Forensic Technology helps police solve cold cases and gang crime
Posted by Andre Demers on Wed, Nov 11, 2009
At the recent International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Denver, Colorado, the IACP handed out the prestigious August Vollmer Awards for Forensic Excellence.
Two of these awards were received by agencies that used IBIS technology to help them solve a cold case and tackle gang crime.
Rocky Edwards and Louis Martinez of the Santa Ana Police Department won the award for Innovation in Forensic Technology. Their diligent work on a cold case dating from 1994 relied heavily on Forensic Technology's IBIS® BULLETTRAX-3D(TM) system, a new ballistics identification technology.
"Our technology has been used to help solve crimes in nearly 50 countries since 1992. To see our new IBIS® TRAX-3D(TM) system play such a significant a role in this cold case reinforces our core belief that our systems can truly help make our society a safer place," said Robert Walsh, President of Forensic Technology.
For over 13 years, Californian detectives were unable to link the suspected murder weapon to the fatal bullet. Edwards traveled to Forensic Technology headquarters in Montreal, Canada, and, using the BULLETTRAX-3D system, he imaged the autopsy bullet. He was then able to confirm the link and identify the murder weapon. When presented with the evidence, the accused pleaded guilty and is currently serving 35 years for murder.
A second August Vollmer Award was presented for Significant Investigative Value in a Major Crime to the Houston Crime Laboratory Division for their diligent efforts in linking 12 different investigations involving members of the La Tercera Crips (LTC) gang over a 10-month period. Using IBIS, the NIBIN network, and an aggressive approach to ballistic identification, the Houston Crime Laboratory was able to quickly relay information back to detectives that resulted in the arrest of eight gang members and the recovery of some of the murder weapons.
Full story here.