Deck 10: Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Question 1

The pressure of the pumping of oxygenated blood out of an injury causes bright red-colored blood to spurt out and form a(n):

A) void pattern.
B) expirated pattern.
C) arterial spray pattern.
D) both B and C.
E) both A and C.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The pointed end of a bloodstain always faces:

A) toward the position of the blood source.
B) opposite its direction of travel.
C) toward the direction from which the force came.
D) in its direction of travel.
E) none of the above.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The approximate drying time of a pool of blood can be used to estimate timing of events at a crime scene and is dependent upon:

A) the environmental condition of the scene
B) the blood type of the blood
C) the clotting ability of the blood
D) the position of the victim
E) the method of deposition

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Widely spaced bloody shoeprints with satellite spatter between the shoeprints were likely deposited by an individual who was:

A) standing in place.
B) carrying a bloody weapon.
C) injured during the incident.
D) running.
E) walking slowly.

Question 5

The deposition of backward spatter produced by a gunshot wound is determined by:

A) the location of the injury.
B) the location of the surface of deposition.
C) the distance between the victim and the muzzle.
D) the size of the wound created.
E) all of the above.

Question 6

The velocity classification of an impact spatter pattern:

A) cannot illuminate the specific events that produced pattern.
B) can determine the kind of action that produced the pattern.
C) can only be determined by a trained bloodstain pattern analyst.
D) is never used for descriptive purposes.
E) all of the above

Question 7

A trail pattern leading away from the victim at a stabbing scene was most likely created by:

A) the swinging of the murder weapon between strikes.
B) a victim's arterial wound.
C) blood expelled from a respiratory injury.
D) blood dripping from the murder weapon.
E) postmortem movement of the victim.

Question 8

Which weapon would create cast-off patterns consisting of small droplets in a linear pattern?

A) wooden plank
B) knife
C) baseball bat
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 9

The removal of an object or surface that was located between the origin of blood and the target surface during the bloodstain deposition leaves behind:

A) a void.
B) expirated blood.
C) an unidentifiable pattern.
D) a transfer pattern.
E) blowback spatter.

Question 10

A blood droplet deposited at an angle of impact of about 90º (directly vertical to the surface) will:

A) always be 3 cm in diameter.
B) be approximately circular in shape.
C) show acute elongation.
D) feature a tail showing the directionality.
E) be elliptical in shape.

Question 11

At the crime scene, the string method is used to find the ___________ of an impact spatter pattern.

A) area of origin
B) void pattern
C) drying time
D) velocity classification
E) area of convergence

Question 12

The most common type of bloodstain pattern found at a crime scene is:

A) arterial spray.
B) void spatter.
C) transfer pattern.
D) cast-off spatter.
E) impact spatter.

Question 13

The intersection of straight lines through the long axis of several individual bloodstains in an impact spatter pattern illustrates the ___________ of the pattern:

A) drying time
B) void pattern
C) velocity classification
D) area of origin
E) area of convergence

Question 14

The skeletonized perimeter of a bloodstain can be used to interpret:

A) the kind of force that produced the bloodstain.
B) the time that elapsed between deposition of the stain and alteration of the stain.
C) the source of the bloodstain.
D) both B and C.
E) all of the above.

Question 15

In the grid method of bloodstain documentation, a grid of squares of known dimensions is created over an entire pattern in order to:

A) prevent contamination of the bloodstains.
B) collect bloodstains for delivery to the laboratory.
C) show the relative sizes of bloodstains in photographs.
D) all of the above.
E) none of the above.

Question 16

The amount of spatter from a blood droplet falling on a hard, non-porous surface is ________ that of a drop of blood of equal size, falling from the same distance, onto a softer, porous surface.

A) less than
B) the same as
C) equal to
D) greater than

Question 17

An expirated blood pattern at a crime scene is identified by:

A) bubbles of oxygen within the pattern.
B) skeletonized edges.
C) lighter color than other patterns.
D) both A and B
E) all of the above.

Question 18

When an object with blood on it touches one that does not have blood on it, this produces a(n) :

A) contact pattern.
B) flow.
C) void.
D) trail pattern.
E) indistinguishable pattern.

Question 19

The direction of a ___________ may show movements of objects or bodies while the pattern was still forming or after the blood has dried.

A) bloodstain tail
B) cast-off pattern
C) expirated pattern
D) trail pattern
E) flow pattern

Question 20

If a murder victim's blood is found in the muzzle of a firearm:

A) it can be concluded that the firearm was present during injury to the victim.
B) it can be concluded that the owner of the firearm is the perpetrator.
C) no conclusion can be made.
D) it can be concluded that the firearm is the murder weapon.
E) it can be concluded that the firearm was not present during the murder.

Question 21

By counting and pairing the patterns of a(n) ___________ pattern, an investigator can estimate the minimum number of blows inflicted upon a victim.

A) impact
B) arterial spray
C) cast-off
D) void
E) drip trail

Question 22

List and briefly describe the information that can be gained from bloodstain pattern analysis.

Question 23

How can an investigator determine the area of convergence and an area of impact for a given blood pattern?

Question 24

Diagram and describe the three types of impact spatter and how these patterns can be used at a crime scene.

Question 25

Crime scene reconstruction involves the efforts of all but the:

A) crime scene response unit.
B) police.
C) trial judge.
D) medical examiner.
E) criminalist.

Question 26

The ________________ of a bloodstain pattern in a three-dimensional space illustrates the position of the victim or suspect when the stain-producing event took place.

A) directionality
B) tangent area
C) area of origin
D) area of convergence
E) void

Question 27

Crime scene reconstruction requires the piecing together of:

A) the story told by evidence recovered at the crime scene.
B) the laboratory results obtained by the criminalist working on the case.
C) input form the medical examiner.
D) accounts given by witnesses and suspects.
E) all of the above.

Question 28

Explain how the texture of a surface, directionality and the angle of impact can impact the shape of the individual bloodstains.

Question 29

Using the following diagrams, calculate the angle of impact of each individual bloodstain.

Question 30

Crime scene reconstructions have the best chance of accuracy if:

A) investigators process all evidence at the crime laboratory.
B) investigators trust their first instincts and test their first theories.
C) investigators use proper documentation and collection methods for all types of evidence.
D) investigators exclude all testimonial evidence.
E) investigators never utilize eye-witness testimony.

Question 31

Describe the methods used to document bloodstain evidence at a crime scene.

Question 32

Generally, bloodstain diameter ___________ as height increases.

A) increases lengthwise, decreases widthwise
B) increases
C) decreases
D) may increase or decrease depending upon surface
E) remains unchanged

Question 33

Proper location and documentation of bloodstain patterns at the crime scene is the responsibility of:

A) all crime scene personnel.
B) the lead investigator.
C) criminalists and specialists.
D) the first responding officer.
E) a bloodstain analysis specialist.

Question 34

___________ transfer patterns are produced when the object makes contact with the surface and the object is removed without any movement.

A) flow
B) imprint
C) contact
D) void
E) simple