Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Subcommittee

The Bloodstain Pattern Subcommittee focuses on standards and guidelines related to the scientific detection and analysis of bloodstain patterns present at crime scenes and on associated evidence.

Officers | Members | Standards | Discipline-Specific Baseline Documents | Research & Development Needs | Presentations

Officers

Holly Latham, Subcommittee Chair, Kansas Bureau of Investigation

Jeff Gurvis, Subcommittee Vice Chair, National Forensic Support Laboratory 

Celestina Rossi, Subcommittee Executive Secretary, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

Members

Standards

Tier 1: On the OSAC Registry

• ASB Technical Report 033, Terms and Definitions in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, First Edition, 2017.

Tier 2: Published by an SDO

• ANSI/ASB Standard 030, Standard for a Quality Assurance Program in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, First Edition, 2019.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 031, Standards for Report Writing in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, First Edition, 2020. 
• ANSI/ASB Standard 032, Standards for a Bloodstain Analyst's Training Program, First Edition, 2020.
• ASB Technical Report 033, Terms and Definitions in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, First Edition, 2017.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 072, Standard for the Validation of Procedures in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, First Edition, 2019.

Tier 3: Sent to an SDO

• Standards for Developing Standard Operating Procedures in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis.
• Standard for Proficiency Testing in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis.

Tier 4: Under Development

• Standard for Technical Review of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Reports.
• Standard for a Certification Program for Bloodstain Pattern Analysts.
• Standard for Classifying Bloodstain Patterns.
• Standard for Documentation and Review of Case Experimentation.
• Standard for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Methodology.
• Standard for Determining Angle of Impact and Area of Origin.
• Standard for a Mentorship Program in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis.
• Standard for Documenting Bloodstains and Bloodstain Patterns at a Scene.

Discipline-Specific Baseline Documents

The Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB) has provided the opportunity for OSAC subcommittees to identify baseline documents and reference materials that best reflect the current state of the practice within their respective disciplines. 

These documents contain practical information regarding these disciplines that can help forensic scientists, judges, lawyers, researchers, other interested parties and the general public, to better understand the nature, scope, and foundations of the individual disciplines as they are currently practiced.

It is important to note that the identification of these documents in this venue does not represent an endorsement by OSAC or NIST. Only documents that are posted on the OSAC Registry constitute OSAC endorsement. All copyrights for these documents are reserved by their owners. Subcommittee position statements or responses to data collections by the subcommittee represent the consensus opinion of the subcommittee, not necessarily the position of the entire OSAC organization or NIST.

• Bloodstain Pattern Process Map (December 2019)
• BPA Bibliography by Date 2019
• BPA Bibliography by Topic 2019
• Educational Model for Introductory Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Training
• Guidelines for Proficiency Testing in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
• Guidelines for Developing Standard Operating Procedures for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
• Appendix A - SOP Guidelines Section 3:  EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND REAGENTS

Research & Development Needs

• See the research and development needs identified by the Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Subcommittee.

Presentations

• OSAC Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Subcommittee Update at the International Association for Identification (IAI) Conference, August 2019.
• OSAC Priority Action Report at the Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction Annual Training Conference, February 2019.
• OSAC Priority Action Report at the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts (IABPA) Annual Training Conference, October 2018.
• OSAC Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Subcommittee Update at the IAI Conference, August 2018.