Terminology, Typology, and Taxonomy
Peter R. De Forest, Peter A. Pizzola, Brooke W. Kammrath · 2021
A typological categorization of basic bloodstain patterns, in conjunction with appropriate terminology and other forms of documentation such as photographic illustrations, can enhance the conveyance of information to other criminalists, forensic scientists, forensic examiners, for the instruction of students and lay persons. Contact transfers with blood are classic examples of Locard's theory of exchange; they are created when two surfaces experience physical contact with each other and at least one of the surfaces bears wet blood. The position of the impression can be crucial in crime scene reconstruction perhaps in refuting or confirming claims made by suspects and witnesses. Deposits formed from airborne blood droplets interacting with a target surface create what should be classified as a noncontact pattern. Trail patterns produced by droplets of blood are a series of blood traces often circular in shape. The airstreams from nasal or oral cavities could result from coughing, sneezing, or medical intervention.