Bloodstain Pattern Analysis with an Introduction to Crime Scene Reconstruction,Pages:440 , $139.95

Description

Features

  Includes new chapters on bloodstain pattern classification, experimentation, anatomical issues, and other topics

  Illustrates the relationship between bloodstain analysis and crime scene reconstruction

  Provides additional full color photographs, more than double the number of the last edition

   Includes new input from both a top medical examiner and a serology expert

Summary

Objective establishment of the truth is the goal of any good crime scene investigator. This demands a consideration of all evidence available using proven scientific methodologies to establish objective snapshots of the crime. The majority of forensic disciplines shed light on the “who” of a crime, bloodstain pattern analysis is one of the most important disciplines to address “what” happened. Understanding the discipline, its underlying scientific basis, and how best to apply this knowledge is crucial in the investigator’s quest for the truth.

Internationally known experts in crime scene analysis, Tom Bevel and Ross M. Gardner explore bloodstain pattern analysis in depth, explaining what it is, how it is used, and the practical methodologies employed to achieve defensible results.

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis with an Introduction to Crime Scene Reconstruction, Third Edition:

Presents a specific and detailed taxonomy of bloodstain pattern characteristics

Offers a full-color fold-out Decision Map to guide analysts through the classification process

Uses full-color photos and diagrams to illustrate concepts

Describes the theory, principles, and methodology for crime scene reconstruction

Details proven, applicable scientific methodologies

Emphasizes observable and reproducible results to mitigate accusations of subjectivity in evidence and testimony

Provides more than 60% new or significantly revised information

Offering practical advice and tips for novices and experienced professionals, this book employs clear, lucid, and reasoned scientific arguments to provide the tools to guide and focus any investigative effort.

Captain Tom Bevel is a 27-year veteran of the Oklahoma City Police Department, retiring in 1996 as Commander of the Homicide, Robbery, Missing Persons, and Unsolved Homicide units. He is held in high esteem as a qualified expert in crime scene reconstruction and bloodstain pattern analysis in state, federal, and foreign courts. His knowledge and expertise as a crime scene consultant has been sought after in 45 US states and 11 foreign countries. He owns a forensic education and consulting company in his home state of Oklahoma.

Ross M. Gardner retired as a Command Sergeant Major and Special Agent in 1999 after serving a total of 24 years in US Army law enforcement. Certified by the International Association for Identification as a Senior Crime Analyst for the past 16 years, Gardner is an active instructor and consultant throughout the United States in crime scene analysis, bloodstain pattern analysis, and crime scene investigation.

List of Contents

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis: Its Function and a Historical Perspective 
The Function of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 
Historical Perspective of Bloodstain Pattern Evidence 
Early Scientific References 
Modern Works in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 
Bloodstain Pattern Terminology 
Referring to the Discipline 
General Terms Relating to Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 
Angle of Impact 
(Arterial) Spurt/Gush 
Atomized Blood/Misting 
Blood into Blood Patterns 
Blowback Effect 
Capillary Action 
Cast-Off Patterns 
Clot 
Contact Stain 
Directionality 
Directional Angle 
Drip/Drip Trail 
Expectorate Spatter/Blood 
Flow 
Fly Spot 
Impact Site 
Non-Spatter Stains 
Origin/Area of Origin 
Parent Stain 
Pattern Transfer 
Primary Stain 
Ricochet Stain 
Satellite Stain/Spatter 
Saturation Stain 
Shadowing/Ghosting/Void 
Skeletonized Stain/Skeletonization 
Smear 
Spatter Stains 
Spines 
Swipe 
Wipe 
Bloodstain Classification 
Classification vs. Overall Opinion 
Classification vs. Definition 
Why a Taxonomic Classification System? 
A Taxonomic Classification System for Bloodstains 
The Spatter Family 
Category: Spatter 
Category: Linear Spatter 
Category: Spurt 
Category: Cast-Off 
Category: Drip Trail 
Category: Non-Linear Spatter 
Category: Impact Pattern 
Category: Expectorate Spatter 
Category: Drips 
The Non-Spatter Family 
Category: Non-Spatter 
Category: Irregular Margin 
Category: Gush/Splash 
Category: Blood into Blood 
Category: Smear 
Category: Wipe 
Category: Swipe 
Category: Regular Margin 
Category: Pattern Transfer 
Category: Pool 
Category: Saturation 
Category: Flow 
Complex Patterns 
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Decision Map 
Altered Stains and the Decision Map 
Practical Application of Taxonomy and Decision Map 
Applying the Decision Map with Other Bloodstain Pattern Classification Systems 
Low, Medium, and High Velocity 
Spatter, Non-Spatter 
Passive, Spatter, Altered 
Passive, Transfer, Projected/Dynamic 
A Methodology for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 
Scientific Method 
A Practical Methodology for Applying Scientific Method 
Step 1: Become Familiar with the Entire Scene 
Step 2: Identify Discrete Patterns 
Step 3: Classify the Patterns 
Step 4: Evaluate Aspects of Directionality and Motion for the Pattern 
Step 5: Evaluate Point of Convergence and Area of Origin 
Step 6: Evaluate Interrelationships among Patterns and Other Evidence 
Step 7: Evaluate Viable Source Events in an Effort to Explain the Pattern 
Step 8: Define a Best Explanation Given the Data 
Applying the Methodology in Different Environments 
Active Scenes 
Released Scenes 
Cold Case Scenes 
The Medium of Blood 
Spatter Droplet Dynamics 
Spatter Drop Dynamics on Impact 
Contact/Collapse 
Displacement 
Dispersion 
Retraction 
Liquid-to-Liquid Impacts 
Blood Behavior When Exposed to Different Mechanisms 
Blood Dispersed through the Air as a Function of Gravity 
Blood Dispersed from a Point Source 
Blood Ejected from an Object in Motion 
Blood Ejected in Volume under Pressure 
Blood That Accumulates and/or Flows on a Surface 
Blood Deposited through Transfer 
Anatomical Considerations in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, M. Ferenc 
Introduction 
Blood Cells and Plasma 
Coagulation and Hemostasis 
The Circulatory System and Shock 
Non-Traumatic Causes of Bleeding 
Traumatic Pathology 
Firearm Injuries 
Sharp Force Injuries 
Blunt Injuries 
The Forensic Pathologist as a Resource 
The Author 
Determining Motion and Directionality 
General Sequence of Events 
Droplet Directionality 
Recognizing Blood Trail Motion 
Determining Motion from Wipes and Swipes 
Repetitive Pattern Transfers 
Flows 
Determining the Point of Convergence and the Area of Origin 
Identify Well-Formed Stains in the Pattern 
Identify Directionality of the Stains 
Identify Point of Convergence for the Pattern 
Identify Impact Angles for the Stains 
Stain Measurement 
Combine the Information to Establish an Area of Origin 
Graphing Points of Origin 
Defining Area of Origin with the Tangent Function 
Three-Dimensional Evaluations of Area of Origin 
Stringing Scenes 
Forensic Software Applications 
How Many Stains Are Enough? 
Automation Efficiency or Precision — An Important Distinction 
Limitations in Area of Origin Evaluations 
Evaluating Impact Spatter Bloodstains 
Methods of Description 
Understanding the Concept of Preponderant Stain Size 
Impact Droplet Size 
Pattern Configuration and Dispersion in Impacts 
Spatter Resulting from Gunshots 
Gunshot Spatter — Forward Spatter and Back Spatter 
Size Ranges of Gunshot Spatter 
Kinetic Energy, Wound Cavitation, and the Creation of Gunshot Spatter 
Double Shot Impact Events 
Gunshot Pattern Shapes and Dispersion 
Expectorate Blood 
Fly Spots 
Understanding and Applying Characteristic Patterns of Blood 
Impact Patterns 
Cast-Off Stains 
Projected Blood — Spurt and Gush Patterns 
Expectorate Patterns 
Drips and Drip Trails 
Pattern Transfers 
Flow Patterns 
Pools 
Wipes, Swipes, and Contact 
Blood into Blood 
Altered Stains 
Voids 
Clotting 
Drying Time of Blood 
Dilution 
Bloodstained Clothing Issues 
Applying Good Clothing Documentation Procedures 
Overcoming Poor Collection/Documentation Procedures 
Distinguishing Contact from Spatter on Fabric 
Directionality and Impact Angle Issues on Fabric 
Pattern Transfer Issues 
Clothing Documentation 
Presumptive Testing and Enhancement of Blood, C. Marie 
Presumptive Tests 
Benzidines 
Triarylmethanes 
Luminol 
Choosing a Reagent 
Genetic Testing Considerations 
Formulations 
Hemastix™ 
Hemastix™ Procedure 
Preparing Phenolphthalein, Leucomalachite Green, and o-Tolidine 
Phenolphthalein Solution 
Leucomalachite Green Solution 
o-Tolidine Solution 
Testing Procedure Using Phenolphthalein, Leucomalachite Green, and the o-Tolidine Solutions 
Interpretation 
Searching for and Enhancing Latent Blood 
Leucocrystal Violet (LCV) Preparation 
Alternate LCV Reagent Preparation Method 
Fluorescin Spraying Solution Preparation 
Fluorescin in Alcohol Preparation 
Fluorescin in Water Preparation 
Luminol 
Reagent Preparation 
Alternate Reagent Preparation 
Safety Considerations 
Procedure for Using Luminol, LCV, and Fluorescin 
Protein Stains 
Photo-Documentation 
Interpretation 
Confirmation of Blood 
Immunoassay Confirmation of Blood 
Documenting Bloodstains 
The Function of Documentation 
Collection 
Bloodstain Pattern Photography 
Scene and Pattern Sketches 
Written Reports 
A Spatter Pattern Description/Conclusion 
A Blood Pool Description/Conclusion 
A Pattern Transfer Description/Conclusion 
A Complex Pattern Description/Conclusion 
An Introduction to Crime Scene Reconstruction and Analysis 
Crime Scene Analysis and the Archeologist’s Dilemma 
A History of Crime Scene Analysis 
The Correlation of Crime Scene Analysis to Behavioral Analysis 
The Application of Scientific Method in the Reconstruction Process 
Theory and Principles of Crime Scene Analysis 
Locard’s Principle of Exchange 
Nicolas Steno’s Principle of Superposition 
Nicolas Steno’s Principle of Lateral Continuity 
Chronology 
A Methodology for Crime Scene Analysis — Event Analysis 
Putting the Pieces Together 
Presenting Evidence 
Understanding the Nature and Content of Daubert or Similar Challenges 
Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 113 S.Ct. 2786 (1993) 
Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013 (D.C. Cir. 1923) 
U.S. Federal Rule 702 
Responding to Daubert or Similar Challenges 
What Is Bloodstain Pattern Analysis? 
What Is the Purpose of a Bloodstain Pattern Analysis? 
What Principles Apply to Bloodstain Pattern Analysis? 
What Is the Methodology Used in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis? 
Where Has Blood Pattern Analysis Been Accepted in Judicial Settings and within the Scientific Community? 
What Scientific Studies Have Been Published in Peer Review Journals? 
Are There Professional Associations That Recognize Bloodstain Pattern Analysis? 
Is There an Identified Error Rate for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis? 
General Concerns for Testifying 
Maintaining Objectivity 
Settling in and Establishing a First Impression 
Understanding Cross-Examination 
Using Demonstrative Aids in Court 
Building Demonstrative Presentations Using Computer Resources 
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Software Applications 
Experimentation in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 
Considerations for the Design and Conduct of Experiments in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 
Identify the Investigative Question 
Initial Observation and Information Gathering 
Identify Variables and Form a Hypothesis 
Design a Functional Experiment to Test Your Hypothesis 
Obtain Materials and Equipment 
Conduct the Experiment and Record the Data 
Analyze and Summarize Results 
State the Best Explanation 
Maintaining a Reality Check, Comparing against the Crime Scene 
Experimental Errors 
Pitfalls to Experimentation and Reconstruction Attempts 
Case Example 1— “Painted Fibers” 
Case Experiment 2 — An Odd Impact Spatter 
Case Experiment 3 — Spatter or No Spatter 
Experiments vs. Demonstrations 
Dealing with the Risk of Bloodborne Pathogens 
Bloodborne Diseases 
Crime Scene Considerations 
Dealing with Accidental Exposures 
Packaging Biohazard Evidence 
Exposure Risks in Training and Experimentation 
Other Sources of Information on Managing Bloodborne Pathogen Risks 
Appendix A: Weight/Measurement Conversion Table 
Appendix B: Trigonometric Functions and Their Application in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 
Accuracy, Precision, and Significant Digits 
Index

Editorial Reviews 

 “… completely revised and enhanced … a practical and concisely written text. … the most complete and comprehensive handbook to date from the perspective of the criminal investigator and forensic scientist on the subject of bloodstain spatter analysis….an eloquent and practical guide…” 
—(from the foreword) Vernon J. Geberth, M.S., M.P.S., Author of Practical Homicide Investigation

"Mr. Bevel and Mr. Gardner have expanded on the earlier editions of this book and although bloodstain pattern analysis can be a complicated and highly technical subject, this book, although comprehensive, is written in a manner that is easy to understand."

--Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology; Humana Press

 "Overall the text is entirely comprehensive and up-to-date in its content; it would be a wise choice for a student of bloodstain pattern analysis."

—Tom Mavin, Sgt., Forensic Identification Branch, Waterloo Regional Police Service, Cambridge, Ontario, writing inCanadian Society of Forensic Science Journal

Author(s)

Tom Bevel, Oklahoma City Police Department (Retired), USA; Ross M. Gardner, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (Retired), Georgia, USA