Blood stain pattern analysis is the story that the blood at a crime scene tells about an attack. It is not a new science, but one that has been developing alongside DNA analysis, and a skill which is highly sought after in the forensic science field.
The blood at a crime scene is a very crucial piece of information that can be used. The blood (after the substance is first determined to be blood) can have different features such as when in is oxygenated from when it is deoxygenated (Ocean Digital, 2015). The pattern of the blood can tell an investigator the rate at which the blood was flowing from the victim (Ocean Digital, 2015). The pattern of blood splatters can tell an investigator what angle the victim may have been struck with a weapon and even what shape the weapon may have been if the weapon is not obvious or present (Ocean Digital, 2015).
In the book “Bloodstain Pattern Analysis with an Introduction to Crime Scene Reconstruction” the authors state that the future of blood stain pattern analysis lies in the description of blood stain patterns (Bevel & Gardner, 2008), and I agree with this statement. The taxonomy of blood splatters can become more accurate with the ability, through advancing technology, to recreate crime scenes. Therefore, this science has the ability to become more precise in the future and truly tell the story of any crime involving shed blood. When we are able to classify blood patterns and splatters into more precise taxonomies, the science of bloodstain pattern analysis can become increasingly trusted and there can be a mainstream knowledge of its existence.
Discovering information regarding the different classification systems currently being used to describe blood splatters can be daunting. There are multiple ways to describe types of splatter, drips, or contact stains. When a universal taxonomy is used, the science will be able to grow more rapidly and the research will be more uniform for those who seek to study in the field in the future.
- Bevel, T., & Gardner, R. M. (2008). Bloodstain pattern analysis: With an introduction to crime scene reconstruction. Boca Raton: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis.
- Ocean Digital. (2015, July 28). The Value of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis – The Case of Clyde Frost. Retrieved March 24, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLdNPi8qdl4
