Forensic Photography

You are a crime investigator who has been called upon to investigate a case. You evaluate the case by formulating a hypothesis and later testing it.

View a photograph taken at a crime scene:

Photograph taken at the crime scene

On the basis of your understanding of the scenario, discuss the following:

• Assume that you encounter a bloodstain similar to what is given in this photograph. Keeping this photograph in mind, discuss:
  • What would you conclude from such evidence at the crime scene?
  • What led to the above conclusion?
  • What hypothesis would you arrive at?
  • How would you test your hypothesis?
• Taking photographs of the evidence is an important step towards documentation and preservation for further analysis of the evidence.

Keeping in mind your experience and knowledge about forensic photography, discuss:

• What forensic photography steps would you take to properly document the bloodstain shown in the photograph?
• Do you need to ensure anything before you start taking photographs? If yes, what do you need to ensure?
• How many pictures would you take to ensure that the evidence is properly documented for further analysis?
• What type of photography do you think is most suitable for this kind of bloodstain pattern?
• What precautions would you practice while you photograph the bloodstain evidence to ensure clarity?
• Different presumptive tests having varying degrees of sensitivity are used in crime scene investigation to detect trace amounts of bloodstains.

Based on your knowledge of presumptive tests for bloodstains and this photograph, answer the following:

• What are the various presumptive tests that can be applied to detect the bloodstains in the given photograph?
• Which test would you apply to detect the bloodstain in this case?
• Why did you choose this method above all the methods that are available?