Buried Rifle May Hold Clues to Killing

A rifle was found buried near the Amherst, N.Y., home of an abortion provider who was killed in his kitchen by a sniper’s bullet last fall, investigators said. The rifle was sent to an FBI laboratory to determine whether it was used to kill Dr. Barnett Slepian, 52. No arrests were made at the time. Bullets fired from high-powered rifles can become disfigured and provide few clues, but the rifle might yield clothing fibers, fingerprints or a serial number that can be traced to the buyer, said Walter Rowe, a forensic sciences expert.