Bloodstain pattern interpretation can play a critical role in determining what happened at a crime scene. Designed for crime scene investigators, forensic scientists, detectives, and other criminal justice professionals, this intensive 40-hour course provides a practical foundation in the scientific principles and application of bloodstain pattern analysis. Through lectures, case studies, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises, you will learn how to identify, document, interpret, and analyze bloodstains and bloodstain patterns using accepted scientific methodologies.
Through practical laboratory exercises, you will explore how bloodstain patterns are created, how to determine areas of origin and convergence, and how blood evidence can help reconstruct events. The course also covers documentation techniques, blood detection and enhancement methods, evidence examination, technical report writing, and scientific approaches to bloodstain pattern analysis. Successful completion provides a solid foundation for basic bloodstain pattern identification and prepares you for advanced study in the discipline.
Topics Include
- Bloodstain pattern fundamentals
- How blood behaves and forms patterns
- Common bloodstain pattern identification
- Impact, cast-off, transfer, and projected stains
- Area of origin and trajectory analysis
- Bloodstains associated with medical deaths
- Blood detection and enhancement methods
- Documentation and evidence preservation
- Bloodstain analysis on clothing and evidence
- Scientific approaches to case analysis
- Technical report writing
- Practical bloodstain pattern exercises
Audience
Patrol officers, newly assigned and seasoned detectives, investigations supervisors, crime scene technicians, medical examiner and coroner investigators, military investigative personnel and prosecuting attorneys
This class is restricted to active sworn and non-sworn law enforcement, investigators, and prosecuting attorneys employed by governmental agencies.
Course Length
40 hours
Note
This course is IAI Crime Scene Certification approved.
What to Bring
Required
- Appropriate clothing for field exercises conducted Tuesday through Thursday which may require bending, stooping or prone on the floor measuring, as well as documenting bloodstains created by veterinarian provided, preventatively tested animal blood.
Recommended
- Camera and equipment to document field exercises
Related Courses
What Our Students Are Saying
- “I wish I had this course when I started my career as an investigator.” - J.H.
- “Great course! Being a homicide detective, I will now look at blood a different way. I will also recommend this course to any old and new detectives. Information provided is invaluable, great course, thank you.” - J.M.
- “Very detailed and organized. Lots of hands on activities which tied everything together.” - M.M.
- “Having taken a previous basic bloodstain class, this class was much more detailed and provided more educational information.” – M. F. Crime Scene Specialist
- “Taking this class again was a great way to sharpen my skills. I also took home more notes for report writing and courtroom presentation. Phenomenal job!!!” – S.G. Crime Scene Investigator
- "Excellent class! I learned a lot and I am excited to use it at a scene." - K.C. Forensic Tech.
- "Practical exercises, not only viewing patterns, but making them greatly helped. This course taught me a lot more than I expected to learn in one week." - Det. T.E.