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Forensic Chem Blood Evidence PDF
Forensic Chem Blood Evidence PDF
• Class evidence for blood would include blood type. If you can determine the DNA you would
have individual evidence.
• Blood stain patterns are considered circumstantial evidence in a court room. Experts could
argue many points including direction of travel, height of the perpetrator, position of the victim,
left/right hand, whether the body was moved, etc.
A field of forensic investigation which deals with the physical properties of blood and the
patterns produced under different conditions as a result of various forces being applied to the blood.
Blood, as a fluid, follows the laws of physics.
Properties of Blood
Properties of Blood
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• Cohesion: blood mixture is attracted to similar blood mixtures and sticks together, not
separates, as it falls
• Surface Tension: the elastic like property of the surface of the liquid that makes it tend to
contract, caused by the forces of attraction between the molecules of the liquid.
– Formation of a sphere
SPATTER VS TRANSFER:
The simplest type of blood spatter analysis is determining spatters from transfers.
Spatters are created when blood is acted upon by force, and travels through the air before landing on a
target surface.
Transfers occur when a blood source comes in direct contact with a target surface area.
Blood Droplets
• Flat surface – edge of blood
• drop appears smooth and circular
o Glass, marble
• Porous surface – edge of drop of blood may form small spikes
(extensions) or satellites
o Spikes – attached to make droplet
o Satellites – not attached to main droplet
Effect of Surface:
Smooth surface = smooth sphere Rough/porous surface may cause some splatter
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2. Arterial spurts or gushes – typically found on walls or
ceilings caused by pumping action of the heart
3. Smears – left by bleeding victim depositing blood as he or she touches or brushes against a wall
or furniture
– transfers
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Spatter Patterns and Type of Wound
– Size – 1-4 mm
Angle of Impact:
The steeper the impact, the more elliptical or elongated, the blood
drop
Direction:
The "tail" points to the direction of the blood drop
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Finding AOI SOLUTION:
AOI = SIN-1 W / L
AOI = 26.2°
LENGTH = 5.9cm
WIDTH = 2.6cm
• Fresh or wet blood should be collected on clean, sterile gauze and allowed to dry
• Swabbing – Stain is transferred to a swab which has been moistened with sterile water or saline.
• Cutting – For stains on objects that are difficult to submit to the lab. The cut portion should
include unstained areas around the bloodstain
• Scraping – a sharp instrument is used to scrape the stain off of a surface & onto clean paper
• Elution – using a small amount of saline or distilled water to dissolve the dried stain
• The most important consideration for preserving biological evidence from scenes is to
thoroughly dry the item before packaging and then store in a cool dry environment