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Robert F Kennedy Assassination — Part 2
Page 53
53 / 60
I
3
3
to
Q
or oxidation
of these
bullets. Finally,
Morton concluded
that al-
though the
irregularities reproduced
on the
bullets test-fired
by
Wolfer suggested
that they
may have
been fired
from the
same
weapon, Morton
felt
that
there
was
insufficient reproducible
micro-
scopic details
present on
these
particular
Wolfer bullets,
and
he
was unable
to positively
link either
the bullets
fired by
wolfer or
the
evidence
bullets with
one weapon.
Morton did,
however, make
positive identification
of several
of
the
1975
test-fired bullets
with the
fact that
they had
come
from
one
weapon. Morton
did
confirm, on
cross examination,
the
findings
of
the
other
panel
members that
there
was
no
evidence
that
a second
gun had fired any
of the
bullets.
It should
be emphasized92that
several of
the experts
testified
both in
court and
in
their
working
papers that
the
Sirhan
weapon had
two muzzle
imperfections that
were transmitted
to test
bullets and
found
on
bullets
recovered from
Senator Kennedy
and victims
Goldstein and
weisel. And
although
there
were
not enough
indi-
vidual characteristics
on the
victim bullets
to permit
a positive
identification
of
linking
these
bullets
with the
Sirhan weapon,
five of
the experts
directly
or
indirectly
linked
these
three
critical evidence
bullets as
coming from
one weapon.
Asked if
there still
existed the
possibility of
a second
gun, Stanton
Berg
replied on
cross
examination,
"I think
it's a very
slim possi-
bility. That's
all
it is."
But Berg
stated
that
his fellow
experts
were in
"surprisingly uniform
agreement concerning
the individual
and gross
characteristics and
striations found
on the
several
bullets. Biasotti
stated
that
a group
of repeating
consecutive
lines at
the same
contour on
all
the
bullets was
an objective
basis
to
make
his
finding that
the evidence
showed no
indication of
a
second gun.
Additionally, all
of the
experts stated
that there
was
no evidence
of any
inconsistencies, either
in
the
gross
or indivi-
dual characteristics
and marks
on any
of the
bullets, to
show any
evidence
of
a
second
gun.
All of
the experts
stated that
they
had
worked individually
on their
own individual
work sheets,
and had
not consulted
each other
until after
the completion
of their
own
individual reports.
It was
at that
time
that
they drew
up their
joint report
where they
stated no
substantive or
demonstrable evi-
dence to
indicate more
than,one gun
was used
to fire
any of
the
bullets examined.
.
~
None of
the
experts
could
give any
clear cut
reason for
the
leaded condition
of the
barrel, although
several stated
that it
could have
been the
normal result
of seven
years time
lapse since
the gun
had been
previously fired.
Only Garland
made the
reference
to the
fact
that
there
was
a possibility
that the
gun had
been fired
during those
seven intervening
years. The
arguments among
counsel
concerning the
1971 Grand
Jury
inquiry
into the
integrity of
the
exhibits was
never
a part
of
the
testimony or
transcripts available
to the
experts, and
with the
possible exception
of Lowell
Bradford,
it is
doubtful that
any of
the experts
had knowledge
of the
contro-
versy surrounding
the Grand
Jury investigation.
The barrel
had
been cleaned
prior to
the test
firing, and
in this
respect
Cunningham had
stated on
cross examination
that the
science of
ballistics was
such that
after
any
cleansing process
of the
barrel,
it would
be difficult
to identify
the consecutive
bullets fired.
There was
no guarantee
that the
original marks
left on
the barrel
indentations would
be implanted
on the
later test-fired
bullets.
However, all
the
experts
felt that
thege were Jepeatable marks
present on
all the
bullets around
the 300
to 360
land area.
+ ,,r,3?.fW_
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