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CrimeSceneForensics,LLC ExaminingandDocumenting
BloodStainPatterns
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BloodstainPatternAnalysis:istheexaminationoftheshapes,
locations,anddistributionofpatternsofbloodstains,inordertoprovide
aninterpretationofthephysicaleventsthatgaverisetotheirorigin.

ThefollowingInformationmaybeobtainedfroma
properBloodstainPatternAnalysis:

1.Distancefromthebloodsourcetothetarget
2.Directionoftravelandimpactangles
3.Natureoftheforceusedtocausethebloodshed
4.Theobjectusedtocausethebloodshed
5.Sequencingofmultiplebloodshedevents
6.Interpretationofcontactortransferpatterns

Whenproperlydocumented,bloodstainpatternsfoundatthecrimescene,or
onaparticularperson'sclothing,canbeusedto:

1. Confirmorrefutethepositionofavictim,witness,suspect,ordefendant
2.Determineifthereisevidenceofastruggle,oriftheassaultis"onesided"
3.Confirmorrefutestatementsmadebyprinciplesinthecase:
IE:Arestainpatternsonaparticularperson'sclothingconsistent
withaccountsgivenbythevictim,witness,ordefendant?

BloodFlightCharacteristics:

Bloodwillnotbreakupunlessitisacteduponbyforce.Theforcemustbegreatenoughto

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overcomethesurfacetensionoftheblood

Bloodformsasphericalshape(perfectcircularshape)almostimmediatelyuponseparating
fromthebloodsource.Thesphericalshapeiscausedbythesurfacetensionoftheblood.

SurfaceTensioncausestheblooddroptopullitselfinbothhorizontallyandvertically.

Theblooddropwillsettleintoasphericalshape,asaresultofthesurfacetension.

Thesurfacetensionwillmaintainthesphereshapeoftheblooddropuntilitimpactswiththe
surface.

SPATTERVSTRANSFER:Thesimplesttypeofbloodspatteranalysisisdeterminingspattersfrom
transfers.

Spattersarecreatedwhenbloodisacteduponbyforce,andtravelsthroughtheairbeforelandingona
targetsurface.

Transfersoccurwhenabloodsourcecomesindirectcontactwithatargetsurfacearea.

TransferSwipePattern SpatterPattern

TransferWipePattern

TARGETSURFACETEXTURE:

Bloodstainscanoccuronavarietyofsurfaces.Thetypeof
surfacethatfreefallingbloodstrikesaffectsthe
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appearanceoftheresultingspatter.
Blooddropsonasmoothsurfacewillmakeamoreuniform
orregularcircularshape.
Blooddropsonaroughsurfacewillmakeanirregular
shapedstainwithroughorjaggededges.

LOWFORCE(VELOCITY)IMPACTSPATTER/PASSIVEDROPS:

Bloodthatfallsatthespeedorforceofnormalgravity

Thesespattersusuallyfallfromanopenwound,orfroma
surfacethatissaturatedwithblood

ThemajorityoftheLowForceImpactSpattersarelarge,
circular,spatterswithdiametersof4mmormore

LowForceImpactSpatterswillincreaseinsizeasthe
distancefallenincreases,however,thesizeofthespatters
willremainconstantafterapprox4feet

MEDIUMFORCE(VELOCITY)IMPACTSPATTER:

Producedwithmoreenergyorforcethangravity

Theforceoftheimpactcausesthebloodtobreakinto
smallersizespattersrelativetotheamountofforceapplied

Thistypeofspatterisusuallyseeninbluntforce,stabbings,
andsecondaryspatters

Producedwhenthemajorityoflargerdropsofbloodare
brokenintosmallerspatterswithdiametersof24mm

Theforceassociatedwiththistypeofspatterisgreaterthan IMPACTSPATTERS:arearandompattern
25ftpersecond ofspatterofvaryingsizes

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HIGHFORCE(VELOCITY)IMPACTSPATTER:

Impactspatterthatmeasureslessthan2mmin
diameter
Theforcenecessarytoproducethissizespatter
isgreaterthan100ftpersecond
Thistypeofspatterisusuallyassociatedwith
gunshots,explosions,andhighspeedcollisions
HighForceImpactSpattertakesona"mistlike"
appearance

Itisimportanttonotethattheterm"Velocity"doesnotmeasurethespeedatwhichthebloodistraveling,
butratherisusedtodescribeormeasureamountofforceappliedtotheblood,tocauseittospatter.

AngleofImpact: Direction:

Thesteepertheimpact,themore The"tail"pointstothedirectionof
ellipticalorelongated,theblooddrop theblooddrop

AngleofImpact

Measurethewidthandthelengthofthestain/spatter

sine=width=9mm

length=18mm

9dividedby18=0.500
Arcsine0.500=30degreeangleofimpact

Donotmeasurethetail
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Donotmeasurethetail
itisasecondaryforceorevent.

Dividethesmallernumberbythelargernumber

BACKSPATTEROR"BLOWBACK"

Whenabulletstrikesatarget,some
highforceimpactspattermaybe
directedbacktowardthegunthat
firedtheshot.Thisisknownas
"backspatter"

Ifthebulletexitsitstarget,alarger
amountofhighforceimpactspatter
maybedirectedinthesame
directionasthebullet.Thisisknown
as"forwardspatter".

Theamountofhighforceimpactspattercreatedwilldependuponthesizeorcaliberofthebulletfired,
aswellasthedistancefromtheguntothetarget.Thelargerthebullet,orprojectile,thegreater
thespatter.Theclosertothetargetthatthegunisfired...thegreatthespatter.

Foracompletelistofbloodstainpatternterms,asrecommendedbytheInternationAssociationofBloodStain
PatternAnalysts.(IABPA),goto:http://www.iabpa.org/Thesetermsshouldserveasaguide,forthosewho
workandteachinthefieldofBloodStainPatternAnalysis.Thesetermsarenotmeanttobeallencompassing

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