Bloodstains

• Author: D. P. Lyle
• Pages: 261-278

Bloodstains 261

CHAPTER 14

BLOODSTAINS

Violent crimes often involve the shedding of blood. From a forensic point

of view, blood provides the ME with a wealth of information. Bloodstains

can often indicate exactly what happened at the crime scene and in what

sequence. The analysis of bloodstain patterns is both science and art. S ci-

ence tells us how blood behaves, but understanding the messages hidden

within its patterns requires knowledge, experience, and common sense.

The analysis of blood can be divided along biolog ical and physical

lines. Biologica l analyses provide evidence of d iseases, such as AID S or dia-

betes, which can be possible indications of a natural cause of death. Toxico-

logical examinations (Chapter 12) reveal the presence of alcohol or drugs,

which could have caused or contributed to the death. ABO typing (Chapter

10) and DNA analysis (Chapter 11) can help identify a victim or suspect.

But, in this chapter we will address blood’s physical properties, or how

it behaves as a liquid. The bloodstain pattern at the crime scene can be

used to determine the cause and manner of death and to reconstruct the

crime scene.

It is unknown exactly when bloodstain patterns were first used in a

criminal investigation, but it was mentioned in an English court procee d-

ing as early as 1514. It wasn’t until 1895 that Polish scientist Dr. Eduard

262 Bloodstains

Piotrowski published the first work on bloodstain pattern recognition in

which he cataloged the results of his extensive studies of blood spatters.

The famous case of the State of Ohio v. Samuel Sheppard was landmark in

the use of bloodstains in United States courtrooms.

This famous case inspired the popula r television series and major

motion picture The Fugitive. The real case bega n on the night of July 4,

1954, when Dr. Samuel Sheppard’s wife, Marilyn, was brutally murdered

in their home. Sheppard said an intruder attacked and bludgeoned his wife

to death. He had attempted to protect her but was knocked unconscious.

When he awoke, he examined his wife for signs of life, including checking

the pulse in her neck, and then called for help.

The home appeared to have been ransacke d as if the attacks were

part of a home invasion robbery. But police found inconsistencies in the

crime scene bloodstain pattern. For example, Sheppard had no blood on his

hands, body, or clothing. Such stains would have been expected had he been

the one to bludgeon his wife, and their absence would seem to exonerate

Sheppard. But this complete lack of blood on him and his clothing raised

many questions. Because of the brutal nature of the attack, the killer would

have been covered with blood, and some of that blood should have been

transferred to Sheppard during their struggle. In addition, Sheppard had

no blood on his hands, which would be likely if he had checked for a pulse in

his wife’s blood-covered neck.

Sheppard sa id that his watch, wallet, ring, and keys were missing, a nd

he believed that the killer had taken them and, indeed, the police found a

green bag with the missing items not far from the house. Agai n, the bag

and wal let had no blood on the m as would b e expected i f the killer ha d han-

dled them with his bloody hands. And wouldn’t Sheppard’s pa nts, wrists,

and hands have blood transfers as the killer removed the wallet, keys,

watch, and rings? No such stains were found, which meant that whoever

took those items and placed them into the bag did so with clean hands.

Several very fine blood spatters, produced by flying blood droplets,

were found on the face of Sheppard’s watch, indicating th at the watch had

been near the victim at the time she was struck. Had they come from con-

tact with the victim’s neck as Sheppard felt for a pulse, the stains would

have been in the form of transfer smears and not spatter droplets.