Bloodstain Pattern

Analysis
Dr Rizwan Zafar . MBBS, DMJ
Lecturer, Forensic Medicine
Deptt CMH Lahore Medical
College.
Summary
 What is Blood?
 Determining Distance of Blood
 Determining Direction of Blood
 Types of Blood Stain Patterns
What is Blood?
Introduction to Blood
Blood Spatter (or splatter)

Blood drops form different shapes and sizes

Blood spatter analysis uses the shapes and
sizes to reconstruct the crime scene.
Blood Spatter > Distance

Determining Distance Blood Falls

Blood drops fall as small spheres

Blood Spatter > Distance

Determining Distance Blood Falls

 Drops form circle when hitting surface

 Size depends on speed of blood drop
Blood Spatter > Distance

Determining Distance Blood Falls

Faster drop = larger diameter (size)
Higher distance = larger diameter

Due to air resistance, speed maxes out at

distances above about 7 feet
Blood Spatter > Distance

Determining Distance Blood Falls

However, size of drop also depends on the
volume of the drop.

Volume depends on the object blood

originated from (needle = small; bat = large).
Blood Spatter > Distance

Determining Distance Blood Falls

Since the volume of blood is unknown…

The distance a drop has fallen

cannot be measured.
Blood Spatter

Effect of Surface

 Smooth surface = smooth sphere

 Rough surface may cause some splatter
Blood Spatter > Direction

Determining Direction of Blood

Narrow end of a blood drop will point in the

direction of travel.
Blood Spatter > Direction

Determining Direction of Blood

If more than one drop (from spatter) results,

the point of origin can be determined
Blood Spatter > Direction

Determining Direction of Blood

If more than one drop (from spatter) results,

the point of origin can be determined
Blood Spatter > Direction

Determining Direction of Blood

This is a 2-dimensional point of origin.

It is possible to determine the 3-D point of origin
Blood Spatter > Direction

Determining Direction of Blood

 The angle can be determined
mathematically.
 Width/Length, then take the
inverse sin (sin-1 ).
 This number is the impact
angle (90 = perpendicular to
surface; <10 at a sharp angle)
Blood Spatter > Direction

 For each blood

drop, a string can
be guided back to
the point of origin.
Blood Spatter

Types of Spatter
 Spattered Blood = random distribution of
bloodstains that vary in size
 Amount of blood and amount of force affect
the size of blood spatter.
 Can result from gunshot, stabbing, beating
Blood Spatter

Spattered Blood can:

 Help determine the location of the origin of
the blood source.
 Help determine the mechanism which
created the pattern.
Blood Spatter

Spattered Blood
In general, for higher impacts, the pattern is
more spread out and the individual stains
are smaller.

Low impact = beating

High impact = gunshot
Blood Spatter

Types of Spatter

Gunshot Spatter = can result in a mist-like

spatter that indicates a gunshot.

 Not all gunshots will result in misting.

 If misting is present, it is most likely a
gunshot.
Blood Spatter

Gunshot Spatter

Gunshots result in back spatter

(where bullet enters) and forward
spatter (where bullet exits).
Blood Spatter

Types of Spatter

Beating and Stabbing Spatter = larger

individual stains

First blow usually doesn’t result in spatter

since there is not yet any exposed blood.
Blood Spatter

Types of Spatter

Satellite Spatter = free falling drops of blood

that fall onto a spatter pattern.
 These drips are usually much larger than
impact spatter.
 However, blood dripping into blood can
create a spatter.
Blood Spatter

Types of Spatter

Castoff Pattern = Blood flung off of

swinging object.

Can reconstruct where assailant and victim

were positioned.
Blood Spatter

Types of Spatter

Expirated Bloodstain Pattern = Blood can

accumulate in lungs, sinuses, and airway.
Forcibly exhaled.
 Can appear like beating or gunshot pattern.
 May be mixed with saliva or nasal
secretions.
Blood Spatter

Alteration of bloodstain over time

 Blood dries and clots over time.

 Difficult to estimate the time the blood exited
the body.
 Clotted smears can indicate time of movement.