Analysis of beveling in gunshot entrance wounds

The analysis of skeletal trauma is an important aspect of forensic case work. Yet most major pathology references devote limited attention to this topic. The aim of this paper is to analyze beveling in gunshot entrance wounds, from a series of 27 cases with a total of 39 wounds. Assessment was made by measuring the external and internal cranial dimensions, describing the area of most pronounced beveling, and correlating the directions of the beveling with the trajectory of the bullet. Results indicated that inward beveling was found in 36 of 39 cases, the absence of beveling in four bones, and actual external beveling in one case. The inconsistency in the direction of most pronounced beveling in reference to the direction of shooting leads to the conclusion that this characteristic cannot be used to make a reliable assessment of the direction of fire. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.