The murder weapon was a ball-pein hammer found near the body in Kielder Forest. This hammer most probably
belonged to Frank, although it was established at the trial - and accepted by both Wood's defence and the
Crown - that the hammer had been loaned to Wood and was in his possession prior to the murder.
Forensic examination
Trace elements of blood were found on the hammer. These could not be identified to establish species. Three
human hair fragments were recovered; generally similar in colour and microscopic appearance to some of the
head hairs from the control sample from Raffle. Saying that they could have originated from Raffle was as
positive as Mr Falconer was prepared to be.
Comparison of the hammer head and the wounds concluded that the flat of the hammer head could have inflicted
at least some of the damage to Raffle's skull. This was as positive as Mr Falconer could be - which makes
even more significant the conclusion of
the independent pathology
report instigated by Frank's solicitor that some of Raffle's injuries could have been caused by kicking.
The hammer was found to have a small number of various fibres adhering to it - brown and blue fibres of a
polypropylene and wool mixture.These fibres were found on the hammer shaft, the face of the butt and the face
of the head of the shaft where it comes through the metal of the hammer-head itself. The distribution of
these fibres was consistent with the hammer being used at various times by a hand or hands wearing various
gloves or the hammer brushing against various articles of clothing. Unsurprisingly, if this was Frank's
hammer, the fibres matched fibres from two pairs of gloves belonging to Frank.