An innovative imaging method for recording bloodstain patterns at crime scenes using panoramic imaging

Bloodstain pattern documentation requires recording the scene in sufficient detail to allow evidence preservation and aid event reconstruction. Current documentation techniques pose limitations including laborious processes, extensive training for crime scene investigators (CSI), a lack of context in close-up shots, and the danger of incomplete documentation. These limitations have a ripple effect on off-site bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA), potentially affecting accuracy and time of the analysis. To address these limitations, new technologies, including panoramic imaging, have the potential to improve BPA workflows by increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of onsite documentation, as well as off-site analysis. This study investigated panoramic imaging to record blood spatter patterns for off-site area of origin (AO) analysis towards developing a method that can accommodate a range of wall sizes and camera/lens combinations, while being easy to use without CSIs requiring extensive training. The developed method provided a straightforward means to document blood spatter on walls ranging from 1 to 3.5 m, demonstrating the method’s adaptability to scene-specific constraints, including spatial. Lenses from 60 to 180 mm yielded reliable results, allowing high-quality capture suitable for off-site AO analysis. Testing this range of lenses provided confidence that CSIs can use their current equipment to record panoramic images.