Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA), known in the criminal justice field as blood splatter analysis, has been studied since the 1890s. Blood splatter, or bloodstain pattern constructional readings, is a technique that seeks to piece together the incident that caused an individual’s bleeding. Understanding blood splatter on a wall or various surfaces can be instrumental in formulating if a crime was committed and if the blood discovered at the crime scene can be used as evidence. The first documentation of blood splatter research occurred at the Institute for Forensic Medicine in Poland, by Dr. Eduard Piotrowski . During Dr. Piotrowski’s research and documentation period, where he used live bunnies to research blood splatter from head …show more content…
This test is portable and may be done at the crime scene. Once tests have determined the presence of blood, more will be completed in the lab to determine if the blood is animal or human. Other tests will determine the DNA, which can point the investigator to specific individuals. The completion of the actual splatter analysis is done by a forensic scientist who establishes the path of the blood and how it spread over the surface in question. The direction of movement can be determined by measuring the shape of the bloodstain on a surface. This will also show the approximate speed at which the blood contacted the surface, assists in distinguishing between the rapid movement of blood (produced by a gunshot, severing of a main artery), or slower movement of blood from a minor cut. The origination of blood can be determined by analyzing the size and location of the blood drops. A strong force of impact will cause the blood to break up into smaller drops. Blood splatter made up of larger drops with a path of smaller drops can show evidence about how the blood got there and where the blood came from. An experienced blood splatter expert relies on their eyes and their training in the final analysis, but will also use other tools such as specialized computer programs which can help in legal cases . New technologies and methods concerning blood splatter have slowly evolved, but a most
The world of Forensic Scientist is an amazing and fascinating place. There are so many aspects that go into forensic science but in this paper we are only covering bloodstain spatter patterns. Bloodstain spatter patterns are not solely used to solve crimes but I do feel it is one of the most important. Bloodstains never lie.
16. You have become a member of a hot shot Criminal Investigative Team in the Phoenix police department. You are asked to lead your first murder investigation, but the only clues are old blood spots of the victim found near his body and blood on the clothes of a suspect. Because the main suspect is about ready to leave the country, you are asked to at least provide preliminary evidence that the blood found on his shirt could match that found at the crime scene so an arrest warrant can be issued quickly. You amaze your colleagues by simply looking through a microscope and determining from the nuclei of the red blood cells on the suspect’s shirt that, based on this evidence, he is unlikely to be guilty. How could you be so sure of this conclusion?
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 spatter analysts are a crucial part of a homicide investigation. They examine the blood stains left behind at a crime scene with the help of criminal investigators. They try to find a pattern or trail with the blood to figure out what happened at the crime scene. These blood patterns can show where the victim was hit, how they were hit, if they struggled, and what kind of weapon the killer used. They use many techniques to collect evidence that can be analyzed at the lab. Common techniques are measuring the diameter of the blood drop, measuring the spatter zone, and taking pictures. Many analysts try to act out the homicide scene to piece together the crime scene and figure out what happened. They also sketch out the scene to go along
he Blood Spatter Analyst (also known as "Bloodstain Pattern Analyst") uses many techniques to collect and analze blood that has been left behind at a crime scene. They uses swabs and ultraviolet light, as well as photgraphy to collect and analyze trace evidence and recreate spatters. After analyzation of the spatter, they can determine what weapon was used, which direction the suspect or victim went, the number of wounds the victim suffered, the trajectry of a projectile, and what occured during a violent crime.
How to Become a Blood Spatter Analyst: Career and Salary Information. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2017, https://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-careers/blood-spatter-analyst/
There are different types of patterns that blood splatter makes. It can be a drop, a messy splatter, to just a little pool of blood it all just depends on what caused it to happen. Forensics and law enforcement officers can determine what kind of object was used in a murder case based on the blood splatter pattern.
Forensic science is a key aspect of Criminal Justice that helps rid the streets of lunatics and murderers. One of the most important fields of forensic science is blood spatter analysis. Under the Crime Scene Investigation, analysts gather the information that could eventually lead to a victim’s killer. Basic and complex information can be found when analyzing blood. We can learn what kind of weapon was used, the time of death of a victim and other important facts that can help a case. The pattern that the blood gives off give forensic scientists the tools that they need to help solve cases.
According to the National Forensic Science Technology Center “blood behaves according to certain scientific principles, trained bloodstain pattern analysts can examine the blood evidence left behind and draw conclusions as to how the blood may have been shed (Crime Scene Investigator Network). However, according to David A. Harris “the opinions of bloodstain pattern analysts are more subjective than scientific” (David A. Harris). In the first episode of Dexter he is explaining the blood stain patterns to the cop and what happened in the room. He tells the cop the item used to commit the murder takes more pictures and makes a report of his findings. However, I believe blood splatter analysis to solve a crime does not work because Dexter had a theory or opinion about what happen and the Lt. Maria LeGuerta agreed with it. There was no scientific
lood. Sticky, hot, messy, awful blood. For most of us, the sight of it turns the stomach, but in the court of law, blood can tell a lot more about a crime scene than you might think. Forensic bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is the interpretation of bloodstains for the purpose of reconstructing the events that took place in the case of violent crimes. Using the sciences of fluid dynamics and trigonometry, BPA examiners form opinions about what did or did not happen by examining elements of the stains such as the size, shape, distribution and location of the bloodstains. Following the analysis of the crime scene, BPA examiners then prepare to present often-critical evidence to a jury in the court of law. “In many cases including here in Australia BPA is essential and pivotal to the investigation” and can contribute greatly to the outcome of a criminal trial under South Australian law.
It can also determine whether drinking water meets legal purity requirements. Presently the vast majority of the legal researchers are specialists that get pieces of information from the wrongdoing scene. Culprits regularly don't plan out a robbery or burglary and thoughtlessly abandon unmistakable hints that permit an agent to track them moderately effectively. Regardless of the possibility that the criminal is extremely cautious all through their wrongdoing, there will be some hint of their vicinity at the wrongdoing scene. There are numerous ranges of legal sciences, which incorporate general wrongdoing scene examination, criminological science, scientific toxicology, measurable pathology, hereditary fingerprinting, and chromatography.
Most crime scenes are left with traces of blood whether the blood was cleaned or not. You can mop up blood, you can wipe up blood, but the iron in the blood with still be left on the surface. The way police find the blood is by placing a luminescent chemical called luminal.
The book gives a general overview of the field of forensic science. The sections of the book include “The Scene of the Crime; Working the Scene--The Evidence; Working the Scene of the Body Human;
Imagine walking into a crime scene and the first thing you see is blood covering the floor, walls and ceiling. Most people wouldn’t realize the type of valuable and important information that this evidence holds in a crime scene. Those who are in the career of bloodstain pattern analysis are able to take a look at the bloodstain patterns and unveil many important factors of how the crime occurred. Bloodstain pattern analysis is employed worldwide by scientists, police officials and medics. The International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts is the organization for bloodstain pattern analysts and offers various forms of
Bloodstain pattern is the most important evidence at the crime scene (Saferstein, 2011). Blood stains pattern can be evaluate by serology and answer a number of questions (Saferstein, 2011). For examples, the mark of origin of the blood, distance of the blood sprinkle or how far away of the origin, how many gunshots were fired, the direction of travel by victim or suspect, position of the victim and suspect during bloodshed, repositioning of objects or bodies after the bloodshed, whether a person was moved while shedding blood and order of the events happen during the crime (Saferstein, 2011).Bloodstain sample of any type can give a lot of data about the occasion that occurred at crime