Crime Scene Reconstruction Flashcards
7 cards from real CFC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Crime Scene Reconstruction flashcards as text
In crime scene reconstruction, what does 'Locard's Exchange Principle' specifically state?
Answer: Every contact leaves a trace between two surfaces
Locard's Exchange Principle holds that whenever two objects come into contact, material is transferred between them, forming the foundation of trace evidence analysis.
A reconstructionist finds a bullet entry wound on the victim's back with an exit wound on the front. What does this indicate about the shooter's position?
Answer: The shooter was behind the victim
Bullets travel from entry to exit wound, so a posterior entry with anterior exit indicates the shot came from behind the victim.
Which method is used to determine the area of origin of blood spatter in 3D space?
Answer: Stringing method connecting individual stain trajectories
The stringing method uses the directionality and impact angles of individual bloodstains to triangulate the three-dimensional origin point of the spatter event.
What does a 'transfer bloodstain' indicate at a crime scene?
Answer: Blood was moved from a bloody surface to a secondary surface by contact
Transfer stains result from direct contact between a bloody object and a secondary surface, potentially revealing the shape of the object that caused the transfer.
In shooting incident reconstruction, what is the primary purpose of trajectory rods?
Answer: To establish the bullet's path through space and identify the shooter's location
Trajectory rods are inserted through bullet holes to visually represent the bullet's flight path, allowing reconstructionists to back-project to the shooter's probable position.
What characteristic distinguishes a 'void pattern' in blood spatter analysis?
Answer: An absence of bloodstains in an area that should logically have received spatter
A void pattern is the absence of expected bloodstains, indicating that an object or person was present during the bloodshed event and blocked the spatter.
During crime scene reconstruction, 'event sequencing' is best accomplished by:
Answer: Analyzing physical evidence interactions to determine which events preceded others
Event sequencing uses physical evidence relationships—such as which bloodstains overlay others or which damage patterns predate others—to establish the chronological order of events.