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firearm.
    â€œI am an instructor at Widner School of Law, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Philadelphia Police Academy. I also instruct all the new DAs at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office.”
    The DA turned to the defense table and asked, “Are there any objections to this witness’s qualifications as an expert witness?”
    â€œNo, Your Honor,” Boone’s attorney drawled as though bored with the specifics.
    The district attorney walked across the floor and picked up the gun that killed Ms. Hodges. The gun had a plastic tie through the barrel and was locked in an open position. “Officer Mabley, can you tell me about this firearm, which was found at the scene of the defendant’s place of residence?”
    I took the gun from the DA and read the numbers from the property receipt. “Yes, this pistol was placed on property receipt #92714529338 and submitted to the Forensic Science Center through the normal procedures.”
    â€œWhat can you tell us about this firearm?”
    â€œThis is a semiautomatic pistol, manufactured by Sturm Ruger and Co. model P-ninety-five. It is nine-millimeter Luger in caliber, with six lands and grooves with a right-hand twist. The finish is stainless steel, three-and-seven-eighths-inch barrel, with rubber grips.” I stopped and flipped the gun around so the serial number on the butt was visible. “Serial number 315-73198. The firearm was presented with gunshot residue in the barrel and found to be in operable condition. Also submitted were fourteen Remington cartridges, nine-millimeter Luger in caliber. However, this firearm has a magazine capacity of sixteen and one in the chamber.”
    â€œWas there any other evidence submitted that was found to be related to this firearm?”
    The DA handed me an evidence envelope. I opened it and read numbers from the receipt that was inside along with the evidence.
    â€œSubmitted on Property Receipt #943673284309, received from the Medical Examiner’s officer were two fired bullets.”
    â€œWhat, if anything, can you tell us about the relationship between this firearm and the fired bullets?”
    â€œThe bullets that were submitted were found to be nine-millimeter Luger in caliber with six lands and grooves and a right-hand twist.”
    â€œIs there anything else you can tell us?”
    â€œYes, the firearm was test fired into the water tank and those bullets were compared against the bullets submitted from the ME’s office.”
    â€œWhat can you tell us about that comparison?”
    â€œWhen these two specimens were compared against one another, it was determined that they were both fired from the same firearm.”
    â€œSo, Officer Mabley, you are saying that the bullets that were taken from the victim were fired from the same firearm that was taken from the defendant’s residence?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œHow can you be so sure?”
    â€œDuring the manufacturing process, tools are used to put in the lands and grooves. Incidental to this process, microscopic markings are left in the barrel, which gives each barrel its own identifiable markings that are unique to that gun and that gun alone.”
    â€œYou mean to say to the exclusion of all other nine-millimeter pistols out there, these marks are unique to this gun and this gun only.”
    â€œYes. The bullet that killed Ms. Hodges was fired from the gun in evidence.”
    â€œOfficer, where was this gun you’re speaking about found?”
    â€œIt was found at the defendant’s home, in the master bedroom, on the nightstand.”
    â€œPlease tell the jury what led up to the gun being confiscated from the defendant’s residence. What happened the night you found Ms. Hodges’s body and the gun?”
    â€œI received a call from who I thought was Officer Parker saying there had been a shooting at the defendant’s address.”
    â€œWhat