Analysis of links between guns, bullets, casings comes under scrutiny at state crime lab

The analysis that raised eyebrows at the Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory involved a drive-by shooting that killed a Massachusetts man in Pawtucket in 2021.

Some criminalists at the nationally accredited lab found that marks on certain bullet casings matched up with a particular gun seized as evidence by Pawtucket Police, according to a spokesman for Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

But electronic images of the distinctive marks, known as "toolmarks," are shared between law enforcement agencies like fingerprints .

And a review of the same evidence by Boston Police determined that the casings actually matched a different gun in their possession, Neronha's spokesman, Timothy Rondeau, said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the crime lab announced that it has suspended forensic work that helps police detectives make connections between bullets, bullet casings and guns, saying that such analysis in "a single case" did not conform to standards.

Neronha's office, said Rondeau, has determined that the situation warrants a review of evidence in about 50 pending cases and such reviews might be necessary in certain other cases that are no longer pending.

“I’m confident that the vast majority, if not all, of the evidence we have introduced is reliable," Neronha said in a statement on Wednesday. "At the same time, this raises fair questions about the Crime Lab’s work product, which is why we have been assertive in making sure the Lab takes the proper steps to address it.”

Pawtucket shooting kicks off investigation at the state's crime lab

In late June 2021, gunfire drew Pawtucket police to Central Avenue.

But on their way, they encountered a vehicle stopped on George Bennett Industrial Highway.

In the passenger seat, police found an injured 29-year-old Brockton man known for his association with the Brockton Barnstormers' football team.

Keshaudas Spence suffered from a gunshot wound, police said.

Months later, in the fall of 2021, a statewide grand jury handed up an indictment that accused a Providence man, 26-year-old Karel Martinez Scarlet, of murder and other charges, including carrying a pistol without a license.

Suspension put in place Aug. 20 and announced on Tuesday

The suspension of "casework in the firearms and toolmarks section" of the lab commenced on Aug. 20, 2024, according to a news release issued by the lab.

The suspension will remain in place prior to the completion of an external review.

The particular criminalists who were involved with what the lab has termed a "nonconformity" have been removed from casework, according to the lab's release.

The lab and Neronha's office are now working to find qualified consultants who can assist with certain forensic work affected by the suspension.

Neronha's office has briefed the presiding justice of the Superior Court.

"The office will work with the defense bar to identify and address any potentially impacted case as necessary,” a news release says.

The lab has notified the American National Standards Institute's National Accreditation Board and members of the State Crime Laboratory Commission, who are appointed by the governor.

'How did we get here in the first place?'

Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas F. Oates III holds a seat on the commission as a representative of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association.

"It's obviously of concern that we're at this stage right now," Oates said, adding that two questions need to be answered: "How did we get back to where we need to be? And how did we get here in the first place?"

"It's important," Oates said, "that law enforcement be able to quickly turn around evidence, especially shell casings and any type of ballistic evidence to aid in their investigations."

The lab, which is on the campus of the University of Rhode Island, will commission an outside review of protocols, procedures, capabilities and "other relevant operational aspects of the firearms and toolmarks section."

The firm or expert that provides the review will be hired in consultation with the attorney general’s office and the Rhode Island State Police.

“We are concerned about the issues raised and will continue to monitor developments during the ongoing assessment of the lab," said Warwick's police chief, Col. Bradford Connor, who is president of the chiefs association. "As to scope, it is too premature to know before we have a full understanding of the identified problem and the individual cases.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Analysis of links between guns, bullets, casings comes under scrutiny at state crime lab