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Blood Spatter

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The understanding of blood spatter patterns is not a widely recognized forensic practice. Bloodstain pattern interpretation (BPI) is commonly used in murder investigations, but could be utilized in everything from simple assault to mass murders if the number of trained professionals increased. BPI can reveal critical information into reinventing a given crime scene. Everything from the number of blows, stabs or shots a victim was given, the movement that was undergone by the victim and assailant after bloodshed began, position of objects at the crime scene and the type of weapon, if any, that was used can be uncovered. Blood differs from water in that it is a less viscous liquid. The teardrop that is formed by rain is not formed by …show more content…

It is flung off the weapon or tool during and after the act as a result of centrifugal force. Cast-off spatter is often elliptical in shape which is why it is easily confused with arterial spurting (Sutton, 1998). However, it can also resemble a typical medium velocity droplet any time the blood hits a surface. For example, a blow to the top of the head with an over head strike or simply cast off forming from blood dripping off a weapon after use will result in a similar pattern to a medium or low velocity droplet. Smooth metallic weaponry used will generate a more profound pattern than a textured weapon. In other words an aluminum baseball bat will yield a greater amount of cast off blood than a wooden baseball bat. All these elements are important in uncovering the truth behind a crime scene, and in a controlled environment seem simple. Implementing these techniques in an actual situation is more difficult as crime scenes are all unique. A multitude of elements need to be considered before forming an opinion from blood spatter. Spot size, quantity, shape, distribution, location, AOI, and target surface are only a few of these elements. As with other types of forensic science negative evidence can be used in BPI. Void is the absence of blood spatter in an otherwise continuous pattern. This leads evidence leads us to believe that an object or person has blocked the blood from striking the surface observed. Judging from

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