NCJ Number
194651
Journal
Canadian Society of Forensic Science Journal Volume: 34 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2001 Pages: 205-208
Date Published
December 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the use of bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) to reconstruct the events of a crime and determine the circumstances of the crime.
Abstract
Through the utilization of a case study in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada where the body of a victim was not found but blood spatter was, this article showed how bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) could be a useful investigational tool at almost any bloodletting crime scene to both reconstruct the events of the crime and determine the circumstances surrounding the crime. A careful examination of the bloodstain patterns could indicate whether a victim was beaten or shot, how many blows were struck, whether the victim was standing or lying down, or whether the victim was dragged or hit into something. Even when objects have been moved or when the body is not found at the crime scene, the investigative analyst using BPA could decipher the events and circumstances surrounding the crime.