Forensic Evidence Essay

The term ‘forensic’ actually means ‘relating to law and science’. In this lesson, we'll review different types of forensic evidence. We will also look at real world cases where forensic evidence was used to solve crimes.

!!!Hidden Evidence

It's 3AM. You are on call for the Violent Crimes Response Unit. You arrive on the scene of a missing person case. No one has seen the home owner in about a week and the Homicide Sergeant has asked you to examine the home for anything indicating that a crime may have occurred. You walk into the bathroom and smell the strong odor of bleach. Someone did some heavy cleaning in here recently. But they missed a spot. On the mirror of the bathroom, you see a faint, light brown streak. It could be dried blood. What

o Wipe - bloodstains caused by an object being moved across a preexisting bloodstain.

BPA professionals can also determine where certain bloodstains came from. For example, if a spatter stain is located on a vertical surface, a BPA expert can measure that stain and use a scientific formula to determine where in the room the blood was first put into motion. Thus, they can determine where a victim or suspect was standing, kneeling, or lying when they were injured.

[{Image src='bloodstain_measurements.jpg' alt='Bloodstain measurements' caption='This image shows the different types of measurements used by BPA experts.'}]

Real World Example: In 1985, Graham Backhouse was accused and convicted of trying to murder his wife with a car bomb, framing his neighbor for it, and then killing his neighbor. While a large amount of forensic evidence was used in this case, one piece of the case file involved BPA. Backhouse claimed that he had a violent struggle with his neighbor, which resulted in him being stabbed and cut. Examiners noted that the bloodstains on the kitchen floor, where this alleged attack occurred, were actually blood drops, made by a wound that would be consistent with cutting one's own