NCJ Number
156799
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 22 Issue: 8 Dated: (August 1995) Pages: 42-44
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Blood spatter analysis provides crime scene investigators with information about the source of the blood, the nature of the wound, the height and position of the victim and assailant, the distance between the source and the blood stain, the type of weapon used, whether or not the victim was moving at the time of injury or moved afterwards, and the order of wounds incurred.
Abstract
To replace the painstaking manual method of blood spatter analysis, a new software package allows trained technicians to analyze the evidence in less time, and with more accuracy and reliability. The software uses the computer's ability to handle large numbers of data points and resolve them to the closest, most logical conclusion as to the origins of the blood found at the scene. The three types of data required for the program include the angle of impact to the surface, the direction from which the blood droplets were traveling when they struck the surface, and the blood stains' paths to each other and to a common reference point. When data is entered into the program, each blood stain is assigned a different color, which is displayed graphically.