Recovered weapon connected to attempted homicide

‘A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer’s hand.’ – Seneca, Roman Philosopher

Unfortunately, crimes are committed on a daily basis across the globe. Regardless of the end result, the main goal of any search and recovery department is to locate evidence to bring perpetrators to justice. A common weapon disposal technique is to dump the evidence in a local river, lake or body of water that is close to the crime scene. Many times, the waters create a perfect hiding spot for the evidence as it can quickly be covered by silt and debris on the bottom of the waterway and lost forever. That’s where JW Fishers’ underwater search equipment becomes the right tool for the Job.

The Pulse 8X is the top-of-the-line handheld underwater metal detector sold by JW Fishers Mfg. The unit has been rated #1 by US Homeland Security and continues to be the go-to product for those looking to own a commercial-grade detector. Sales to military, police, search and rescue dive teams, public safety dive teams, commercial businesses and recreational divers constitute the majority of sales year after year.

In the summer of 2022, the Department of Underwater Operations of the Investigations Police of Chile was called to help locate a weapon that would have been used by an individual to end the life of a 64-year-old sugar loaf farmer. The details of the crime are unknown, but the investigation into the attempted homicide led detectives of the La Serena Homicide Brigade to the Monumental Lighthouse and the Río Elqui River Wetlands. The task of locating the firearm was complex due to the location being in a flooded area and in a natural environment far from civilization.

According to Commissioner Sebastian Morales, ‘The criminal analysis and police intelligence work that we carried out in the wetland area in conjunction with detectives from the homicide brigade had positive results.’ The team uses various types of equipment to locate missing evidence, particularly the Pulse 8X underwater metal detector and especially when suspected dumped evidence is in local waterways. Arriving on the scene with the Pulse 8X, the team was able to locate and identify a long weapon that was submerged with its ammunition still loaded.

‘A Laurona 12mm, double-barrelled shotgun was found, which coincides with the characteristics stated in the defendant’s statement and within the area where the firearm would have been discarded. The team collected the evidence, sent it to the Regional Crime Laboratory for analysis and concluded it was the missing weapon,’ stated Deputy Commissioner Gary Ortega. The experience of the team in the Homicide Brigade and in-depth knowledge of the technological equipment on hand were key to the location of the weapon.

As modern technology advances, the one thing that will always remain stable is the need for metal detectors and those talented individuals that use them every day. JW Fishers has been providing underwater search equipment across the globe for over 55 years and always have the ‘right tool for the job’.

For more information, including a downloadable data sheet about JW Fishers’ products, please visit jwfishers.com, email us at info@jwfishers.com or call toll free at (800)822-4744.