Chappell works for the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI), a division of the state's Attorney General's office. A forensic scientist assigned to the firearms and toolmark section of the laboratory, Chappell has just finished inspecting a gun that was submitted as evidence for a potential firearms violation case. In Ohio, a gun must be functional, or readily made functional, in order to be legally considered a firearm. After careful examination of the evidence, it has been determined that the machine was in fact inoperable, and therefore the ostensible felon cannot be charged with having a gun.

More often, however, the scientific data amassed by Chappell, whose lab processes over half of the cases submitted statewide, help to indict criminals. Working closely with law enforcement officers in the field collecting evidence and reporting to the prosecutors and judges handling the cases, the firearms and toolmark laboratory is generally responsible for identifying and tracing fired cartridge components (shells, bullets, shotgun pellets, etc.) back to the weapon that shot them.

Chappell performs test fires in a small soundproof room adjoining the firearms lab. Handguns are shot into a large water tank, while rifles and shotguns are fired down a 30-foot range. In order to establish that the firearm produces a consistent pattern, two test shots are fired. Then the investigators compare the new pattern to that from the crime scene to determine if the submitted weapon was used in the crime. Finally they compare patterns of test shots at measured intervals to estimate the proximity of the culprit to the target. Bullets and cartridges from both the test firings and from the crime scene are entered into the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) database to try to associate evidence with that from other crime scenes. Recalling his days in the Gilmer chemistry lab, Chappell also uses chemical, thermal, magnetic, and electro-chemical techniques to restore obliterated serial numbers from almost any item, from radar detectors to snowmobiles.

Although the bulk of the office's casework is for homicides, toolmark comparisons are generally employed for less heinous crimes. Using a type of molding, nicks and abrasions on specific tools are identified and, based on those unique markings, linked to a crime scene. For example, Chappell may try to identify a pair of bolt-cutters used to open a safe, a razor used to cut a tire, or a screwdriver used to pry open a window.

For the majority of his undergraduate career, Chappell, a chemistry major, planned on becoming a doctor. But in his senior year, he decided against it. "I think I gave Dr. Anderson a heart attack when I told him I wasn't interested in med school anymore." Once his advisor, Elliott Professor of Chemistry William Anderson, recovered from the initial shock, the two sat down to hash out Chappell's career possibilities. "I had always been drawn towards the analytic side of science," Chappell said, and after talking with Dr. Anderson about what he enjoyed, his advisor noted that several signs were pointing to forensic science.

The possibility intrigued Chappell. After working in Richmond for a couple of years, he enrolled in the University of Alabama Birmingham to pursue a master's in the field. There he found a markedly different environment from his Hampden-Sydney College days. "During the first day of classes, I was sitting in this huge lecture room with tons of people," Chappell recalled, "and all of a sudden, cell phones start ringing and people were answering them! I remember thinking how Dr. Sipe or Carilli would blow a gasket if someone's phone went off during class. I can't imagine what they would do if someone had the nerve to answer one."

His experience at UAB, Chappell said, made him appreciate his undergraduate education. But after the initial acclimation, his affinity for the field became more and more pronounced. He discovered a fascination with the internal mechanisms of firearms. "When I realized that dealing with guns forensically didn't really feel like work," he says, "I knew the direction I would take." With master's credentials, Chappell took an internship at the Department of Criminal Justice Services lab in Richmond. By industry standards, Chappell jumped right into the field, accepting his position in Ohio six months after his internship.

Andrew Chappell '97 is a forensic scientist with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, a division of the Attorney General's office.

With a little less than a year under his belt in Ohio, Chappell is by all means a new kid on the block. Technically, he is "in training" until November, at which point he'll perform unsupervised analyses, confirm court reports, and be called on to testify.

With all his diverse responsibilities, Chappell feels his liberal arts education is a perfect backdrop for the job. Aside from being a scientist, Chappell and his colleagues play a significant role in the political process, for which Chappell leans heavily on his political science classes. He's also thankful for his experience in the rhetoric program. "I have to communicate effectively how a certain gun works or what certain forensic markings suggest to people from varied educational levels, from judges to jurors," he said, pointing out that the average educational level for a juror is sixth grade. "I'm lucky to go into that experience with a Hampden-Sydney education."