Deck 4: Crime Scene Reconstruction: Blood Stain Pattern Analysis

Question 1

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)Area of convergence
D)Velocity classification

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The velocity classification of an impact spatter pattern:

A)Cannot illuminate the specific events that produced the pattern.
B)Can determine the kind of action that produced the pattern.
C)Is never used for descriptive purposes.
D)Can only be determined by a trained bloodstain pattern analyst.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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)Projected pattern.
D)Both B and C

Answer 3

C

Question 4

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

A)A victim's arterial wound.
B)Blood dripping from the murder weapon.
C)Postmortem movement of the victim.
D)Blood expelled from a respiratory injury.

Question 5

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

A)Cast-off spatter.
B)Void spatter.
C)Impact spatter.
D)Arterial spray.

Question 6

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

A)Show acute elongation.
B)Feature a tail showing the directionality.
C)Be elliptical in shape.
D)Be approximately circular in shape.

Question 7

The pointed end of a bloodstain always faces:

A)Opposite its direction of travel.
B)Toward the direction from which the force came.
C)Its direction of travel.
D)Toward the position of the blood source.

Question 8

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 clotting ability of the blood.
B)The blood type of the blood.
C)The environmental condition of the scene.
D)The method of deposition.

Question 9

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

A)Area of origin
B)Void pattern
C)Area of convergence
D)Velocity classification

Question 10

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

A)No conclusion can be made.
B)It can be concluded that the firearm is the murder weapon.
C)It can be concluded that the firearm was present during injury to the victim.
D)It can be concluded that the owner of the firearm is the perpetrator.

Question 11

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

A)A bloodstain analysis specialist.
B)The lead investigator.
C)Criminalists and specialists.
D)All crime-scene personnel.

Question 12

The dried perimeter of a bloodstain may 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

Question 13

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

A)The location of the injury.
B)The size of the wound created.
C)The distance between the victim and the muzzle.
D)All of the above

Question 14

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)Expirated blood.
B)A void.
C)Blowback spatter.
D)An unidentifiable pattern.

Question 15

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

A)Baseball bat
B)Knife
C)Wooden plank
D)All of the above

Question 16

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

A)Show the relative sizes of bloodstains in photographs.
B)Prevent contamination of the bloodstains.
C)Collect bloodstains for delivery to the laboratory.
D)All of the above

Question 17

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

A)Flow.
B)Indistinguishable pattern.
C)Contact pattern.
D)Trail pattern.

Question 18

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

A)Standing in place.
B)Walking slowly.
C)Running.
D)Carrying a bloody weapon.

Question 19

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)The same as
B)Less than
C)Greater than

Question 20

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

A)Flow pattern
B)Cast-off pattern
C)Bloodstain tail
D)Trail pattern

Question 21

Drops propelled from a blunt surface will be larger and the pattern will be:

A)Narrow.
B)Wide.
C)Linear.
D)Thin.

Question 22

What information can an investigator gain from the location of the area of origin of a bloodstain pattern?

A)Position of weapons at a crime scene
B)Position of person from which pattern originated
C)Type of force used
D)Identity of the suspect

Question 23

Rough surfaces usually result in stains with:

A)Forward spatter.
B)Back spatter.
C)Blow-back spatter.
D)Satellite spatter.

Question 24

A blood stain that impacts a surface at a low angle will have a ________ tail than one that impacts at a higher angle.

A)Longer
B)Shorter
C)Wider
D)Narrower

Question 25

Physical evidence that can be used to aid in a crime-scene reconstruction includes:

A)Blood spatters.
B)Gunshot residues.
C)Glass fragments.
D)All of the above

Question 26

Setting up a rectangular border of rulers around the patterns and then placing a small ruler next to each stain describes the:

A)String method.
B)Stake method.
C)Grid method.
D)Perimeter ruler method.

Question 27

Crime-scene reconstruction involves the efforts of all EXCEPT the:

A)Trial judge.
B)Medical examiner.
C)Police.
D)Criminalist.

Question 28

When an object blocks the deposition of blood spatter onto a target surface or object, the result is a:

A)Transfer pattern.
B)Flow pattern.
C)Void pattern.
D)Cast-off pattern.

Question 29

Crime scene reconstructions have the best chance of accuracy if:

A)Investigators exclude all testimonial evidence.
B)Investigators use proper documentation and collection methods for all types of evidence.
C)Investigators process all evidence at the crime laboratory.
D)Investigators trust their first instincts and test their first theories.

Question 30

What is created when an object with blood on it touches one that does not have blood on it?

A)Flow pattern
B)Void pattern
C)Cast-off pattern
D)Transfer pattern

Question 31

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)Void
D)Cast-off

Question 32

What can be concluded if a flow found on an object or body does not appear consistent with the direction of gravity?

A)The object or body was within 5 feet of the blood source.
B)The object or body was moved after the blood had dried.
C)The object or body was not moved.
D)The object or body was at a lower temperature than the blood.

Question 33

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

A)Void
B)Contact
C)Simple
D)Flow

Question 34

Crime-scene reconstruction requires piecing together:

A)Accounts given by witnesses and suspects.
B)Input from the medical examiner.
C)The story told by evidence recovered at the crime scene.
D)All of the above

Question 35

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)Void
B)Area of convergence
C)Directionality
D)Area of origin

Question 36

Which of the following is of paramount importance in the interpretation of bloodstain patterns?

A)The direction of impact
B)The surface texture
C)The angle of impact
D)The amount of blood

Question 37

Setting up squares of known dimension over the entire pattern describes the:

A)String method.
B)Stake method.
C)Grid method.
D)Perimeter ruler method.

Question 38

The process of crime-scene reconstruction may enlist the expertise of all of the following EXCEPT:

A)A trained criminalist.
B)A criminal personality profiler.
C)A medical examiner.
D)A forensic anthropologist.

Question 39

In general, as both the force and velocity of impact increase, what happens to the diameter of the resulting blood droplets?

A)Increases
B)Stays the same
C)Decreases
D)The diameter is unaffected by force and velocity

Question 40

The presence of a cast-off pattern shows that there were more than ________ blow(s)delivered:

A)One
B)Two
C)Five
D)The cast-off pattern cannot tell how many blows were delivered.

Question 41

A bloodstain that impacts a surface at a low angle with have a shorter tail than one that impacts at a higher angle.

Question 42

Expirated blood is expelled from the mouth or nose from an external injury.

Question 43

Drops propelled from a small or pointed surface will be smaller and the pattern more linear.

Question 44

In general, as both the force and velocity of impact increase, the diameter of the resulting blood droplets increases.

Question 45

The pointed end of a bloodstain always faces its direction of travel.

Question 46

Void spatter is the most common type of bloodstain pattern found at a crime scene.

Question 47

The flow pattern on an object or body can help determine if the body was moved after the blood had dried.

Question 48

The tails of the drops in a trail pattern point in the direction that the person was moving.

Question 49

Pools of blood are not reliable to use in reconstruction or determining the amount of time that has elapsed since the blood was deposited.

Question 50

The less blood on an object, the smaller the stains produced.

Question 51

Voids may help investigators establish the body position of the victim or assailant at the time of the incident.

Question 52

A flow pattern is created when an object blocks the deposition of blood spatter onto a target surface or object.

Question 53

The location of injury, the size of the wound created, the distance between the victim and the muzzle of the weapon all affect the amount of backward spatter that occurs.

Question 54

The first transfer pattern will be lighter in color while subsequent transfers will be increasingly dark and heavy.

Question 55

During crime-scene reconstruction, no evidence or data should ever be excluded.

Question 56

________ spatter is projected outward and away from the source.

Question 57

Back spatter consists of the blood projected backward from the source.

Question 58

The sizes of the drops in a cast-off pattern are not related to the size of the point from which they were propelled.

Question 59

Forward spatter is more likely to be deposited on the object or person creating the impact.

Question 60

In general, as both the force and velocity of impact increase, the diameter of the resulting blood droplets ________.

Question 61

Match the word in Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each answer can only be used once.

A)The process by which the edges of a stain will dry to the surface in a specific period of time (dependent upon environmental and surface conditions)and will remain apparent even after the rest of the bloodstain has been disturbed from its original position
B)A bloodstain pattern formed by the movement of small or large amounts of blood due to gravity's pull
C)A bloodstain pattern produced when an object makes forceful contact with a source of blood, projecting droplets of blood outward from the source
D)Blood directed back towards the source of the force that caused the spatter
E)An area within a deposited spatter pattern that is clear of spatter, caused by an object or person blocking the area at the time of the pattern's deposition
F)Small droplets of blood that are distributed around the perimeter of a drop or pool of blood that were produced as a result of the blood impacting the target surface
G)Blood which travels away from the source in the same direction as the force which caused the spatter
H)The area on a two-dimensional plane where lines traced through the long axis of several individual bloodstains meet. This approximates the two-dimensional place where the bloodstains were projected from.
I)A characteristic bloodstain pattern containing spurts that results from blood exiting under pressure from an arterial injury
J)The acute angle formed between the path of a blood drop and the surface which it contacts
K)A pattern of bloodstains formed by the dripping of blood off a moving surface or person in a recognizable pathway separate from other patterns
L)Blood that is expelled out of the nose, mouth, or respiratory system as a result of air pressure and/or air flow
M)The location in three-dimensional space that blood that produced a bloodstain originated from.
N)A bloodstain pattern created when a surface that carries wet blood comes in contact with a second surface. Recognizable imprints of all or a portion of the original surface or the direction of movement may be observed.
O)A bloodstain pattern that is created when blood is flung from a blood-bearing object in motion onto a surface
Cast-off

Question 62

Match the word in Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each answer can only be used once.

A)The process by which the edges of a stain will dry to the surface in a specific period of time (dependent upon environmental and surface conditions)and will remain apparent even after the rest of the bloodstain has been disturbed from its original position
B)A bloodstain pattern formed by the movement of small or large amounts of blood due to gravity's pull
C)A bloodstain pattern produced when an object makes forceful contact with a source of blood, projecting droplets of blood outward from the source
D)Blood directed back towards the source of the force that caused the spatter
E)An area within a deposited spatter pattern that is clear of spatter, caused by an object or person blocking the area at the time of the pattern's deposition
F)Small droplets of blood that are distributed around the perimeter of a drop or pool of blood that were produced as a result of the blood impacting the target surface
G)Blood which travels away from the source in the same direction as the force which caused the spatter
H)The area on a two-dimensional plane where lines traced through the long axis of several individual bloodstains meet. This approximates the two-dimensional place where the bloodstains were projected from.
I)A characteristic bloodstain pattern containing spurts that results from blood exiting under pressure from an arterial injury
J)The acute angle formed between the path of a blood drop and the surface which it contacts
K)A pattern of bloodstains formed by the dripping of blood off a moving surface or person in a recognizable pathway separate from other patterns
L)Blood that is expelled out of the nose, mouth, or respiratory system as a result of air pressure and/or air flow
M)The location in three-dimensional space that blood that produced a bloodstain originated from.
N)A bloodstain pattern created when a surface that carries wet blood comes in contact with a second surface. Recognizable imprints of all or a portion of the original surface or the direction of movement may be observed.
O)A bloodstain pattern that is created when blood is flung from a blood-bearing object in motion onto a surface
Area of convergence

Question 63

More circular stains are found where the person was moving slowly enough to not form ________.

Question 64

Match the word in Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each answer can only be used once.

A)The process by which the edges of a stain will dry to the surface in a specific period of time (dependent upon environmental and surface conditions)and will remain apparent even after the rest of the bloodstain has been disturbed from its original position
B)A bloodstain pattern formed by the movement of small or large amounts of blood due to gravity's pull
C)A bloodstain pattern produced when an object makes forceful contact with a source of blood, projecting droplets of blood outward from the source
D)Blood directed back towards the source of the force that caused the spatter
E)An area within a deposited spatter pattern that is clear of spatter, caused by an object or person blocking the area at the time of the pattern's deposition
F)Small droplets of blood that are distributed around the perimeter of a drop or pool of blood that were produced as a result of the blood impacting the target surface
G)Blood which travels away from the source in the same direction as the force which caused the spatter
H)The area on a two-dimensional plane where lines traced through the long axis of several individual bloodstains meet. This approximates the two-dimensional place where the bloodstains were projected from.
I)A characteristic bloodstain pattern containing spurts that results from blood exiting under pressure from an arterial injury
J)The acute angle formed between the path of a blood drop and the surface which it contacts
K)A pattern of bloodstains formed by the dripping of blood off a moving surface or person in a recognizable pathway separate from other patterns
L)Blood that is expelled out of the nose, mouth, or respiratory system as a result of air pressure and/or air flow
M)The location in three-dimensional space that blood that produced a bloodstain originated from.
N)A bloodstain pattern created when a surface that carries wet blood comes in contact with a second surface. Recognizable imprints of all or a portion of the original surface or the direction of movement may be observed.
O)A bloodstain pattern that is created when blood is flung from a blood-bearing object in motion onto a surface
Projected Pattern

Question 65

Drops propelled from a pointed surface will be smaller and the pattern more ________.

Question 66

Typically the blood expelled from impact wounds is not as bright red as the blood expelled from a(n)________.

Question 67

The ________ effect occurs when back spatter strikes the gunman and enters the gun muzzle.

Question 68

Expirated blood may be lighter in color as a result of dilution by ________.

Question 69

Cast-off patterns can show the ________ number of blows.

Question 70

Match the word in Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each answer can only be used once.

A)The process by which the edges of a stain will dry to the surface in a specific period of time (dependent upon environmental and surface conditions)and will remain apparent even after the rest of the bloodstain has been disturbed from its original position
B)A bloodstain pattern formed by the movement of small or large amounts of blood due to gravity's pull
C)A bloodstain pattern produced when an object makes forceful contact with a source of blood, projecting droplets of blood outward from the source
D)Blood directed back towards the source of the force that caused the spatter
E)An area within a deposited spatter pattern that is clear of spatter, caused by an object or person blocking the area at the time of the pattern's deposition
F)Small droplets of blood that are distributed around the perimeter of a drop or pool of blood that were produced as a result of the blood impacting the target surface
G)Blood which travels away from the source in the same direction as the force which caused the spatter
H)The area on a two-dimensional plane where lines traced through the long axis of several individual bloodstains meet. This approximates the two-dimensional place where the bloodstains were projected from.
I)A characteristic bloodstain pattern containing spurts that results from blood exiting under pressure from an arterial injury
J)The acute angle formed between the path of a blood drop and the surface which it contacts
K)A pattern of bloodstains formed by the dripping of blood off a moving surface or person in a recognizable pathway separate from other patterns
L)Blood that is expelled out of the nose, mouth, or respiratory system as a result of air pressure and/or air flow
M)The location in three-dimensional space that blood that produced a bloodstain originated from.
N)A bloodstain pattern created when a surface that carries wet blood comes in contact with a second surface. Recognizable imprints of all or a portion of the original surface or the direction of movement may be observed.
O)A bloodstain pattern that is created when blood is flung from a blood-bearing object in motion onto a surface
Back spatter

Question 71

Often, reconstruction requires the involvement of a medical examiner and at least one ________.

Question 72

Match the word in Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each answer can only be used once.

A)The process by which the edges of a stain will dry to the surface in a specific period of time (dependent upon environmental and surface conditions)and will remain apparent even after the rest of the bloodstain has been disturbed from its original position
B)A bloodstain pattern formed by the movement of small or large amounts of blood due to gravity's pull
C)A bloodstain pattern produced when an object makes forceful contact with a source of blood, projecting droplets of blood outward from the source
D)Blood directed back towards the source of the force that caused the spatter
E)An area within a deposited spatter pattern that is clear of spatter, caused by an object or person blocking the area at the time of the pattern's deposition
F)Small droplets of blood that are distributed around the perimeter of a drop or pool of blood that were produced as a result of the blood impacting the target surface
G)Blood which travels away from the source in the same direction as the force which caused the spatter
H)The area on a two-dimensional plane where lines traced through the long axis of several individual bloodstains meet. This approximates the two-dimensional place where the bloodstains were projected from.
I)A characteristic bloodstain pattern containing spurts that results from blood exiting under pressure from an arterial injury
J)The acute angle formed between the path of a blood drop and the surface which it contacts
K)A pattern of bloodstains formed by the dripping of blood off a moving surface or person in a recognizable pathway separate from other patterns
L)Blood that is expelled out of the nose, mouth, or respiratory system as a result of air pressure and/or air flow
M)The location in three-dimensional space that blood that produced a bloodstain originated from.
N)A bloodstain pattern created when a surface that carries wet blood comes in contact with a second surface. Recognizable imprints of all or a portion of the original surface or the direction of movement may be observed.
O)A bloodstain pattern that is created when blood is flung from a blood-bearing object in motion onto a surface
Area of origin

Question 73

Match the word in Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each answer can only be used once.

A)The process by which the edges of a stain will dry to the surface in a specific period of time (dependent upon environmental and surface conditions)and will remain apparent even after the rest of the bloodstain has been disturbed from its original position
B)A bloodstain pattern formed by the movement of small or large amounts of blood due to gravity's pull
C)A bloodstain pattern produced when an object makes forceful contact with a source of blood, projecting droplets of blood outward from the source
D)Blood directed back towards the source of the force that caused the spatter
E)An area within a deposited spatter pattern that is clear of spatter, caused by an object or person blocking the area at the time of the pattern's deposition
F)Small droplets of blood that are distributed around the perimeter of a drop or pool of blood that were produced as a result of the blood impacting the target surface
G)Blood which travels away from the source in the same direction as the force which caused the spatter
H)The area on a two-dimensional plane where lines traced through the long axis of several individual bloodstains meet. This approximates the two-dimensional place where the bloodstains were projected from.
I)A characteristic bloodstain pattern containing spurts that results from blood exiting under pressure from an arterial injury
J)The acute angle formed between the path of a blood drop and the surface which it contacts
K)A pattern of bloodstains formed by the dripping of blood off a moving surface or person in a recognizable pathway separate from other patterns
L)Blood that is expelled out of the nose, mouth, or respiratory system as a result of air pressure and/or air flow
M)The location in three-dimensional space that blood that produced a bloodstain originated from.
N)A bloodstain pattern created when a surface that carries wet blood comes in contact with a second surface. Recognizable imprints of all or a portion of the original surface or the direction of movement may be observed.
O)A bloodstain pattern that is created when blood is flung from a blood-bearing object in motion onto a surface
Angle of impact

Question 74

The location of injury, the size of the wound created, the distance between the victim and the muzzle of the weapon all affect the amount of ________ spatter that occurs.

Question 75

The presence of bubbles of oxygen in the drops can differentiate ________ blood from other types of bloodstains.

Question 76

Simple ________ patterns are produced when the object makes contact with the surface and is removed without any movement of the object.

Question 77

Drops propelled from a large or blunt surface will be ________ and the pattern wider.

Question 78

A(n)________ pattern is a pattern made by drops or large amounts of blood flowing by the pull of gravity.

Question 79

Crime-scene ________ is the method used to support a likely sequence of events at a crime scene by observing and evaluating physical evidence and statements made by individuals involved with the incident.

Question 80

In general, as the force of the impact on the source of blood increases, the velocity of the blood droplets emanating from the source ________.