Blood Pattern Analysis

Research Paper # 25620

Criminology > Forensics

Describes the process of examining blood patterns at the scene of a crime.

5,268 words () | 9 sources | MLA | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis is a study of how certain activities and forces influence the pattern of a bloodstain and how this can be used as evidence in the investigation and prosecution of a crime. The paper shows that the art of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis involves a lot more than looking at blood at a crime scene. It explains that experts must also know the characteristics of blood, the active nature involved in bleeding and how blood in motion acts. Other things blood pattern experts need to consider are the surface on which blood is found and what effects these surfaces have on the bloodstain in question.

From the Paper:

"The surface can also affect the size of the bloodstain droplets. When a drop of blood comes in contact with a surface that is hard and smooth, it can cause the drop of blood to break up into smaller droplets. The smaller droplets will still be moving in the same direction as their original parent drop. As with any liquid, the laws of physics apply to the motion of blood through air and space. The Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences describes surface effects on bloodstain appearance as being of utmost importance. The encyclopedia points out that the shape and width-to-length ratio is used for reconstruction and interpretation of bloodstain patterns. The width-to-length ratio is used to make trigonometric calculations to determine the impact of bloodstains. The surfaces that the stains are found on have profound effects on both the shape and the width-to-length ratio. If the surface characteristics distort the appearance or destroy the shape of a bloodstain, then it will not be considered a viable stain for interpretation because it can alter the width-to-length ratio, which, in turn, will result in an inaccurate determination of its angle of impact (Introduction)."