Lack of ammunition-handling evidence on Sheila's hands

[Reader]

Could the operator listening to the line distinguish between bangs made by police breaking in and a bang made by a rifle?

[lebaleb]

Smashing down a door is loud, so the noise of a shot could be lost.

[Hartley]

Smashing down a door is loud, so the noise of a shot would be lost.

Could be lost.

[bob]

So back to the original topic of the thread... why were Sheila's hands clean?

[Hartley]

So back to the original topic of the thread... why were Sheila's hands clean?

Because she didn't do anything to get them dirty?

Also the ballistics expert (Malcolm Fletcher) states in his report that Sheila's night dress would have firearms residue on it if she fired the suicide shots, why isn't there any?

[lebaleb]

So back to the original topic of the thread... why were Sheila's hands clean?

Because she didn't do anything to get them dirty?

Also the ballistics expert (Malcolm Fletcher) states in his report that Sheila's night dress would have firearms residue on it if she fired the suicide shots, why isn't there any?

It seems to me that the gun would have been in pretty much the same position whoever pulled the trigger so how could one person result in residue while a different person pulling the trigger would not???

[Patti]

Because she didn't do anything to get them dirty?

Also the ballistics expert (Malcolm Fletcher) states in his report that Sheila's night dress would have firearms residue on it if she fired the suicide shots, why isn't there any?

It appears that Sheila was shot at close range, the gun by her side, therefore this suggests that she would have had residue on her skin and her clothing. 

Note that her hand swabs were not tested till the 17th September, which could mean that the residue had diminished. 

[Bridget]

It appears that Sheila was shot at close range, the gun by her side, therefore this suggests that she would have had residue on her skin and her clothing. 

Note that her hand swabs were not tested till the 17th September, which could mean that the residue had diminished. 

Or it couldn't...

There was residue around her wounds.

[Patti]

Or it couldn't...

There was residue around her wounds.

Detective Inspector Hayes said traces of gunshot residue can disappear from a live person in less than two hours, even without any tampering. 

[Patti]

Gun shot residue will stay on your hand for upwards of 4 hours if you do not cleanse it properly

[Bridget]

Detective Inspector Hayes said traces of gunshot residue can disappear from a live person in less than two hours, even without any tampering. 

Who's he, and how does it disappear (bearing in mind that sniffer dogs can alledgedly smell it days later even after a bath)? What about lead deposits from loading bullets into a magazine?

[Nuala]

Or it couldn't...

There was residue around her wounds.

I could be wildly wrong, Bridget, but wasn't one of these marks a burn mark from the hot gases? I do believe the marks around the second wound may be due to the spread of the swelling and bruising in her neck where the blood had leaked into the tissues. Venesiz (spelling?) noted this swelling and bruising.

[Bridget]

I could be wildly wrong, Bridget, but wasn't one of these marks a burn mark from the hot gases? I do believe the marks around the second wound may be due to the spread of the swelling and bruising in her neck where the blood had leaked into the tissues. Venesiz (spelling?) noted this swelling and bruising.

I know he reported residue on at least one of the wounds, I'd have to check if it was on both. I agree with you re the swelling and bruising, although that may not be all that is there.

[Bridget]

Gun shot residue will stay on your hand for upwards of 4 hours if you do not cleanse it properly

Oh, and dead people don't sweat 

[Nuala]

I know he reported residue on at least one of the wounds, I'd have to check if it was on both. I agree with you re the swelling and bruising, although that may not be all that is there.

Thank you, I'll be interested in what you find.