877-872-4339 Call 24/7
Emergency Service

Before Blood Cleanup: Blood Analysis and Investigations

Thanks to the influence of pop culture, these days the average person is more knowledgeable about crime scene investigations than ever before. One aspect of such investigations involves bloodstain pattern analysis, which can be extremely useful to law enforcement when seeking clues to violent crimes.

Examining blood patterns at the scene of a crime can provide an abundance of important information. Such information can include:

  • The amount of force used to create blood spray
  • The distance from the source of blood to the area of impact
  • Identification of objects that may have been used during the crime
  • The sequence of events (when multiple patterns are present)

This knowledge can aid law enforcement in confirming witness statements, as well as determining if there was a significant struggle between victim and assailant. Uncovering these key points is essential to a thorough criminal investigation.

Characteristics of Blood Patterns

Due to the inherent physical properties of blood, investigators can glean a great deal by examining how it interacts with its surroundings. For instance, surface tension causes blood to form a spherical shape, which creates a distinct effect. Determinations can also be made based on the velocity (speed) of blood spray. These include low, medium, and high velocity, each of which results from very specific circumstances and injuries.

Another essential aspect of blood analysis involves spatter vs. transfer. Spatter refers to situations where blood is acted upon by force, causing it to travel airborne until reaching a stable surface. Conversely, transfer refers to instances where blood comes in direct contact with a surface. This can appear in ‘swipe’ or ‘wipe’ patterns.

Because many factors come into play when examining blood patterns, detailed investigation is essential to garnering an appropriate reading of a crime scene. In some cases, it may take years of experience for investigators to reach the level of expertise often required to read patterns with great efficiency.

We Make Your Home Whole Again

CrimeSceneTape-BiohazardGloveOnce an investigation is complete, professional crime scene cleanup will help restore the residence back to its normal state. The experienced technicians at Aftermath are trained to return your home or place of business to a clean, sanitary conditions. Not only is this important from a health perspective, it’s also essential to finding peace of mind after a traumatic incident takes place.

Leave a Reply


Related Information