Spatter Research Paper

Spattered blood is a random distribution of bloodstains that vary in size that may be produced by many mechanisms. The size and quantity of spatters produced by a single mechanism vary significantly. The amount of available blood and the amount of force applied to the blood affect the size range of spatters. Spatter is created when sufficient force is available to overcome the surface tension of the blood. The amount of force applied to a source of blood and the size of the resulting spatter vary considerably with gunshot, beating and stabbing events. The size range of spatter produced by any one mechanism may also vary considerably. Impact spatter that is associated with gunshot may produce minute spatters of blood less than 0.1 mm in diameter that are often referred to by analysts as most like dispersions. This mist-like

The size range is dependent on the quantity of available blood, the caliber of the weapon, the location and number of shots and impeding factors, such as hair, clothing, etc. Impact spatters of this type is most commonly associated with gunshot, but may also be produced in cases involving explosions, power tools, high speed machinery injuries, and high speed automobile collisions. Forward spatter, which is associated with an exit wound, no forward spatter is produced in cases where the projectile does not exit the body. The mechanism that creates impact blood spatter will create a variety of sizes of bloodstain that would fit into the categories with beating and stabbing events, as well as spatter produced by expiration blood. Impact spatter associated with beating and stabbing events generally exhibits a size range from 1 to 3mm in diameter. Mechanisms other than beating, stabbing and gun shots, would be the expiration of blood and satellite spattering. They may also produce spatters in the same size range of less than 1 to