Page 10 - Patterns of Murder Blood Spatter
P. 10
Blood Spatter
Pattern Analysis
hysical evidence is a strong, and often silent witnesses will shed light on the events.
convincing, voice. Through the investigation
Pof a crime and the systematic processing of Blood Stain Pattern Analysis (BSPA) is a
a crime scene, the facts surrounding the case must systematic approach to evaluating the origin and
be defined. Some of these questions may have mechanics involved in the creation of a bloodstain.
obvious answers which can be backed by scientific BSPA requires answering a standard set of
evidence. For example, eye-witness testimony in questions about a bloodstain and determining the
combination with fingerprint comparison and DNA relationship of the stain to the surrounding scene.
analysis can definitively answer ‘who’. Answers BSPA includes determining the type of impact,
to “what” and “how”, on the other hand, are often the direction the blood traveled after impact, the
harder to determine. In most cases, the only minimum number of blows required to produce the
individuals with firsthand knowledge of an event are bloodstain, the stain’s area of origin, the distance
the perpetrator and victim. One way to help answer between target surface and origin, the position
these questions is to analyze the bloodstains of the victim or an associated object, and any
present at a crime scene in the hope that these movement of the victim or object after bloodshed.
10 THE MYSTERY OF LYLE AND LOUISE
