Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

What can be determined from BPA?

• distance from blood source to target

• direction of travel and impact angles

• nature of force used and object

Splatter vs Transfer

• splatters are produced when a source of liquid is acted upoun by an external force

• transfer occurs when a blood source comes in direct contact with a target surface area

Void

an absence of blood in an otherwise continuous bloodstain or bloodstain pattern

Swipe

a bloodstain pattern resulting from the transfer of blood from a blood-bearing surface onto another surface, with characteristics that indicate relative motion between the two surfaces

Wipe pattern

an altered bloodstain pattern resulting from an object
moving through a pre-existing wet bloodstain