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Robert F Kennedy Assassination — Part 1
Page 39
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Asked if he had compared the rifling angles of photographs
#47 and #54, Bradford stated that he could not discern any
differences between the rifling angles of the two photographs.
Ward asked Bradford that based on the individual characteristics of
the spent bullets, did he attempt to make a positive identification
of the photographs of People's Exhibit #55 and 5B (the seven Wolfer
fired test bullets) and the Kennedy bullet, 47, and the Weisel
bullet, 54. Bradford replied that he determined that the class
characteristics, the number of marks from the rifling and the
‘general dimensions, were consistent on all the bullets, but that he
could find no evidence of any specific identification mark which
would be necessary to identify one bullet as having been fired from
the same weapon.
Ward then stated, "So in the erucial analysis to determine
if the bullets were fired from the same weapon, you did not find
sufficient characteristics on which to base that conclusion?"
Bradford, "That is correct."
Ward than asked, "So it was impossible, you would state,
therefore, that the characteristics were not present to identify
the same gun as having been used for all of the bullets?"
Bradford answered, "That is correct."
Finally, Ward asked Bradford what Bradford thought should be
done to resolve the questions being raised and Bradford replied
that the only manner of resolving all of the questions was to
conduct a thorough examination of all of the evidence. When asked
by Ward if the Sirhan gun should be refired, Bradford answered,
"Yes." .
1974 Testimony of Criminalist Herbert MacDonell
In the fall of 1973, and prior to the hearing of May, 1974,
Herbert MacDonell had examined Balliscan photographs of spent
bullets that had been taken by William Harper in i970.
Specifically, MacDonell was looking at bullets #47, the Kennedy
bullet, and #54, the Weisel bullet. Thereafter, MacDonnell also had
access to the other photographs taken under Ward's direction in
April, 1974. At the hearing, when asked by Ward if he had arrived
at any conclusion as a result of his examinations of the several
photographs MacDonell replied; "An examination of the photograph of
Trial Exhibit #47, as Lowell Bradford has just testified,
demonstrates the appearance of one cannelure which is toward the
top center of the exhibit labeled ‘'Harper-Kennedy.' The Harper-
Weisel photograph gives evidence of two cannelures."
And when asked if he could find any difference in the
physical characteristics of the bullets in the Harper photographs
of 1970 and the Ward photographs of 1974, MacDonell replied, "No."
When asked if he had arrived at any conclusions as a result
of comparison of the rifling angles in the photographs of Exhibits
47 and 54, MacDonell stated, "That Exhibit 47, the original Harper
photograph, has approximately up to half a degree or 30 minutes
AifFFaranna in tha ancila of rifling between the Weisel bullet."
We aed We he fhe at oe he Codd be Ce tal ~- Mined ialiadhiandinaibaied ee or Nee ae See a
Ward asked if this was a serious difference. And MacDonell.
replied, "No." MacDonell then stated that since he did not have the
negative of the photos taken by the Balliscan camera, it was really
impossible to make any estimate. However, he did conclude that the
difference in rifling angle was less than one-half degree or i€ss
than 30 minutes. He did suggest that additional measurements be
made on the test fired bullets.
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