Firearms and Toolmark Error Rates

Authors

Susan VanderPlas, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Kori Khan, Iowa State UniversityFollow
Heike Hofmann, Iowa State UniversityFollow
Alicia L. Carriquiry, Iowa State UniversityFollow

ORCID IDs

VanderPlas 0000-0002-3803-0972

Khan 0000-0001-8209-7907

Hofmann 0000-0001-6216-5183

Carriquiry 0000-0002-6428-9427

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

1-3-2022

Citation

VanderPlas, Khan, Hofmann, & Carriquiry (2022) Firearms and Toolmark Error Rates. Submitted by the defense in Illinois v. Winfield, 15 CR 14066-01

doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.oth/019

Comments

Copyright 2022, the authors. Used by permission.

Abstract

We have outlined several problems with the state of error rate studies on firearm and toolmark examination. Fundamentally, we do not know what the error rate is for these types of comparisons. This is a failure of the scientific study of toolmarks, rather than the examiners themselves, but until this is corrected with multiple studies that meet the criteria described in Section 3, we cannot support the use of this evidence in criminal proceedings.