A Bloodstain Pattern Analysis — A Critical Part Of A Criminal Investigation

25 January 2023
 Categories: Business, Blog


Many crimes that are committed may require that a bloodstain pattern analysis is performed. Typically, a law enforcement agency or detective will be responsible for consulting with the team that will be performing the analysis.   

The Preliminary Steps

When a crime is reported, the scene where the incident occurred must be carefully sealed off. The blood that was shed, the positioning of a victim's body, the victim's personal possessions, and the furnishings or other items that are within the crime scene must be preserved. The containment of the crime scene will allow a forensics team to carefully assess the scene.

The assessment aids in determining the severity of a crime. The assessment may also provide details about what may have potentially taken place. A bloodstain analysis will allow a forensics team to provide conclusive testimony that supports a victim or a victim's family. Without an analysis being performed, a criminal could get away with a heinous crime that they are responsible for.

The Spatter Process

A forensics team will assess a blood pattern and classify it. The classification process will determine the direction in which an assailant may have attacked a victim. The initial assessment will typically rule whether or not an attack was brief or prolonged. The amount of blood, and the way that the drip pattern formed, can tell a forensics team how long a victim may have been laying where they were injured.

The assessment will also dictate whether a victim was sitting or standing at the time of an attack. Photographs are taken, which may be assessed privately while a forensics team is conducting research in their office. The photographs create a timeline of events. The timeline will typically involve placing both the victim and the assailant at the scene of the crime and deciding the role of each person.

The photographs will allow a forensics team to uncover how a victim may have responded. Scratches and other visible injuries on a victim's body can determine if the victim fought back at the time of the attack. A blood spatter analysis will usually be presented during a court hearing. The evidence that is presented will help a prosecutor prove that an assailant was guilty of the crime that they have been charged with. Clothing and any other items that had blood on them during the active assessment of the crime may be presented during a formal hearing.

Contact bloodstain pattern analysis services to learn more. 


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