A man presents with a chest wound after being struck by a bullet he believes ricocheted off a concrete wall. Autopsy of a similar fatal case shows a large, irregular, gaping entry defect with ragged margins, no true abrasion collar, and a markedly flattened, deformed bullet recovered from the body. Which feature MOST supports a ricochet rather than a direct entry?

• A Presence of powder tattooing around the defect
• B Inward beveling of the underlying rib
• C Smaller size of the entry wound compared with the bullet diameter
• D Large irregular entry without abrasion collar and a deformed bullet carrying traces of the intermediate surface ✓

Explanation

A ricochet bullet strikes the body off-axis, tumbling, slowed and deformed, so it produces a broad irregular lacerated entry lacking the punched-out margin and abrasion collar of a direct hit. Particles of paint, concrete or soil from the intervening surface may be embedded in the wound or on the bullet, corroborating the ricochet. Tattooing would indicate a close-range direct shot, and inward beveling merely confirms it as an entry defect.

Reference: Knight's Forensic Pathology, 4th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.