During the ongoing trial related to the fatal shooting on the set of the movie 'Rust' in 2021, defense attorney Alex Spiro has raised arguments regarding the difficulty in distinguishing live ammunition casings from dummy ones, unless one is an expert in the field. Spiro presented photo evidence to witness Marissa Poppell, a crime scene technician, showcasing the live ammunition and dummy ammunition found on the set at the time of the incident.
When questioned by Spiro, Poppell acknowledged the significance of the presented picture. Spiro pointed out the resemblance between the live round and the dummy round provided by Seth Kenney, the movie's gun and ammunition supplier. Poppell conceded that under a camera flash, the two types of casings could appear similar.
Despite being able to identify some differences between the shell casings, Poppell admitted that they did look alike to some extent. Spiro emphasized Poppell's role as a trained investigator and questioned whether anyone on the 'Rust' set could have easily distinguished between the live and dummy rounds. Poppell confirmed that she had no reason to believe that anyone on the set had the expertise to make such differentiations.
The exchange between Spiro and Poppell sheds light on the complexities involved in discerning live ammunition from dummy rounds, particularly in certain lighting conditions or under a camera flash. The testimony provided by Poppell underscores the challenges faced by individuals without specialized knowledge in identifying potentially dangerous materials in high-pressure situations.
