List of Questions

Please state your name for the Court

Mia Wendt

Where are you currently employed?

Kansas Bureau of Investigation in Forensic Science Laboratory

What is your occupation?

Forensic scientist in Firearm & Toolmark Section

How long have you been in that occupation?

Just over a year

Can you briefly describe your current duties as a firearm examiner?

Examine firearms to determine their functionality and perform serial number restoration attempts

What is your educational background?

B.S. degrees in both Forensic Chemistry & Forensic Biology from Washburn University

What training & experience have you received that qualifies you as an expert?

• Halfway through 2-yr internal training program through KBI

  • Consists of training assignments, practical exercises (involving disassembling/reassembling & function tests), casework under direction; leading up to competency tests followed by moot court

• Various external training seminars, toured ammunition manufactures, & armorer’s courses

Are you a member of any professional organizations relevant to your field?

Provisional Member of The Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE)

Is your laboratory accredited, and if so by who?

American National Standards Institute National Accreditation Board (ANAB)

**When was your laboratory last accredited?

June 2026

What does it mean for a laboratory to be accredited?

• Laboratory polices/procedures based on International Standard (ISO17025 - forensic laboratories)

  • Undergoes assessment by a team of trained, subject matter experts

  • Use criteria of accrediting body - visit laboratory to review policies/procedures & watch casework

• Ensure laboratory is meeting set standards

**Have you been recognized as an expert witness in the field of firearms examinations?

No

**How many times have you provided expert testimony?

1st time

**What is firearm & toolmark identification?

Discipline of forensic science that aims to determine whether a bullet, cartridge case, or other ammunition component was fired from a particular firearm

What is a firearm?

Device consisting of action & barrel that expels projectile via combustion

What is a cartridge?

Unit of ammunition consisting of 4 parts (cartridge case, primer, propellant, projectile)

Can you generally describe how a cartridge is fired by a firearm?

FP string primer, igniting propellant (results in “mini explosion”); sending bullet down barrel

**Can you define caliber?

3 Definitions:

1. Designation on FA, indication type of ammunition a FA is chambered for

2. FA: diameter of rifled bore, from land to land directly across

3. Ammo: diameter of the base of bullet/projectile

**Can you define gauge?

• Used for shotshells

• Similar to caliber provides info about bore - number of round lead balls (diameter of bore) required to equal pound

**What is rifling?

Lands & grooves cut or formed into the inside of barrel that give the bullet/projectile its spin

**What is the difference between conventional & polygonal rifling?

Sharp edges (conventional) v. hills & valleys (polygonal)

Can you walk us through what you do when you examine a firearm and test its functionality, what type of things are you looking for or testing?

• Ensure safe/unloaded

• Examine FA: document make, model, rec’d condition, check safeties

• Test fire to determine functionality

**Do you use any kind of instrumentation to do your examination?

• Comparison Microscope - 2 microscopes connected via optical bridge

• Water Tank/Cotton Box - obtain TF in pristine condition

What is the purpose of test firing?

Determine functionality of FA & to obtain test fires (known standards)

When you say test fires, what exactly are you collecting?

Fired bullets & cartridge cases

How many firearms have you performed examinations on, an estimate?

50-75

**What are class characteristics?

Measurable features that can be attributed to entire group & created (intentionally) during the manufacturing process (ie: caliber)

**What are individual characteristics?

• Features unique to a specific, singular item

• Create (unintentionally) during manufacturing process & often result of wear, use, and/or corrosion

When you are assigned a case, how do you go about retrieving the evidence?

• Evidence with ECC

• Check out from ECC, where scanned into my custody

Once you have evidence, what do you do first?

Ensure properly sealed, mark packaging (initials & date) & conduct inventory

After you inventory the items present, is that when you begin your examination?

Yes

After completing your examinations, what did you do with the evidence?

Placed evidence back in original packaging, sealed (ET) & returned to evidence control center for contributing agency

Were you asked to examine any firearms as a part of KBI Case Q26-00805?

Yes - Lab Items 1-3

What type of firearm is Lab Item #1?

Hi-Point Firearms semiauto pistol, model C

Lab Item #1

Can you tell the jury what it is I’ve handed you?

Handgun box, containing Lab Item #1 (Hi-Point & magazine)

Lab Item #1

How do you recognize this item?

Markings - box, FA & magazine

Lab Item #1

Can you show the contents to the jury & briefly describe what is present, and can you point out some of the key components of the firearm?

Barrel, magazine, slide

What is a semiautomatic pistol/firearm?

Repeating firearm, in which a single pull of trigger fires on shot & portion of energy from firing drives some of the steps of cycle of fire

**Pistol Definition

handgun in which the chamber is integral w/ barrel

Lab Item #1

Can you explain to the jury how this firearm functions/cycling process?

• Ammo in magazine, magazine in place

• Cycle slide- cartridge feed/chambered

• Pulling trigger fires - energy pushes bullet & cycles slide for extraction/ejection

• Slide cycles forward feeding/chambering next

Lab Item #1

Did you perform an examination & function test of this firearm?

Yes

Lab Item #1

Did you observe an intact SN on the firearm?

Yes

Lab Item #1

What was the SN?

P083640

Lab Item #1

Did you perform a trigger pull of this firearm during your examination?

Yes

Lab Item #1 - Trigger Pull

What is that testing, and did the firearm pass the test?

• Amount of force applied to trigger to release FP

• Tested by applying hanging weight to trigger (finger would normally rest)

• Qualitative test (2lbs); passed

What is a safety and what is its purpose?

mechanism found on FA which serves as a way to prevent unintentional discharge when properly engaged

Lab Item #1

What are the safeties on this firearm?

Manual, Magazine, Chamber Viewport, Sear Block & Counterweight

**Manual Safety

Needs to be manually engaged

**Magazine Safety

prevent firing unless magazine in place

**Chamber Viewport

an opening/cutout in slide to view chamber

**Sear Block & Counter Weight

Specific to Hi-Point that serves as drop safeties, prevents sear releasing firing pin/striker

**Drop Safety

safety that prevents unintentional discharge w/o intentional pull of trigger

Lab Item #1

Were these safeties found to be functional?

Not magazine safety

Lab Item #1

Report states the magazine safety was not present, what does that mean?

Rec’d missing component/piece (Magazine Lockout) that serves as magazine safety

Lab Item #1

Could the firearm have accidentally discharged with a missing magazine safety, or would it still require the trigger to be pulled?

Require trigger pulled

Lab Item #1

Were you still able to test fire the firearm?

Yes

Lab Item #1

Did you find this firearm to be functional?

Yes

What type of firearm is Lab Item #2

S&W revolver, model 10-6

Lab Item #2

Can you tell the jury what it is I’ve handed you?

Handgun box, containing Lab Item #2 (S&W revolver)

Lab Item #2

And are your markings on the packaging and this firearm as well?

Yes

Lab Item #2

Can you show the contents to the jury & briefly describe what is present?

Cylinder (individual chambers), frame, barrel

Lab Item #2

How is a revolver different than a semiautomatic pistol?

Repeating firearm, in which single pull of trigger fires one shot; consists of cylinder rotating on an axis

Lab Item #2

Can you explain to the jury how this firearm functions/cycling process?

• Cartridges loaded into chambers

• Cylinder locked in frame, hammer cocked & trigger pulled

• Trigger pulled & cylinder rotated w/ next ready

• Removed cylinder from frame & extract/eject

Lab Item #2

Is this a single or double action revolver, what does that mean?

• Functions as both

• Pulling the trigger either cocks & releases hammer/firing pin OR just releases hammer/firing pin; a SA releases, FA must be manually cocked

Lab Item #2

Did you perform an examination & function test of this firearm?

Yes

Lab Item #2

Did you observe an intact SN on the firearm?

No - obliterated

Lab Item #2

What does it mean to say the SN was obliterated?

No longer decipherable

Lab Item #2

Did you do anything to restore the SN on the firearm

Yes

Lab Item #2

Was this completed prior to or after function testing the firearm?

After

Lab Item #2

Did you perform a trigger pull of this firearm, and what was the result?

Yes, passed

Lab Item #2

What is a Hammer Push-off Test?

• Determining whether hammer pushed forward w/o trigger pulled

• Concern w/ hammer falling on own, causing discharge

• Tested by cocking hammer, normal force to push

Lab Item #2

Did you perform a Hammer Push-off test, and what was the result?

Yes, passed

Lab Item #2

What are the safeties on this firearm?

Rebound Slide & Hammer Block

**Rebound Slide

reciprocating mechanism that prevents contact of hammer/firing to primer w/o pull of trigger; hammer/firing pin not constantly resting on frame

**Hammer Block

prevents hammer/firing pin from striking the primer w/o intentional pull of trigger

Lab Item #2

Were these safeties found to be functional?

Yes

Lab Item #2

Did you perform any test fires of the firearm?

Yes

Lab Item #2

Did it fire appropriately?

Yes

Lab Item #2

From your examination of the firearm, did you find the firearm to be functional?

Yes

Lab Item #2

Is it required for a firearm to have a SN

Manufactured after GCA of 1968 - Yes

**What is a serial number?

Numbers/letters applied to FA for identification purposes

What is the purpose of a serial number?

An identifier; Help trace FA from manufacture, wholesalers/gun dealers, to purchasers

How is a serial number applied to a firearm and where are they typically applied?

• Various methods, overall categorized as either stamping (by hand, dot peening) or engraving (laser)

• GCA requires frame/receiver - can be also barrel & slide

What are the common methods of obliteration?

Grinding, drilling, scratching/filing & overstamping

**Why would someone obliterate a serial number?

Removes identifying feature, making tracing capabilities more challenging (can’t speak directly to someone’s intentions)

Can you explain to the jury how a serial number can be restored after obliteration?

Discuss permanent change to structure when applying SN (writing on paper analogy); Using physical & chemical methods to revisualize SN

You mentioned that you can use physical and/or chemical methods to restore, can you explain a bit about those methods?

• Physical - polishing wheel or sandpaper & magnetic particle inspection

• Chemical - chemical reagents serving as etchants to “eat away”/dissolve metal

What methods did you use to attempt to restore the SN on Lab Item 2?

Physical (polishing & MPI) & chemical

**Where does the information in the ATF Serial Number Structure Guide come from?

• Document compiled by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm & Explosives (ATF)

  • Manufacturer’s records, viewing FAs, other examiners

• Not an all-inclusive list, just starting point

**What does ATF stand for?

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives

Were you able to restore the serial number of Lab Item #2?

Yes

What is the serial number of Lab Item #2?

C801481

Does you laboratory have a verification process when conducting serial number restorations?

Yes

What does the verification process entail?

Independent examiner views SN, comes to own conclusions, compared

What type of firearm is Lab Item #3?

S&W pump action shotgun, model Eastfield 916-A

Lab Item #3

And are you markings on the packaging and this firearm as well?

Yes

Lab Item #3

Can you tell the jury what it is I’ve just handed you?

Long gun box, containing Lab Item #3 (S&W pump action shotgun)

Lab Item #3

Can you show the contents to the jury & briefly describe what is present?

Barrel, forend, stock, receiver, internal magazine

**What is a shotgun?

A long gun that has a smooth bore (no rifling) & is intended to be fired from the shoulder

Lab Item #3

You said it is a pump action, what does that mean and how does this firearm function/cycle?

• Internal magazine for shotshells

• Must manually cycle forend to feed/chamber

• Trigger pulled firing

• Again manually cycle forend rearward to extract/eject, bring back forward feeds/chambers