Review of Common Bloodstain Patterns Documented at a Crime Scene in the Event of Blunt Force Hit

The scientific study/interpretation of bloodstain patterns at a crime scene, provide invaluable evidence for sequencing, reconstruction of events that might have occurred at the crime scene. As per the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) each year a greater number of people die as a consequence of blunt force trauma compared to the number of people who are killed with a rifle or shot gun. From documentation phase to final interpretation, bloodstain pattern analysis is deeply rooted in the principles of physics, fluid mechanics, medical science, computer science, mathematics etc. This paper is largely aimed at reviewing the multidisciplinary work that has already been undertaken by scientists round the world to understand impact stain patterns, castoff, transfer and saturation stain patterns that are most commonly visible in a crime scene that involves blunt force injury. Again, like most other disciplines of forensic science, the reliability and error rates associated with the interpretation of bloodstain patterns still stands questionable. Inspired by the work that has been undertaken in the field of fluid mechanics, medical science, computer science, mathematics, physics etc., the authors have tried to amalgamate the works that have particularly contributed towards scientific advancement in the documentation, interpretation of bloodstain patterns, thereby putting forth the research initiative that they (i.e. the authors) intend to undertake within the multidisciplinary domain of bloodstain pattern analysis.

Author(s): Samir Kumar Bandyopadhyay, Nabanita Basu

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