According to a report from the FBI, in 2020, there was a record-breaking 30% increase in murders in the United States. Of late, most major cities have recorded many violent crimes ranging from sexual assault and murder to rape and homicide. Such crimes often leave bloodstain patterns that require professional analysis. This piece contains all you need to know about what bloodstain pattern analysis services are and what they offer.
What Is Bloodstain Pattern Analysis?
Blood pattern analysis (BPA) is a process whereby forensic experts, otherwise known as blood spatter analysts, study bloodstain patterns in a crime scene to determine how events unfolded. These analysts use aspects like the shape, transfer, and convergence of blood splatters to form conclusions like the weapon used and what followed after bloodshed.
How Does Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Work?
Analysts use bloodstain analysis to get essential clues like the number of blows delivered, type of weapon used, the movements of assailant and victim, types of injuries, which wounds got inflicted first, and whether the victim died immediately or delayed. Moreover, since blood dries over time, analysts can use that to explain a crime scene. For instance, factors like the amount of blood spilled, the surface on which it landed, and the scene's humidity and heat can help them come to a rough conclusion as to how fast the blood should have dried. Analysts can use that with the observable drying patterns to determine the duration of an assault and whether it all unfolded at once or took place in stages.
Analysts also use front and back spatters to explain bullet wounds. A back spatter is also known as blowback. It refers to a situation where blood exits in a direction that is opposite that of the impact. On the other hand, a forward spatter is restricted to exit wounds since the blood spatters in the impact's direction. Finally, the shape of bloodstains significantly influences an analyst's conclusion. For example, round stains are likely to result from blood falling straight down with nothing more than air and gravity for resistance. However, if the blood makes elongated marks, chances are, some force moved it at an angle and sped it along a particular trajectory. In most cases, analysts use the concentration of disturbed edges in spatters to chart the direction traveled by the blood.
Hire Reputable Bloodstain Pattern Analysts
Bloodstain pattern analysis is complex and encompasses a myriad of techniques. But, with the help of trained experts, entities like police departments and defense solicitors can use it to investigate crime scenes and provide crucial forensic information. Note that a random blood pattern is just as vital as a clear one in recreating the events. Therefore, ensure no spatter is tampered with before an analyst has the opportunity to reconstruct the scene, corroborate witness statements, and exclude any potential perpetrators. Most importantly, hire professionals from reputable bloodstain pattern analysis services.