Plane accident, reconstruction of the image of the victims of the Second War, death of soldiers at the camp – specified matters are active in the Crime laboratory of the Military Gendarmerie under the direction of Colonel Bartosz Klepczyński. For utilizing modern forensics to discover mysteries and restoring names to war victims, the officer was honored with the Buzdygan 2024 award.
Leader in forensics, professional with large cognition and experience, large expert, full of energy and charisma – so o Colonel Bartosz Klepczyński, head of the Crime laboratory of the Military Gendarmerie, say those working with him.
The officer came from a military family, his grandpa and father served in the ranks of the army, but himself refused to proceed the tradition. However, during his studies at the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warmia and Mazury, he became curious in forensics and went to practice for Military Police. He was so impressed that after his studies he returned to the Investigative and Investigative Division of the University of Warsaw as a military employee, and after a year he decided to survey officers in Wrocław. – However, there was a military gene in me – Colonel Klepczyński laughs.
He started his soldier's way in the peculiar Branch of the ZW in Minsk Mazowiecki as a platoon commander, and was besides on mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After that, he taught forensics classes at the Centre for Training in Warsaw. He graduated from the University of Warsaw and became active in the creation of the Crime laboratory of the Military Gendarmerie (LKŻW), and since 2021 he has been at the head of it. He wasn't assigned to this position by accident. Colonel Klepczyński is simply a passionate individual who lives in forensics, loves what he does, and that's why he's so good at it," said Colonel Edyta Korolczuk, Deputy Chief of the General Police. As he adds, the officer made a immense contribution to the formation and improvement of the laboratory. “Thanks to his commitment, cognition and determination, it has become 1 of the 5 most modern centres of this kind in the country,” says Colonel Korolczuk. There are detailed analyses in many areas of forensics, including physicochemical research, paper authenticity verification, fingerprint analysis, and three-dimensional evidence examination through 3D digital microscopy.
The speciality of the LCC is the usage of 3D technology in documenting and analysing the sites. It was Colonel Klepczyński who introduced an innovative approach to 3D scanning into the laboratory and devoted his doctoral work to this subject. – This technology allows photorealistic modelling of event sites. You can later return to specified a model, and thanks to 3D goggles you can feel again like at the scene of the event, execute reconstruction of the course of events or analyse traces – explains the head of LKŻW.
Under the leadership of Colonel Klepczyński last year, LKŻW issued opinions and prepared expertise in many celebrated inquiries conducted by the Ministry of wellness and Police, including on the case the death of 2 soldiers during an operation with explosives at a camp in Lublin, accident of the training aircraft M-346 Master at Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport, demolition of the Marywilska Fair Hall or killing of 4 people at Grzybowska Street in Warsaw. “The work of the squad under the leadership of Colonel Klepczyński, although it remains in the shadows, is highly crucial erstwhile collecting and securing evidence,” said Colonel Korolczuk.
3D technology has besides proven useful in historical matters, in which the head of the LCC has become involved. – Thanks to the support of Colonel Klepczyński, 3D reconstructions and precise digital analysis of respective twelve artifacts extracted from Katyn death pits were performed. In many cases, this allowed to read the invisible traces, e.g. names or initials, and helped to delegate items to circumstantial people," explains Dr. Bartłomiej Bydgoszcz, curator from the Katyń Museum.
Among specified objects was the commemorative badge of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. I decided to find out who it belonged to. Thanks to the 3D model, I discovered No. 9, then in the archives I found information that this badge was given to Colonel Stanisław Kuciel, commander of the Żandarmeria, the Independent Operations Group “Narew”, murdered in Kharkiv,” says Colonel Klepczyński. The officer besides found the colonel's son. The Tempter and gave him information about his father's badge. Thanks to the large passion of the colonel. Klepczyński, the incredible knowledge, the desire to discover fact and tedious, long-time work was possible to reconstruct the names of those murdered due to the objects that belonged to them," adds Dr. Bydgoszcz.
The officer besides cooperates with the “Vizna 1939” Association, among others, in documenting the exhumation of German victims from planet War II. –Criminalists of ZW based on 3D models of 2 found in the area of Silk skulls performed facial reconstruction of the victims. This allowed us to present these images to the families who were murdered – says Marcin Sochoń, Vice president of “Vizna 1939”.
The colonel gladly shares his cognition and experience, conducting lectures at the Academy of War Art, at the University of Siedlce, method and Trade College in Warsaw and at the National School of Judiciary and Public Prosecutor's Office and classes in advanced schools with police and military profiles. Student internships are besides held in LCC. – Knowledge, commitment and charisma Colonel. Klepczyński inspires young people and encourages them to service at the Warsaw University of Technology – said Colonel Korolczuk. At the same time, the officer finds time for his passions: tennis, guitar playing with his son, fishing and photographs. “This is how I remainder and recharge my batteries,” he says. How does he feel about the Buzdigan Award? – It is simply a large honour, but it is crucial to remember that the success of the laboratory is the consequence of the work of many people: my bosses, who gave me quite a few support, as well as my full team," said Colonel Klepczyński.
