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easiest way to visualize the trajectory is to place a rod (preferably made of wood or plastic; not metallic) through the entrance and exit wounds. This should be done with care in order not to cause any artificial canal or to manipulate the canal. Therefore, placing a rod in the canal should be done after thorough exploration and documentation of the wound canal. 62 Once placed, photographs from various angles should be taken to exactly visualize the trajectory path. Bear in mind that, under certain circumstances, e.g. when a superficial bone is hit by the bullet right after entering the body, the bullet or bigger parts of it may be deflected. Thus, the trajectory of the bullet in the corpse and the actual flight path of the bullet before hitting the body may not correspond exactly in a straight line. In cases of multiple shooting, determining the exact trajectory of each shot and the sequence may be difficult and extra attention should be given to come to conclusive results. Beside the determination of entrance and exit wounds and the trajectory, the necropsy should focus on the degree and severity of tissue damage that has been inflicted by the bullet. Injuries may be found distant from the trajectory path of the main part of the bullet when deforming bullets or fragmenting bullets were used due to the temporary wound cavity (see chapter “Wound ballistics and wounding capacity”) Larger bullet residues (app. > 3 mm) and pellets that appeared in the radiographs should carefully be searched for and removed from the carcass. Take care not to inflict any artificial marks on the fragments during this process, use plastic forceps, gloved fingers etc. since each weapon may leave distinctive marks on the bullet that may be used for further forensic investigations! After removal, carefully rinse the fragments with water to remove any tissue residues, than dry them to avoid possible oxidation. Store the fragments in a soft packaging and a rigid and appropriately labelled (plastic) container. Carefully record all findings of the pathological investigation in an exhaustive written protocol and document them with multiple angle/distance photographs. To facilitate the description of superficial wounds (e.g. entrance and exit wounds) with reference to ballistic evidence, use schematic multiple-angle diagrams of the carcass. 63 Figure 22: Fragments from a deforming bullet retrieved from a carcass. Note the main fragment (bottom of the projectile) on the upper left (Source and © FIWI). 6.1.4.4.2.2 Shotgun wounds When fired at contact or close distance, shotguns are extremely destructive. However, this scenario can more or less be ruled out in wildlife crime cases. At longer distances, the wounding capacity of shotguns is relatively low and therefore lethal only in small game like hares and birds.The pellets do not form any temporary wound cavity but inflict small wounds resembling blunt trauma. The pellets themselves only seldom inflict damage to vital inner organs. Usually, they are found in the periphery of the body, e.g. subcutaneously or in the outer muscular layer without having penetrated the abdominal or thoracic cavity. However, exposed bones without a dense covering muscular layer such as the skull or distal extremities may fracture by the impact of the pellets. 64 6.1.5 Disposal of carcass In many cases, gross pathological investigations will not yield unambiguous results whether illegal killing is evident or not. Commonly, this can only be achieved by the ancillary investigations and the interpretations of all the results. Until a conclusive statement can be made, the carcass must be regarded as an important item of evidence and must not be disposed of. Permission to do so must be sought with the leading investigator of the legal authorities or the leading prosecutor, respectively. Bear in mind that long-term storage of the remains of the carcass under appropriate conditions (cooled/frozen) may be a legal requirement during legal investigations and a pending trial in court.