Problems With The Silencer Evidence: Flaws In The Forensic Findings

[Erik Narramore]

This issue could be approached from different angles and is complex.  Even if it is accepted that there was no blood in the rifle barrel, that could be interpreted in the opposite way to the interpretation of the prosecution.

Two shots to Daniel and possibly one shot to June were contact shots and the possibility of back-spatter due to non-contact shots and simple contact of the muzzle end of the silencer with the victim cannot be excluded.

If the rifle was being carried around with blood in the silencer, wouldn't some of that blood end up in the rifle barrel through simple gravity?  If there really was no blood in the rifle barrel, then you might ask: Could the silencer have been attached to the rifle during any of the killings?

There was also no blood on the floor of the den leading to the gun cupboard or in the gun cupboard itself.  The blood was only confirmed in the silencer itself.  The relatives admit they tampered with the silencer.

The blood in the silencer was found on the outside of the baffles, which is the position you would expect the blood to be found in if it was planted on the baffles, not if it got there through natural contact with blood or indeed back-spatter.

It looks more like the baffles have been pulled out of the silencer, blood has been dripped onto the baffles, allowed to dry, then the baffles have been re-inserted into the silencer housing.

Furthermore, the two scratches on the underside of the mantel and the 'U'-shaped scratch on the vertical face of the mantel could not have been caused in a struggle by the silencer examined for this purpose by the FSS, if the silencer was attached to the rifle at the time.

[Erik Narramore]

We must remember that blood grouping is not on its own conclusive.

[Erik Narramore]

I have always believed that two silencers were seized by the police (at least one of which was in the hands of the relatives).

It is also perfectly clear that two silencers were recorded as examined by the FSS - that's in black and white, you only have to look at the forensic records compiled by the FSS themselves.

I also believe that the silencer that the FSS attribute the scratch marks to could not, in fact, have made those scratch marks.

Furthermore, I believe that the blood distribution inside the silencer that was examined and recorded for this purpose is consistent with that blood having been planted by somebody, as is the surrounding blood evidence, or lack of blood evidence, at key points of the crime scene.

I also think that the methods used by Fletcher and Howard were completely unscientific and unreliable and, in the case of Howard, may have resulted in inadvertent contamination of the silencer.

None of this is to say that the police, FSS or the relatives have done anything criminally-wrong; I only say what I interpret of the scene, the alleged murder weapons (rifle and silencer), and the other bits of evidence.

[Erik Narramore]

I do not believe the relevant silencer could have made the scratch marks in the first place.

As for the superglue residue, David Boutflour commented in a documentary that the silencer was 'sticky' to handle when found, but I can find no contemporaneous reference to this in the evidence, including statements of him and the other family members who conducted the search.

I wonder if there was a mix-up of the silencers, and the 'sticky' silencer is one he handled much later and he has got himself confused?

[Bill Robertson]

We now have a scenario where we know that Hayward did not find a match for Sheila Caffell's blood in a silencer despite the evidence that he gave in court (see recent CCRC Watch article). We also know that David Boutflour's blood was found in a silencer, though we don't know for certain which one. We also know for sure Fletcher measured two different silencers, one 7 inches long and one 6.5 inches long.
It seems to me that there is a possibility that if there was blood in one or more silencers, it could have been animal blood rather than SC/RB blood, and that a different silencer contains blood from DB. I wonder if the CCRC will get any nearer to finding out the truth?

[Leslie Aalders]

We now have a scenario where we know that Hayward did not find a match for Sheila Caffell's blood in a silencer despite the evidence that he gave in court (see recent CCRC Watch article). We also know that David Boutflour's blood was found in a silencer, though we don't know for certain which one. We also know for sure Fletcher measured two different silencers, one 7 inches long and one 6.5 inches long.
It seems to me that there is a possibility that if there was blood in one or more silencers, it could have been animal blood rather than SC/RB blood, and that a different silencer contains blood from DB. I wonder if the CCRC will get any nearer to finding out the truth?

Very interesting indeed Bill.I am very poor at understanding the scientific details of the blood samples.

[Rob Garland]

We now have a scenario where we know that Hayward did not find a match for Sheila Caffell's blood in a silencer despite the evidence that he gave in court (see recent CCRC Watch article). We also know that David Boutflour's blood was found in a silencer, though we don't know for certain which one. We also know for sure Fletcher measured two different silencers, one 7 inches long and one 6.5 inches long.
It seems to me that there is a possibility that if there was blood in one or more silencers, it could have been animal blood rather than SC/RB blood, and that a different silencer contains blood from DB. I wonder if the CCRC will get any nearer to finding out the truth?

Very interesting indeed Bill.I am very poor at understanding the scientific details of the blood samples.

What I also find interesting Leslie is that I read somewhere that two silencers were picked up by the police (from the relatives i believe?) during the trial and taken to the court.

I will try and locate the source.

[Leslie Aalders]

We now have a scenario where we know that Hayward did not find a match for Sheila Caffell's blood in a silencer despite the evidence that he gave in court (see recent CCRC Watch article). We also know that David Boutflour's blood was found in a silencer, though we don't know for certain which one. We also know for sure Fletcher measured two different silencers, one 7 inches long and one 6.5 inches long.
It seems to me that there is a possibility that if there was blood in one or more silencers, it could have been animal blood rather than SC/RB blood, and that a different silencer contains blood from DB. I wonder if the CCRC will get any nearer to finding out the truth?

Very interesting indeed Bill.I am very poor at understanding the scientific details of the blood samples.

What I also find interesting Leslie is that I read somewhere that two silencers were picked up by the police (from the relatives i believe?) during the trial and taken to the court.

I will try and locate the source.

Well,if the silencer evidence is demolished and the Aga burns accepted surely an appeal will have to be granted Rob.

[Rob Garland]

We now have a scenario where we know that Hayward did not find a match for Sheila Caffell's blood in a silencer despite the evidence that he gave in court (see recent CCRC Watch article). We also know that David Boutflour's blood was found in a silencer, though we don't know for certain which one. We also know for sure Fletcher measured two different silencers, one 7 inches long and one 6.5 inches long.
It seems to me that there is a possibility that if there was blood in one or more silencers, it could have been animal blood rather than SC/RB blood, and that a different silencer contains blood from DB. I wonder if the CCRC will get any nearer to finding out the truth?

Very interesting indeed Bill.I am very poor at understanding the scientific details of the blood samples.

What I also find interesting Leslie is that I read somewhere that two silencers were picked up by the police (from the relatives i believe?) during the trial and taken to the court.

I will try and locate the source.

Well,if the silencer evidence is demolished and the Aga burns accepted surely an appeal will have to be granted Rob.

Yes you would think so Leslie but the CCRC will try to explain it away somehow I fear?