Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA): Principles and Interpretation
摘要
Understanding the blood spatter pattern holds significance in crime scene investigation and its reconstruction. Two properties of blood, i.e., surface tension and viscosity, help the generation of unique patterns of blood spatters in different circumstances. Various types of bloodstains are found in a crime scene which can be attributed to a particular scenario. Passive bloodstains are created by the force of gravity alone when bloodstains are released from a wound area. The shape and size of passive bloodstains vary with their nature such as drops, drip stain, drip pattern, pools, and clots. A typical blood spatter includes three components, i.e., parent drop, satellite stains, and spines. Careful examination and analysis of bloodstain pattern reveal many useful investigative leads such as angle of impact, height, and origin of the blood source. When a bloodstain hits a surface at 90°, it appears perfectly circular shape. Any deviation from 90° makes the bloodstain elliptical, and the angle of impact can be calculated using the Sin formula. Similarly, in a general notion, the height of fall is directly proportional to the size of the bloodstain. By constructing the path of each bloodstain, a point of convergence can be estimated. From this point of convergence, the height of the blood source can also be found out. Thus, forensic examination of the bloodstain pattern helps in establishing the following: (a) where did the blood originate from? (b) what might be the nature of the wound? (c) what was the direction of blood origin? (d) what was the position of victim and perpetrator? (e) number of potential perpetrators in the crime scene.