Chapter10

CRIMESCENE
RECONSTRUCTION:
FORENSICBLOODSTAIN
PATTERNANALYSIS

CrimeSceneReconstruction
Themethodusedtosupportalikelysequenceof
eventsbytheobservationandevaluationof
physicalevidence,aswellasstatementsmadeby
thoseinvolvedwiththeincident,isreferredtoas
reconstruction.
Crimescenereconstructionreliesonthecombined
effortsofmedicalexaminers,criminalists,andlaw
enforcementpersonneltorecoverphysical
evidenceandtosortouttheeventssurrounding
theoccurrenceofacrime.
FORENSIC SCIENCE: An Introduction, 2nd ed.
By Richard Saferstein

2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

102

StainPatternsofBlood
Thecrimesceneinvestigatormustrememberthat
thelocation,distribution,andappearanceof
bloodstainsandspattersmaybeusefulfor
interpretingandreconstructingtheeventsthat
producedthebleeding.
Surfacetextureandthestainsshape,size,and
locationmustbeconsideredwhendeterminingthe
direction,droppingdistance,andangleofimpact
ofabloodstain.
FORENSIC SCIENCE: An Introduction, 2nd ed.
By Richard Saferstein

2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

103 3

StainPatternsofBlood
Surfacetextureisofparamountimportance.In
general,theharderandlessporousthesurface,
thelessspatterresults.
Thedirectionoftravelofbloodstrikingan
objectmaybediscernedbecausethepointedend
ofabloodstainalwaysfacesitsdirectionof
travel.
Theimpactangleofbloodonaflatsurfacecan
bedeterminedbymeasuringthedegreeof
circulardistortion.Atrightanglestheblood
dropiscircular,astheangledecreases,thestain
becomeselongated.
FORENSIC SCIENCE: An Introduction, 2nd ed.
By Richard Saferstein

2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

104 4

StainPatternsofBlood
Theoriginofabloodspatterinatwo
dimensionalconfigurationcanbeestablishedby
drawingstraightlinesthroughthelongaxisof
severalindividualbloodstains.Theintersection
orpointofconvergenceofthelinesrepresents
theoriginpoint.

FORENSIC SCIENCE: An Introduction, 2nd ed.

By Richard Saferstein

2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

105

StainPatternsofBlood
Ashootingmayleaveadistinctgunshotspatterpattern.
Thismaybecharacterizedbybothforwardspatterfroman
exitwoundandbackspatterfromanentrancewound.
Thelocationofinjury,thesizeofthewoundcreated,and
thedistancebetweenthevictimandthemuzzleofthe
weaponallaffecttheamountofbackspatterthatoccurs.
Acastoffpatterniscreatedwhenabloodcoveredobject
flingsbloodinanarcontoanearbysurface.
Arterialsprayspatteriscreatedwhenavictimsuffersan
injurytoamainarteryortheheart.Commonly,thepattern
showslargespurtedstainsforeachtimetheheartpumps.
FORENSIC SCIENCE: An Introduction, 2nd ed.
By Richard Saferstein

2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

106 6

StainPatternsofBlood
Apatterncreatedbybloodthatisexpelledfromthemouth
ornosefromaninternalinjuryiscalledanexpiratedblood
pattern.
Avoidiscreatedwhenanobjectblocksthedepositionof
bloodspatterontoatargetsurfaceorobject.
Whenanobjectwithbloodonittouchesonethatdoesnot
havebloodonit,thisproducesacontactortransferpattern.
Examplesoftransferswithfeaturesincludefingerprints,
handprints,footprints,footwearprints,toolprints,and
fabricprintsinblood.
FORENSIC SCIENCE: An Introduction, 2nd ed.
By Richard Saferstein

2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

107 7

StainPatternsofBlood
Patternsmadebydropsorlargeamountsofbloodflowing
bythepullofgravityarecalledflows.
Apoolofbloodoccurswhenbloodcollectsinalevel(not
sloped)andundisturbedplace.
Theedgesofastainwilldrytothesurface,producinga
phenomenoncalledskeletonization.
Atrailpatternisaseriesofdropsthatareseparatefrom
otherpatterns,formedbyblooddrippingoffanobjector
injury.
FORENSIC SCIENCE: An Introduction, 2nd ed.
By Richard Saferstein

2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

108 8

DocumentingBloodstainEvidence
Investigatorsshouldnote,study,andphotographeach
patternanddropofbloodtoaccuratelyrecordthelocation
ofspecificpatternsandtodistinguishthestainsfrom
whichlaboratorysamplesweretaken.
Theinvestigatorshouldcreatephotographsandsketchesof
theoverallpatterntoshowtheorientationofthepatternto
thescene.
Twocommonmethodsofdocumentingbloodstainpatterns
arethegridmethodandtheperimeterrulermethod.

FORENSIC SCIENCE: An Introduction, 2nd ed.

By Richard Saferstein

2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

109 9