Investigating the influence of substrate on the ambiguity of features of drip and transfer patterns in bloodstain pattern analysis

In bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA), two common bloodstain patterns that have been under-researched are transfer (especially wipes and swipes) and drip patterns. The works presented in this thesis investigate the features present in these pattern types and their variability on different substrate types. On the same type of porous substrates, wipes were always distinguished from swipes as a result of the clear presence of a perimeter ring. A new set of qualitative features was created to describe the observable traits of the transfer patterns. With the absence of a perimeter ring, the presence of other qualitative and quantitative features, dependent on substrate porosity, can result in a 57%-91% correct wipe identification using various statistical approaches. When examining drip patterns, their appearance on different substrates, compared to the traditional, hard, non-porous substrates, varies in terms of the circularity of the parent and distribution of satellite stains. Drip pattern formation on outdoor environmental substrates was investigated; however, due to their three-dimensional (3D) nature, analysis was limited. Overall, these findings highlight a better understanding of real-world, complex surface influences on the appearance, analysis, and identification of transfer and drip patterns.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Applied Bioscience

Grantor

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Kannan, Shaijieni

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Stotesbury, Theresa

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10155/2051

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/2051