Chapter 12 - Blood Spatter

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Broughton High School
Chapter 12
Blood Spatter
Forensic Science Edition I Master Work Book 2017 – “Sherlock Holmes Style” Edwin P. Davis, M.Ed.
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The study of Blood and Blood Spatter
Objectives
By the end of this chapter you will be able to
✔ Explain the composition of blood.
✔ Describe the functions of blood cells.
✔ Describe a brief history of the use of blood and blood-spatter
analysis in forensics.
✔ Describe how to determine the blood type of a sample of blood.
✔ Describe how to screen for the presence of human blood.
✔ Calculate the probability of certain blood types within a population.
✔ Conduct a blood-spatter analysis.
✔ Examine stab wounds and describe the nature of the weapon.
✔ Use blood-spatter evidence to recreate the events at a crime scene.
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Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Terminology
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Chapter 12 – Blood Spatter
1. Agglutination
2. Antibodies
3. Antigen–Antibody Response
4. Antigens
5. Cell-Surface Protein
6. Lines of Convergence
7. Point of Origin
8. Red Blood Cells
9. Satellite Drop of Blood
10. White Blood Cells
11. Gunshot Spatter
12. Cast-Off
13. Arterial Spray
14. Expiated Spatter
15. Passive Bloodstains
16. Projected Bloodstains
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Chapter 12 – Blood Spatter
17. Transfer Bloodstains
18. Blood Reagent Tests
19. Luminol
20. Fluorescein
21. Leuco Crystal Violet
22. Satellites
23. Angle of Impact
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Blood left at a crime scene can be analyzed in several ways by a criminal investigator. Blood
typing may provide class evidence because more than one person has the same blood type. Because white blood cells
contain DNA, it is possible to determine with a high degree of certainty using DNA profiling whether evidence blood left
at a crime scene matches the blood of a suspect (or victim). Blood-spatter evidence can also be used to help recreate a
crime scene to validate the information provided by a witness or suspect. By using blood spatter, it is possible to note the
direction from which the blood originated, the angle of impact, and the point of origin of the blood. Further examination
of the blood drops might indicate if the blood spatter resulted from a high- or low-velocity impact, indicating the type of
weapon used to cause the injury. In this chapter, we will explore how to analyze blood found at a crime scene. By
examining blood types and studying blood-spatter patterns, you will learn how a criminalist is able to use this evidence to
help solve crimes.
Blood is a circulating tissue consisting of three types of cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These
cells are suspended in a liquid known as plasma. Plasma is similar to salt water in composition. It carries dissolved
proteins, such as antibodies, hormones, and clotting factors, and nutrients such as glucose, amino acids, salts, and
minerals.
Blood Cells
Each blood cell performs a different function. Red blood cells (erythrocytes) carry respiratory gases, mainly
oxygen and carbon dioxide. The hemoglobin in red blood cells is an iron-containing protein that binds to oxygen in the
lungs and transports the oxygen to cells in all the tissues in the body. Hemoglobin in red blood cells is also responsible
for the red color in blood. White blood cells (leukocytes) fight disease and foreign invaders. Platelets (thrombocytes)
aid in blood clotting and are involved in repairing damaged blood vessels. Our bodies have the ability to discriminate
between their own cells and molecules (self) and foreign invaders (non-self). The immune system functions to protect our
bodies by identifying cells or molecules that are foreign, such as viruses, bacteria, and other parasites. When the immune
system recognizes the presence of invading foreign molecules, white blood cells, which migrate throughout the body,
concentrate in the location of the invading material—whether it is a virus, bacteria, or protein. The white blood cells
engulf and digest the invader. Other white blood cells secrete proteins, known as antibodies, which assist in the immune
response. Because white blood cells are the only type of blood cell that contains a nucleus, they are the only blood cells
that can be used as a source of DNA for DNA profiling.
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Activity No. 29 - Red Blood Cell Coloring Page
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Activity No. 30 - Red Blood Cell Coloring Page
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Introduction
The examination of blood provides invaluable information to the forensic scientist in many areas of criminal
investigation. Information is obtained from blood by the forensic pathologist, toxicologist, serologist, and crime scene
investigator. Blood is studied by the forensic pathologist to assist with the diagnosis of various diseases that may relate to
the cause of death, such as AIDS, anemia, leukemia, or malaria, as well as many other conditions. The forensic
pathologist also uses blood evidence during the external examination of a victim before autopsy. The degree of
postmortem lividity or settling of blood within the body may help establish the approximate time of death or whether the
lividity is consistent with the position of the victim at the scene. A cherry-red lividity may suggest carbon monoxide or
cyanide poisoning. Blunt trauma often produces external bruising or contusions, which can be identified by the forensic
pathologist as either fresh or old. Minute hemorrhages in the eye, referred to as petechiae, are often present in asphyxia
deaths.
Blood is examined by the forensic toxicologist in conjunction with other body fluids and tissues to determine the
presence or absence of alcohol, drugs, and poisons. The quantitative blood level of toxic agents helps to establish the
cause and manner of death or provide evidence of an intoxicated driver. Interpretation of toxicological data may also help
with the diagnosis of drug and alcohol abuse or assist with the explanation of erratic behavior of individuals who may
injure themselves or other persons. The forensic serologist examines blood collected from crime scenes to establish that
the substance is, in fact, blood and distinguishes human from animal blood. When this has been done, the blood may be
typed within the ABO group and other antigenic systems, isoenzyme systems, DNA typing, or other individualization
systems. The results are then compared to serological testing performed on victim’s and suspect’s blood.
The crime scene investigator is responsible for the proper documentation of the crime scene through careful
observation, photography, measurements, diagrams, and the collection of physical evidence. Blood is one of the most
significant and frequently encountered types of physical evidence at scenes of violent crimes. The circumstances and
nature of violent crimes involving bloodshed produce a variety of bloodstains and patterns. The examination of a crime
scene for the purposes of bloodstain interpretation should be incorporated into the systematic approach for crime scene
examination. Bloodstain interpretation is part of the overall investigation, which includes the documentation, collection,
and evaluation of all physical evidence. Physical evidence is defined as any and all materials or items associated with a
crime scene which by scientific evaluation help to establish the elements of a crime and provide a link between the crime
scene, the victim, and the assailant. The information provided by bloodstain interpretation should be evaluated in
conjunction with evidence provided by the postmortem examination of the victim and analyses performed by the crime
laboratory.
When bloodstains are studied with respect to their geometry and
distribution on various surfaces, they can reveal valuable information for
the reconstruction of events that produced the bloodshed.
• Origin(s) of the bloodstains
• Distances between target surface and origin at time of bloodshed
• Type and direction of impact that produced bloodstains
• Object(s) that produced bloodstain patterns
• Number of blows, shots, etc. that occurred
• Position of victim, assailant, or objects during bloodshed
• Movement and direction of victim, assailant or objects after
bloodshed
• Support or contradiction of version of events given by suspect or
witnesses
• Additional criteria for estimation of time of death
• Correlation with other laboratory and pathology findings relevant
to an investigation
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Physical Properties of Blood
Blood can be characterized as a fluid consisting of cellular components and plasma
which circulates under pressure through the arterial and venous systems of the body. The color
of blood is imparted by the presence of oxygenated hemoglobin present in the red cells, which
normally comprise approximately 40 to 48% of blood. Arterial blood is a brighter red due to its
high levels of oxyhemoglobin, which is less in the venous system due to tissue distribution of
oxygen and the return of carbon dioxide to the lungs. When the circulatory system is disrupted
by trauma or disease, bloodshed occurs internally or externally or both. When blood is exposed to the external
environment, it is subjected to various forces and will behave in a predictable manner based on the laws of biology,
physics, and mathematics. Biologically, the clotting and drying process of blood will be initiated. Observations of the
degree of clotting and serum production and extent of drying of blood at a scene may help estimate the time since
bloodshed occurred. Being a liquid, blood behaves according to the laws of fluid dynamics. Its physical properties,
including viscosity, specific gravity, surface tension, and the forces acting on blood outside the body determine the size,
shape, directionality, and location of bloodstains on various surfaces.
Blood can leave the body in many different ways, depending on the type of injury inflicted. It can flow, drip,
spray, spurt, gush or just ooze from wounds. Types of Stains Bloodstains are classified into three basic types: passive
stains, transfer stains and projected or impact stains. Passive stains include drops, flows and pools, and typically result
from gravity acting on an injured body. Transfer stains result from objects coming into contact with existing bloodstains
and leaving wipes, swipes or pattern transfers behind such as a bloody shoe print or a smear from a body being dragged.
Impact stains result from blood projecting through the air and are usually seen as spatter, but may also include gushes,
splashes and arterial spurts.
Blood Spatter is categorized as impact spatter (created when a force is applied to a liquid blood source) or projection
spatter (caused by arterial spurting, expirated spray or spatter cast off an object). The characteristics of blood spatter
depend on the speed at which the blood leaves the body and the type of force applied to the blood source.
1. Gunshot spatter - includes both forward spatter from the exit wound and back spatter from the entrance wound.
Gunshot spatter will vary depending on the caliber of the gun, where the victim is struck, whether the bullet exits
the body, distance between the victim and the gun and location of the victim relative to walls, floors and objects.
Typically, forward spatter is a fine mist and back spatter is larger and fewer drops.
2. Cast-off - results when an object swung in an arc flings blood onto nearby surfaces. This occurs when an assailant
swings the bloodstained object back before inflicting another blow. Analysts can tell the direction of the
impacting object by the shape of the spatter (tails point in the direction of motion). Counting the arcs can also
show the minimum number of blows delivered.
3. Arterial spray - refers to the spurt of blood released when a major artery is severed. The blood is propelled out of
the breached blood vessel by the pumping of the heart and often forms an arcing pattern consisting of large,
individual stains, with a new pattern created for each time the heart pumps.
4. Expirated spatter - is usually caused by blood from an internal injury mixing with air from the lungs being
expelled through the nose, mouth or an injury to the airways or lungs. Expirated spatter tends to form a very fine
mist due to the pressure exerted by the lungs moving air out of the body. Small air bubbles in the drops of blood
are typically found in this type of spatter.
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Blood Spatter
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Blood Spatter
Passive Bloodstains - Patterns created from the force of gravity; can be a single drop, series of drops, flow patterns, blood
pools, etc.
Projected Bloodstains - Patterns that occur when a force is applied to the source of the blood; includes low, medium, or
high impact spatters, cast-off, arterial spurting, and expiratory blood blown out of the nose, mouth, or wound.
Transfer or Contact Bloodstains - The pattern created when a wet, bloody object comes in contact with a target surface;
may be used to identify an object or body part.
Physical Examination & Light Source
Investigators will first examine the crime scene to look for areas that may contain blood. They may also use a
high-intensity light or UV lights to help them find traces of blood as well as other bodily fluids that are not visible under
normal lighting conditions.
Blood Reagent Tests (Called presumptive tests)
These tests are used to detect blood at crime scenes based upon the properties of hemoglobin in the blood.
Further tests at the crime lab can determine if it is human blood or not. The Kastle-Meyer tests uses phenolphthalein and
hydrogen peroxide, while Hema-Stix is a paper strip coated with TMB.
Luminol
This chemical is used to locate traces of blood, even if it has been cleaned or removed. Investigators spray a
luminol solution throughout the area under investigation and look for reactions with the iron present in blood, which
causes a blue luminescence.
Fluorescein
This chemical is also capable of detecting latent or old blood. However, a special light and goggles are used to
detect any illuminated areas, which appear greenish-white if blood is present. It may also react to many of the same things
as luminol (copper and bleach).
LCV or Leuco Crystal Violet, is one type of chemical process that is used for blood enhancement to make the blood
evidence more visible so it can be photographed and analyzed.
Directions: Determine which type of bloodstain is displayed?
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Blood Spatter
When a wound is inflicted and blood leaves the body, a blood-spatter pattern may be created. A single stain or
drop of blood does not constitute a spatter. Instead, a grouping of bloodstains composes a blood-spatter pattern. This
pattern can help reconstruct the series of events surrounding a shooting, stabbing, or beating.
History of Blood-Spatter Analysis
In 1894, Pitoroski wrote the earliest reference to blood-spatter analysis. In 1939, Balthazard was the first
researcher to analyze the meaning of the spatter pattern. In 1955, blood-spatter evidence was used by the defense in the
Sam Shepard case, helping to exonerate him. In 1971, Dr. Herbert MacDonnell used blood-spatter analysis as a tool in
modern forensic examinations. Today, blood-spatter evidence is used to explain events at a violent scene.
Blood-Spatter Analysis
In this chapter, you will study how blood spatter patterns can be used to recreate a crime scene. Given blood-
spatter patterns, it is possible to determine the direction the blood was traveling, the angle of impact, and the point of
origin of the blood. Blood-spatter patterns can help determine the manner of death, based on the blood velocity.
Instructions on blood-spatter analysis are provided within each activity. Did you ever wonder why blood forms droplets
as it falls from a wound? If blood is a mixture, then why doesn’t it separate in the air before it hits the ground or an
object? Why does a drop of blood have a curved surface when it lands on a flat surface instead of spreading out flat? The
answers to these questions have to do with what happens when the forces of gravity, cohesion, adhesion, and surface
tension act on blood. Recall that blood is a thick mixture of blood cells and plasma. When a person is injured and is
bleeding, gravity acts on blood, pulling it downward toward the ground. The blood droplet has a tendency to become
longer than it is wide as a result of gravity. Blood is cohesive. This means that the blood mixture is attracted to similar
blood mixtures and tends to stick together and not separate as it falls. The effect of the downward force of gravity
combined with the cohesive force of the blood results in a net effect on the blood droplet as it falls. Thus, the blood
maintains a circular or round appearance. When a drop of blood falls on a flat surface, the blood drop will have a curved
surface. The blood drop does not totally flatten out. The reason for this shape is the cohesive nature of blood causing the
blood to pull together and resist flattening out on a surface. The result is that the surface of the blood is elastic, giving the
top of the blood spatter a spherical appearance. If any of the blood does overcome cohesion and separate from the main
droplet of blood, it will form small secondary droplets known as satellites. If blood is dropped onto a smooth surface,
such as glass or marble, the edge of the blood drop appears smooth and circular. However, if the blood lands on a porous
surface, such as wood or ceiling tile, then the edge of the drop of blood may form small spikes or extensions. Notice that
spikes are still connected to the main droplet of blood, whereas satellites are totally separated. In 1902, Dr. John Glaister
first described the six patterns into which blood spatters could be classified. They include:
1. Blood falling directly to the floor at a 90-degree angle will produce circular drops, with secondary satellites being
more produced if the surface hit is textured. This is known as a passive fall.
2. Arterial spurts or gushes typically found on walls or ceilings are caused by the pumping action of the heart.
3. Splashes are shaped like exclamation points. The shape and position of the spatter pattern can help locate the
position of the victim at the time of the attack.
4. Smears are left by a bleeding victim depositing blood as he or she touches or brushes against a wall or furniture.
5. Trails of blood can be left by a bleeding victim as he or she moves from one location to another. The droplets
could be round or smeared or even appear as spurts.
6. Pools of blood form around a victim who is bleeding heavily and remains in one place. If the bleeding victim
moves to another location, there may appear to be droplets or smearing connecting the first location with a
second.
The size and shape of blood droplets help identify the direction from which the blood originated. Round droplets,
for example, are caused by blood dripping downward at a 90-degree angle. Blood droplets with tails or satellite droplets
help us determine the direction from which the blood originated.
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Examination of Directionality of Blood

The shape of an individual drop of blood provides clues to the direction from where the blood originated. A
circular drop of blood (width and length are equal) indicates that the blood fell straight down (90-degree angle of impact).
This is typical if the blood was passively produced (without any force). This would be typical of blood dripping from a
wound. When a blood drop is elongated (longer than it is wide), it is possible to determine the direction the blood was
traveling when it struck a surface. As moving blood strikes a surface, several forces affect the droplet of blood. These
forces are cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension. Cohesion is a force between two similar substances. Adhesion is a
force between two unlike surfaces, such as blood and the surface of a wall. Surface tension is an elastic characteristic
along the outer edge of a liquid caused by the attraction of like molecules. When blood comes into contact with another
surface, the blood tends to adhere or stick to it. As a result, the point of impact may appear to be darker and wider than
the rest of the drop of blood spatter Momentum tends to keep the blood moving in the direction it was traveling. As it
travels, some of the blood adheres to the new surface. However, because of cohesion, most of the blood tends to remain
as one drop. As blood droplets move away from their source, the blood droplet elongates and may produce a thinner tail-
like appearance. The tail points in the direction of blood’s movement. Smaller satellite or secondary droplets may break
away from the main drop of blood. These satellites will appear in front of the moving droplet of blood. Note that satellites
are not connected to the main drop of blood.
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CASE STUDIES
Graham Backhouse - (1985)
Graham Backhouse was accused of killing his neighbor and attempting to kill his wife to collect his wife’s life
insurance. Backhouse’s wife had been injured in an explosion of a homemade car bomb. Backhouse claimed his
neighbor had a grudge against him, and the bomb was really intended for him. When police arrived at the Backhouse
home, the neighbor, Colyn Bedale-Taylor, was found dead from shotgun wounds. Backhouse had sustained wounds to his
chest and face. He claimed self-defense. The blood-spatter evidence contradicted Backhouse’s statement. The blood
spots on the kitchen floor were those made by dripping blood, circular in appearance and not what would have been
produced by a violent encounter as Backhouse related. His wounds appeared to be self-inflicted. Chairs and furniture had
been overturned on top of the blood spots, indicating a staged crime scene. Backhouse was convicted of the murder of his
neighbor and the attempted murder of his wife.
Think Critically
Imagine you can interview the forensic scientist who studied the blood evidence. Write the questions and answers from
the interview. Be sure your questions demonstrate what you have learned about blood and blood-spatter evidence.
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Introduction to Blood Spatter
If you're flipping channels one day and come upon a crime scene as depicted on one of the many TV shows that
focus on forensic science --like "CSI" or "Dexter" you may have noticed something that seems pretty unusual. Amongst
the technicians dusting for fingerprints and collecting hair fibers at the murder scene, the camera pans on an array of red
strings running from the floor, the wall, the table and the sofa. All of the strings seem to meet in a specific area.
Suddenly, an investigator begins recounting aspects of the crime, like when it happened, where the assault took place in
the room, what kind of weapon was used on the victim and how close the assailant was to him. How could he have
learned that information from strings? The strings themselves aren't important. They're simply a tool to help investigators
and analysts draw conclusions about a substance that's often found at crime scenes: blood. We've become used to hearing
how blood samples are used to identify someone through DNA. But the blood itself --where it lands, how it lands, its
consistency and the size and shape of the blood droplets, or spatter --can determine a lot of significant aspects of the
crime.
Of course, analyzing blood splatter isn't nearly as simple as fictional bloodstain pattern analysts like Dexter
Morgan might make it appear to be. Experts in the field often say that it's as much an art as it is a science. If there happen
to be multiple victims and multiple assailants, it becomes even more complex. But a well-trained and seasoned bloodstain
pattern analyst can often provide key information that leads to arrest and conviction.Let's start with the basics of
bloodstain pattern analysis for example, what blood spatters can reveal (and what they can't). As unpleasant as it is to deal
with, when a crime results in bloodshed, the blood left behind functions as evidence for investigators. A bloodstain pattern
analyst can't simply glance at drips and smears of blood and immediately tell you the who, what and when of a crime
scene. Blood spatter analysis takes time and is just one piece of the puzzle when investigators are putting together the
elements of a crime. However, bloodstain pattern analysis can corroborate other evidence and lead investigators to seek
additional clues. After close analysis, blood spatters can indicate important information such as:
•Type and velocity of weapon
•Number of blows
•Handedness of assailant (assailants tend to strike with their dominant hand on the opposite side of the victim's body)
•Position and movements of the victim and assailant during and after the attack
•Which wounds were inflicted first
•Type of injuries
•How long ago the crime was committed
•Whether death was immediate or delayed
Blood spatters can lead to the recreation of a crime because of how blood behaves. Blood leaves the body as a
liquid that follows the laws of motion and gravity. It travels in spherical drops due to surface tension. Blood molecules are
very cohesive, or attracted to each other, so they squeeze against each other until they form a shape with the smallest area
possible. These drops behave in predictable ways when they strike a surface or a force acts upon them. Imagine what
happens when you spill water droplets on the floor. The water falls slowly to the ground, making a circular puddle. The
shape and size of the puddle depends on how much water you pour, how high you hold the water glass and whether you're
spilling it on carpet, wood, linoleum or some other surface. A lot of water makes a larger puddle. If the water falls from a
distance, the puddle will be smaller in diameter. A hard surface will retain more of a circular shape, while carpet absorbs
some of the water and makes the edges spread.
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Blood Spatter
Blood behaves in much the same way as those spilled water droplets. A low-velocity spatter is usually the result of
dripping blood. The force of impact is five feet per second or less, and the size of the droplets is somewhere between four
and eight millimeters (0.16 to 0.31 inches). This type of blood spatter often occurs after a victim initially sustains an
injury, not during the infliction of the injury itself. For example, if the victim is stabbed and then walks around bleeding,
the resulting drops are a type of low-velocity spatters known as passive spatters.
Low-velocity spatters can also result from pools of blood around the body of a victim and transfers (impressions left by
weapons, or smears and trails left by movement). It can occur with some injuries, such as bleeding sustained from a
punch.
A medium-velocity spatter is one that had a force of anywhere from 5 to 100 feet per second, and its diameter is usually
no more than four millimeters. This type of spatter can be caused by a blunt object, such as a bat or an intense beating
with a fist. It can also result from a stabbing. Unlike with a low-density spatter, when a victim is beaten or stabbed,
arteries can be damaged. If they're close to the skin, the victim bleeds faster and blood can spurt from wounds as his or her
heart continues to pump. This results in a larger amount of blood and a very distinctive pattern. Analysts call this
phenomenon projected blood. If we're using the water example, a medium-density splatter might come from a high-
powered squirt gun.
High-velocity spatters are usually caused by gunshot wounds, although they can be caused by other weapons if the
assailant exerts an extreme amount of force. They travel more than 100 feet per second and usually look like a fine spray
of tiny droplets, less than one millimeter in diameter. Bullet wounds are unique because they can have both back and front
spatters, or just back spatters. This depends on whether the bullet stopped after entering the victim's body or traveled
through it. In most cases, the back spatter is much smaller than the front spatter because the spatter travels in the direction
of the bullet. Analysts always look for voids, or empty places in the spatters that indicate that something (or someone)
caught the spatter instead of the surrounding surfaces. In the case of a high-density spatter, this may mean that the
assailant got some of the victim's blood on himself or herself. Sometimes, a blood spatter can look like it was high
velocity when it was actually a medium-or low-velocity spatter.
Cast-off droplets can fall from larger drops of blood. A savvy analyst looks for larger drops of blood among the many tiny
drops to see if they are castoffs. These types of droplets are also found often on places like ceilings when the rest of the
spatters are concentrated elsewhere. Blood spatters can also overlap each other, which can show which gunshot or stab
wound took place first. Size and the force of impact are only two aspects of determining information about blood spatters.
Next, we'll look at the shapes of spatters and how analysts use strings, trigonometric functions and computer programs to
map out a blood-spattered crime scene.
History of Blood Spatter Analysis
Although bloodstain pattern analysis has been studied since the late 1890s, investigators haven't always
recognized how valuable it can be. The first known study of blood spatters occurred at the Institute for Forensic Medicine
in Poland, by Dr. Eduard Piotrowski. He eventually published the book "Concerning the Origin, Shape, Direction and
Distribution of the Bloodstains Following Head Wounds Caused by Blows." Cases that included the interpretation of
blood spatters didn't appear until 50 years later.
In the highly publicized case of the State of Ohio v. -Samuel Sheppard, an affidavit concerning blood spatter
evidence was entered by Dr. Paul Kirk. This 1955 case marked one of the earliest instances of the legal system
recognizing the importance of blood spatter analysis. Dr. Kirk showed the position of the assailant and the victim as well
as showing that the assailant struck the victim with his left hand. The next significant person in the field was Dr.Herbert
MacDonell, who published "Flight Characteristics of Human Blood and Stain Patterns" in 1971. MacDonell also trained
law - enforcement in blood spatter analysis and developed courses to continue to train analysts. In 1983, he and other
attendees of the first annual Advanced Bloodstain Institute founded the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern
Analysts (IABPA).
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Since then, the field of bloodstain analysis has continued to grow and develop. It has now become standard practice for
law enforcement to include during crime-scene investigation.One infamous case that comes to the mind of many people
when thinking about blood spatter analysis also includes a line that became a catchphrase (thanks to Meryl Streep in the
movie "A Cry in the Dark" and Elaine Benes on "Seinfeld"): "The dingoate my baby."
Case Study
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis in Action: The Chamberlain Case
In August 1980, the Chamberlain family was camping near a rock formation called Ayers Rock in Central Australia.
Lindy Chamberlain put two of her children, 4 year-old Reagan and 10-week-old Azaria, to bed in their tent. When she
returned, she cried "The dingo took my baby!" According to Lindy, when she got to the tent she saw a dingo dragging
something out of it. She wasn't close enough to see what it was, but when she checked on the children she saw that Azaria
was missing. As the cry went out, she and her husband Michael, along with other campers, began searching for Azaria. A
nearby camper, Sally Lowe, went into the tent to check on the still-sleeping Reagan. Seeing a small pool of wet blood on
the floor of the tent, she realized that Azaria was probably already dead.
When the head park ranger arrived, she showed him the blood as well as a torn and bloody blanket and
bloodstained items in the tent. Police offers took the blanket and found bloodstains on the tent, but didn't take the bloodied
clothes of the Chamberlains until long afterwards. When a tourist found the baby's jumpsuit near a dingo lair, it was only
slightly torn and bloody, but the snaps were still mostly closed. It was pleated down as if it had been pulled off. The baby
had been wearing other clothes that weren't found. A police officer arrived on the scene, and as one tourist looked on in
amazement, he picked up the bloody jumpsuit and folded it. After a TV station crew showed up, a reporter kept stating
that the jumpsuit was found that way. This continued to create more suspicion about the Chamberlains' involvement in
Azaria's death. The police claimed to have found bloodstains matching Lindy Chamberlain's blood in a cave near Ayers
Rock. Initially, the small amount of blood found in the tent was suspicious as well; only later testing of the bassinet
mattress showed that it had been saturated with enough blood to have resulted in the death of a baby. Fluorescent
examination of the jumpsuit showed that a bloody mark consistent with the action of slitting a throat was present.
Through-out the case, the local police improperly handled blood spatter and other evidence. They didn't photograph the
scene or attempt to preserve materials found there, which essentially rendered many of the conclusions that they reached
invalid. However, expert testimony proved to be enough to convict Lindy Chamberlain of murder and her husband of
being an accessory to murder. Three years later, after another piece of Azaria's clothing was found, Lindy was released.
The case officially remains unsolved. The Azaria Chamberlain case shows what can happen when law enforcement isn't
trained in blood spatter analysis. Once the scene is changed and clothing is washed, there's no way of getting back that
evidence. If the police had properly conducted their investigation, the Chamberlains may have remained incarcerated, or
they may have been able to definitively prove that a dingo ate their baby.
Questions
1. What information can you learn from a bloodstain pattern?
2. Describe why blood helps with the recreation of a crime.
3. Describe the difference between low, medium, and high-velocity blood spatter patterns. What typically causes
each type of blood spatter pattern?
4. What happened in the Chamberlain case? How do you think investigators should have handled the case?
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Analyzing Bloodstain Patterns
Bloodstain pattern interpretation uses the sciences of biology, physics, and mathematics. Observations of
bloodstains have been used since prehistoric man tracked wounded animals, just as modern hunters do today. The use of
bloodstain pattern interpretation in criminal investigations by the German forensic chemist Paul Jeserich was documented
in the nineteenth century.
Bloodstains are characterized by their appearance on the various surfaces that the blood contacts subsequent to
bloodshed. The size, shape, concentration, and distribution of bloodstains depends on many factors. The forces acting
upon blood which has exited the body form the basis for the classification of bloodstains into the general categories of
low, medium, and high-velocity bloodstain patterns. The surfaces upon which the blood droplets impact also affect the
size and shape of the resultant bloodstains. The interpretation of the directionality, origin, or the source of the blood and
the activities that produced the bloodshed depends on their size and shape, convergences, and calculation of the angle of
impact relative to the target surface, as well as the texture of the target surfaces. A blood droplet striking a surface at 90°
will produce a bloodstain which is essentially circular in shape. A blood droplet striking a surface at an angle less than
90° will be more elongated or oval in shape. This is independent of the forces acting upon the blood source, whether it be
gravity or impact to the exposed source of blood. The force factors will affect the size rather than the shape of the
resultant bloodstains.
Patterns of bloodstains at a crime scene reveal to investigators (1) who shed the blood, (2) how did the blood get
where it was, and (3) what was the sequence of events that must have occurred for this particular bloodstain pattern to be
present?
The information bloodstain patterns provide includes:
• The origin of the bloodstains.
• The type of instrument that caused the bloodstains.
• The direction from which an object struck the victim.
• The relative positions of the victim, assailant or assailants, and bystanders.
• The locations and movements of the victim and assailant during the attack.
• The truthfulness of any suspects and witnesses.
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Angle of Impact
The angle of impact is defined as the internal angle at which blood strikes a target surface. The angle of impact is
a function of the relationship between the width and length of the resultant bloodstain. At an impact of 90°, the resultant
circular bloodstain will have an equal width and length, each representing the diameter of the circle. The more acute the
angle of impact, the greater the elongation of the bloodstain. Measurement of the width and length of individual
bloodstains is taken through the central axis of each dimension. The calculated value of the width to length ratio (W/L) is
used in the formula:
angle of impact = arc sin W/L
The arc sin value giving the angle of impact may be determined from trigonometric tables or by using a scientific
calculator which has the arc sin function. The impact angle of a bloodstain is a function of its width-to-length ratio as the
sine value vs. known angles of impact from prepared standards of bloodstains.
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Points of Convergence
Blood droplets may strike surfaces at various impact angles and directionalities. Directionality relates to the
direction a drop of blood travelled in space from its point of origin. The tail of elongated bloodstains and their edge
characteristics generally point in the direction the blood droplet has travelled. An exception to this is a wave cast-off,
which is a small blood droplet that originates from a parent drop of blood due to the wavelike action of the liquid in
conjunction with striking a surface at an angle less than 90°. The tail of a wave cast-off bloodstain points back to the
parent drop. A point of convergence is defined as a common point to which individual bloodstains in a pattern can be
traced or projected on a surface. It is determined by tracing the long axis of well-defined bloodstains back to a two-
dimensional common point or points.
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Detecting blood, in the field and in the lab, is an important part of forensic work, but it is surprisingly difficult to
establish unambiguously that a suspect stain is in fact blood. Even if obvious splatters or pools of blood-like material are
found at a crime scene, it can’t be assumed that they are blood. More than one investigator has been fooled by paint,
hydraulic fluid, or other liquids that resemble blood, sometimes quite closely. Furthermore, bloodstains are by no means
always obvious. Bloodstains may have been washed away by the criminal, leaving only invisible traces, or the blood may
have been deposited on foliage or other materials that make it difficult to see.
If the crime scene covers a large area, it may not even be immediately obvious where to begin looking for latent
bloodstains (also called occult bloodstains, where occult is used in the sense of hidden). After taking specimens of any
patent bloodstains, forensic technicians use one, two, or all three of the following methods to “scan” the crime scene for
possible latent bloodstains. All three of these methods are presumptive. A positive result does not establish the presence of
blood but provides a reasonable supposition that blood may be present.
In this Forensic Science activity, your class will use simulated blood to investigate the effect of velocity and angle
of impact on the shape and pattern of blood drops. After this, your students will use a “weapon” to simulate a stabbing or
shooting and then analyze the blood spatter to try to recreate the crime. Bloodstains at a crime scene are silent witnesses
to the crime. Crime scene investigators can determine the angle at which a drop struck the impact surface by measuring
the major and minor axes of an elliptical stain and applying the principles of right triangles and trigonometric functions. If
a drop of blood hits a smooth surface at an angle of exactly 90°, it leaves a perfectly circular impression. However, even a
slight alteration to the angle of impact leaves an elliptical shape, with a tail-like protrusion pointed in the direction that the
drop was traveling. You can see from the image above that we are relating the length and width of the blood drop to the
sides of a right triangle. The opposite side from our angle of interest is analogous to the width of the blood drop, while the
hypotenuse is analogous to its length.
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Mini Lab No. 12
Directionality of Bloodstains:
When a droplet (spherical) impacts a surface at a perpendicular angle (90 degrees) the resulting bloodstain will appear
circular i.e. the length a width of the stain is equal.
When a blood droplet impacts a surface at angle less than 90 degrees, the resulting bloodstain with have an elongated or
elliptical appearance. In addition, the tail of the droplet will indicate the direction of travel of the droplet when it
contacted the surface i.e. the opposite direction from where the droplet originated from.
Materials
• Simulated Blood
• Poster Board
• Stirring rod with rounded end
• Drop Cloths
• Tape
Procedures
1. Use a drop cloth or a large
section of recycling paper bag to protect the area where there is sufficient space for making blood splash patterns.
The floor and walls must be covered with plastic drop cloths large paper recycling bags.
2. Set up poster board or recycled paper bags on both the walls or floor.
3. Dip the stirring rod into the simulated blood. While it is still wet, splash blood onto the poster board using
sideways motion, upswings and downswings.
4. Using your finger, a stirring rod with a rounded end or a dropper drip simulated blood onto the poster board from
different heights starting at about 15 cm (6 inches) and up to about 3 meters (a little less than 10 feet).
5. Measure the blood spatters choosing one direction as the width and one as the length.
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• How does the size and appearance of the blood drops vary with height?
• How does the size and appearance of the blood drops vary with the texture of the surface?
• How does the splash pattern indicate the direction of travel?
• How does the splash pattern change with different directions of travel?
Height Average
(cm) Drop #1 Drop #2 Drop #3 Drop #4 Drop #5 Dia.(cm)
15
30
45
60
75
90
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Analyze:
1) Prepare a line graph comparing the average diameter of the drops (X-axis) to the height (Y-axis).
2) Find the slope of your graph. (Rise/run). Slope is: _________
3) Using your graph (or an equation) predict the diameter of blood if it fell from a height of 2 meters.
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Directionality of Bloodstains
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LOW FORCE (VELOCITY) IMPACT SPATTER:
• Blood that falls at the speed or force of normal gravity
• These spatters usually fall from an open wound, or from a surface that is saturated with blood
• The majority of the Low Force Impact Spatters are large, circular, spatters with diameters of 4mm or more
• Low Force Impact Spatters will increase in size as the distance fallen increases, however, the size of the spatters
will remain constant after approximately 4 feet
• Free falling blood has a terminal velocity of 20 to 25 feet per second
MEDIUM FORCE (VELOCITY) IMPACTSPATTER:
• Produced with more energy or force than gravity
• The force of the impact causes the blood to break into smaller size spatters relative to the amount of force
• This type of spatter is usually seen in blunt force, stabbings, and secondary spatters
• Produced when the majority of larger drops of blood are broken into smaller spatters with diameters of 2 – 4 mm
• The force associated with this type of spatter is greater than 25 feet per second
HIGH FORCE (VELOCITY) IMPACT SPATTER:
• Impact spatter that measures less than 2mm in diameter
• The force necessary to produce this size spatter is greater than 100 feet per second
• This type of spatter is usually associated with gunshots, explosions, and high-speed collisions
• High Force Impact Spatter takes on a "mist like" appearance
It is important to note that the term "Velocity" does not measure the speed at which the blood is traveling, but rather is
used to describe or measure amount of force applied to the blood, to cause it to spatter.
Direction:
The "tail" points to the direction of the blood drop
Angle of Impact:
The steeper the impact, the more elliptical or elongated, the blood drop
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TYPES OF BLOODSPATTER
1. Spatter - Bloodstains created from the application of force to the area where the blood originated.
2. Origin/Source - The place from where the blood spatter came from or originated.
3. Angle of Impact - The angle at which a blood droplet strikes a surface.
4. Parent Drop - The droplet from which a satellite spatter originates.
5. Satellite Spatters - Small drops of blood that break of from the parent spatter when the blood droplet
hits a surface.
6. Spines - The pointed edges of a stain that radiate out from the spatter; can help determine the direction
from which the blood traveled.
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Worksheet No. 20 - Blood Spatter Worksheet
Directions: Determine the angle of impact for each blood droplet.
• Blood Droplet No. 1 - ____________________________

• Blood Droplet No. 2 - ____________________________
• Blood Droplet No. 3 - ____________________________
• Blood Droplet No. 4 - ____________________________
• Blood Droplet No. 5 - ____________________________
• Blood Droplet No. 6 - ____________________________
• Blood Droplet No. 7 - ____________________________
• Blood Droplet No. 8 - ____________________________
• Blood Droplet No. 9 - ____________________________
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Luminol
Luminol is a chemical that exhibits blue chemiluminescence, when mixed with an appropriate oxidizing agent. It
is a white to slightly yellow crystalline solid that is soluble in water and most polar organic solvents. Luminol is used by
forensic investigators to detect trace amounts of blood left at crime scenes. It is also used by biologists in cellular assays
for the detection of copper, iron, and cyanides. To exhibit its luminescence, the luminol must first be activated with an
oxidant. Usually, a solution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and a hydroxide salt in water is used as the activator. In the
presence of a catalyst such as an iron compound, the hydrogen peroxide is decomposed to form oxygen and water. In a
laboratory setting, the catalyst used is often potassium ferricyanide. In the forensic detection of blood, the catalyst is the
iron present in hemoglobin. Enzymes in a variety of biological systems may also catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide. When luminol reacts with the hydroxide salt, a dianion is formed. The oxygen Luminol is a chemical that
exhibits blue chemiluminescence, when mixed with an appropriate oxidizing agent. It is a white to slightly yellow
crystalline solid that is soluble in water and most polar organic solvents. Luminol is used by forensic investigators to
detect trace amounts of blood left at crime scenes. It is also used by biologists in cellular assays for the detection of
copper, iron, and cyanides. To exhibit its luminescence, the luminol must first be activated with an oxidant. Usually, a
solution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and a hydroxide salt in water is used as the activator. In the presence of a catalyst
such as an iron compound, the hydrogen peroxide is decomposed to form oxygen and water. In a laboratory setting, the
catalyst used is often potassium ferricyanide. In the forensic detection of blood, the catalyst is the iron present in
hemoglobin. Enzymes in a variety of biological systems may also catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
When luminol reacts with the hydroxide salt, a dianion is formed. The oxygen produced from the hydrogen peroxide then
reacts with the luminol dianion. The product of this reaction, an organic peroxide, is very unstable and immediately
decomposes with the loss of nitrogen to produce 5-aminophthalic acid with electrons in an excited state. As the excited
state relaxes to the ground state, the excess energy is liberated as a photon, visible as blue light. Luminol is used by crime
scene investigators to locate traces of blood, even if it has been cleaned or removed. The investigator prepares a solution
of luminol and the activator and sprays it throughout the area under investigation. The iron present in any blood in the
area catalyzes the chemical reaction that leads to the luminesence revealing the location of the blood. The amount of
catalyst necessary for the reaction to occur is very small relative to the amount of luminol, allowing the detection of even
trace amounts of blood. The glow lasts for about 30 seconds and is blue. Detecting the glow requires a fairly dark room.
Any glow detected may be documented by a long exposure photograph.
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CASE STUDIES
Dr. John Schneeberger – Blood Evidence Convicts a Rapist (1999)
Think Critically
How did the Forensic evidence impact the case?
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The Facts: Dr. John Schneeberger was once a popular, trusted medical professional residing in Kipling, Canada
before he was convicted of two counts of sexual assault in 1999. He allegedly drugged his first victim, a 23-year-old
patient named Candace, before assaulting her in his examination room. His second victim was his 13-year-old teenage
stepdaughter, who reported the same awful story. The Weird: After Candace reported her assault to the authorities,
the police forced Dr. Schneeberger to give blood for two DNA samples. When both came back negative, the case was
closed. The police were baffled, and Candace took matters into her own hands. She hired a private detective to get
another sample of Schneeberger’s DNA. The detective managed to collect a sample from the doctor’s lip balm, which
turned out to be a match to the DNA from the crime scene. But, since they’d gotten it without a warrant, the evidence
was dismissed in court. Dr. Schneeberger walked free. When Lisa Schneeberger accused Dr. Schneeberger of
molesting her 13-year-old daughter in January 1998, the doctor went in for another DNA test. This time, however, the
police weren’t taking any chances. Instead of drawing blood samples from his arm, the blood was taken from his
fingertips. The examiner also took hair samples and saliva swabs. The samples were a positive match, and he was
once again sent to trial. Faced with overwhelming evidence, the doctor confessed to his clever plot: He had been
saving blood from patients and surgically implanting a thin rubber tube under his forearm skin next to his vein. When
the technician drew blood for the first rape charges, he had actually drawn someone else’s blood from the tube. Dr.
Schneeberger was convicted of rape—as well as obstruction of justice—and was sentenced to six years in prison.

Chapter 12 - Blood Spatter

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Page 1 of 44

Broughton High School

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Terminology

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Terminology

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Terminology

8. Red Blood Cells

9. Satellite Drop of Blood

10. White Blood Cells

11. Gunshot Spatter

13. Arterial Spray

14. Expiated Spatter

15. Passive Bloodstains

16. Projected Bloodstains

18. Blood Reagent Tests

21. Leuco Crystal Violet

23. Angle of Impact

Examination of Directionality of Blood

2. Describe why blood helps with the recreation of a crime.

• Blood Droplet No. 1 - ____________________________

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