Examination of the body

Examination of the body

The only fully reliable method of gaining definitive evidence on gunshot fatalities is a complete autopsy. This entails correct description and accurate localisation of all external wounds, exploration of the bullet track, documentation of all injuries and recovery of bullets still in the body. In addition to the anatomical examination a study of the victim's clothing, photographs of entrance and exit wounds, and radiological screening to detect missiles or bullet fragments which remain unaccounted for must be done.