TX - Moriah Wilson, 25, Cyclist Fatally Shot Before Race, Austin, 2022 *arrest* #8

[arielilane]

William (Bill) Tobin - Forensic Resources

forensicresources.org

 

[arielilane]

@alcaprari23

A lot of ballistic jargon being thrown around, but I'll do my best to summarize to my understanding. Tobin is defining striations: essentially marks left behind when a gun is fired. For what it's worth, the court reporter also looks confused by these big words!


1:35 PM · Nov 15, 2023

 

[arielilane]

This is not the typical person's wheelhouse. moo

 

[arielilane]

@alcaprari23

Defines sub-class characteristics as inadvertent or coincidental manufacturing defects or impressions on a firearm that weren't originally intended by the gun maker.


1:36 PM · Nov 15, 2023


Tobin says that gun manufacturers are striving for uniformity among their weapons, but almost certainly are tool marks inadvertently left behind.


1:38 PM · Nov 15, 2023

 

[BUF]

@alcaprari23

A lot of ballistic jargon being thrown around, but I'll do my best to summarize to my understanding. Tobin is defining striations: essentially marks left behind when a gun is fired. For what it's worth, the court reporter also looks confused by these big words!


1:35 PM · Nov 15, 2023

Bet the jury is also confused with his big words

 

[SteveP]

This seems, to me, like it may be the defense's star witness. His soul job seems to be to cast doubt on the ballistics findings, or confuse the jurors, and he has seemingly impressive credentials, though he does come off as arrogant, so not sure the jury will find him likeable. Do we think the defense will rest after this witness?

 

[Walela]

@JessicaTaylorTX

Tobin asked about his research on comparative bullet analysis, which he previously called “defunct.” Tobin says September 1, 2005 the FBI was vacating the practice and would not offer it as a forensic service.


1:13 PM · Nov 15, 2023

Here is the 9-1-2005 FBI press release regarding comparative bullet analysis. It appears to me this is referring to bullet lead examination when the gun was not recovered or the bullet was too mutilated. I don't see anything in this PR that mentions the discontinuation of tool mark identification or comparison.

9-1-2005 FBI Press Release

 

[jash]

Unless he can unequivocally state that KA's gun did NOT fire the bullets that ended Mo's life, I don't think his testimony will do much to help KA.

 

[SteveP]

Bet the jury is also confused with his big words

When you confuse jurors, you run the risk that they will just tune you out. JMO

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

This is not the typical person's wheelhouse. moo

No. Zzzzzzzz.

 

[arielilane]

@JessicaTaylorTX

Tobin says once these firearms are produced, they’re typically shipped to retail outlets or warehouses. Tobin says they’d found concentrated distribution/homogenous phenomenons of bullets and expect the same of firearms.


1:43 PM · Nov 15, 2023

 

[jepop]

This seems, to me, like it may be the defense's star witness. His soul job seems to be to cast doubt on the ballistics findings, or confuse the jurors, and he has seemingly impressive credentials. Do we think the defense will rest after this witness?

It's the fall back plan -if stolen gun is unlikely to raise some doubt, maybe bullets could have come from different gun will.

 

[arielilane]

@alcaprari23

Tobin says the scientific method is necessary to build a strong hypotheses and conclusion: Prediction, Experiment, Observation and Theory (PEOT). Repeatability is one of the cornerstones of the scientific method, although Tobin says it doesn't necessary apply to ballistics.


1:48 PM · Nov 15, 2023

 

[SteveP]

It's the fall back plan -if stolen gun is unlikely to raise some doubt, maybe bullets could have come from different gun will.

A shooter on the grassy knoll? We are in Texas, after all.

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

It's the fall back plan -if stolen gun is unlikely to raise some doubt, maybe bullets could have come from different gun will.

I'm trying to recall what they said about the bullets so far. Didn't they state one was too melted to analyze but the others...?

 

[Charlot123]

@alcaprari23

Quartaro discussing transfer DNA and how someone doesn't have to necessarily touch something in order for their DNA to be on it. Someone else can act as the intermediary. Blood, saliva, semen and skin are the main sources of DNA, Quartaro says.


11:49 AM · Nov 15, 2023

Yes, but if CS's DNA is not on Mo's bike, and KA's, is, then there is no way CS transfered KA's DNA to Mo's bike. Plus, transfer DNA can usually be found on one place, not all over the bike.

 

[BUF]

When you confuse jurors, you run the risk that they will just tune you out. JMO

Yep, but I think the jury may have already tuned out on the defense’s endless bolstering of him before he even got into discussing this case

 

[SteveP]

I'm trying to recall what they said about the bullets so far. Didn't they state one was too melted to analyze but the others...?

The markings on the others were consistent to strongly consistent with known bullets fired from her gun, IIRC

 

[arielilane]

@alcaprari23

Tobin says there is no scientific accepted protocol for firearms and tool mark examinations because there is no protocol that specifies the parameters of detection. Recall that the defense continued to emphasize with the last ballistic expert that he was giving his subjective opinion when saying that the spent shell casings found at the crime scene were "in agreement" with the test firings from Armstrong's gun.


1:53 PM · Nov 15, 2023

 

[caradana]

I'm not Rick, but exactly... so why waste everyone's time? She's not a credible or useful witness, imo.

I have to imagine that she would try earnestly to not perjure herself. And going on record here: if my sister ever shows up while I’m doing my artist colony camping thing and she randomly needs my passport: I am quizzing her on what she did, because that girl be GUILTY. And if she left without asking me for it and I henceforth discovered it missing: that girl be even GUILTIER, as they say. I believe high likelihood jurors would agree.