type, age, and oxidation), oxidation of the cartridges themselves (fresh versus old), finger-prints on the cartridges, odd things (cartridge with pocket lint, dirt) and the standard ballistic markings on the projectile (rifling land marks, twist).

The planted cartridge scenario is not realistic for nearly >90% of gang or moment of opportunity based heinous acts or crimes.

Another point is that planted cartridges have a history and by planting them at a crime scene the criminal is just leaving more leads to follow. Maybe those planted cartridges will lead the place where the cartridges were taken, maybe that range has video taping system, or requires people to show drivers license and sign a form to enter the range area or maybe by finding these cartridges to plant that means there is more of an opportunity to recover good finger prints.

The fact is that planting cartridges is an interesting theory, but it reality, it doesn't happen now and modern forensic crime scene investigation methods are more than capable of overcoming this type of scenario.