13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis

9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis vote on everything UNSPEAKABLE TIMES Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis Blood spatter analysts, who have the job made famous by Dexter Morgan on Showtime's Dexter, are modern day heroes in cases that may otherwise go unsolved. It's important to note, though,that blood spatter analystsaren't infallible. While scientic, this area of forensics is open to human interpretation and thus can sometimes lead to controversy withinthe criminal justice system. Some cases solved by blood spatter analysis have incriminated the wrong person or have aided in guilty criminals going free. There is no denying this relatively new form of criminal forensics - only rst used in a case in the 1950s and more formally organized in the '70s -is extremely valuable in determiningexactly how a violent crime was committed. Still, there have been times where the entire outcome of a case depended on the analysis of the blood spatter expert. A scenario that can sometimes make for a (excuse the pun)messy trial. Here are a few of the cases where the blood spatter analysis made all the difference. 1/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis Lindy Chamberlain And The Dingo That Ate Her Baby 2/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis The entire world paidattention in 1986 when Lindy Chamberlainclaimed that a dingo ate her baby, Azaria. Tragically, a familyin mourning would soon nd themselves dealing with a media circus and two wrongful convictions. So-called forensicexperts found evidence that Lindy had slit her baby's throat in the family vehicle. The problem with this, though, is that the "evidence" wasn't actually blood at all; it was spilled juice. Lindy Chamberlain was convicted of murderand her husband was charged with being an accessory to murder, mostly due to public opinion. Lindy wasimprisonedfor three years beforea new piece of evidence - the baby's jacket - was found to exonerate her. Despite this happening in 1986, the baby's ocial cause of death wasn't changed to death by dingo until 2012. ADVERTISEMENT Powered by NOW PLAYING David Norris and Gary Dobson Caught After 19 Years Thanks To Found Blood 3/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis In 1993, a heinous, racially motivated attack at a bus stationleft teenager Stephen Lawrence dead. The case went unsolved for many years and was instrumental in changing London's double jeopardy laws. Finally, in 2011, a single microscopic spot of blood was foundon one of the accused men's jacket collar, along witha hair on the other's pants. This was all prosecutors needed to move forward with a murder trial. By early January 2012, Norris and Dobson had been convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with the opportunity for parole. They were both minors at the time of the crime,so they are eligible for release in 2026. ADVERTISEMENT 4/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis Brittany Norwood Brutally Murdered A Yoga Store Coworker Brittany Norwood constructedan elaborate cover-up just moments after she brutally murderedone of her coworkers at a Bethesda, Maryland,yoga store. This included tying herself up in an attempt to make it look like someone else was the killer. After she was caught, Norwood agreed to plead guilty, but her defense attorneys claimed she committed the crime in a t of rage. The prosecution was tasked with proving the murder was premeditated. One of the key pieces of evidence in thetrial was provided by an expert in blood 5/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis spatter analysis who testied the murderer beat her victim as she lay unconscious on the ground. Blood was found on the underside of a nearby bookshelf that couldn't have got there from anywhere but the position on the oor. In total, the victim suffered more than 300 injuries before she died. Norwood was found guilty of rst-degree murder, and she's serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. ADVERTISEMENT The Fate Of Sion Jenkins Depended On 158 Tiny Blood Spots 6/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis In 1998, 158 blood spots so tiny they could only be seen under a microscope were what sent SionJenkins to jail for the murder of his foster child. Blood spatter analysis enabled prosecutors to successfully argue that those tiny drops of blood were caused by an impact from above. This t the narrative that Jenkins had murdered Billie-Jo by hitting her multiple times. The problem with this analysis, however, was that itwas later discoveredBillie-Jo suffered from pulmonary interstitialemphysema. This condition could have caused expiration spatterblood to release from Billie-Jo's lungs when her foster father touched her dead body. Thenew evidence led to an overturning of the murder conviction, though the case is still unsolved as of this writing. ADVERTISEMENT Train, manage and retain your restaurant staff SPONSORED BY SQUARE 7/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis How to nd, train, & retain restaurant staff to offer a top tier customer experience. LEARN MORE Hammer Killer Marissa DeVault Foiled By Blood Evidence 8/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis Marissa DeVault changed her story multiple times when charged with murdering her husband with a hammer.At rst, she claimed her husband, Dale Harrell, had choked her until she was unconscious and that she awoke from an attack by an unknown man with a hammer who had already killed her husband 9/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis husband. DeVault's next story was that she murdered Harrell after he sexually assaulted her. Neither of these stories held up in courtand blood spatter analysis was the key to her conviction. The evidence revealed Harrell was alone in the bed when attacked. Spatter on theman's clothing also had the telltale signs of someone repeatedly hitfrom above. ADVERTISEMENT Warren Horinek Claims His Wife Killed Herself And Everyone Agrees Except One Iffy Analyst 10/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis Warren Horinek's case is a cautionary tale about what can happen when blood spatter evidence is considered more closely than the other elements in a murder trial. Horinek'swife, Bonnie, died from a gunshot wound, and the blood on his t-shirtevidenced that he was there when it happened. However, Horinekclaimedthat his wife killed herselfand he attempted to save her with CPR. In some casesthis would be a likelycover-up. In this situation, though, everyone except the deceased woman's parents eventually decidedHorinek was telling the truth. This includes the medical examiner, the district attorney's oce, and the homicide sergeant. However, Bonnie's parents hired a blood spatter expert, Tom Bevel, who testied that Warren's t-shirt proved he killed their daughter. Based on this one testimony, Horinek was convicted and is serving a 30-year sentence.Horinek’s lawyers have since led a writ of habeas corpus to try to get their client released. 11/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis ADVERTISEMENT Christopher Vaughn Was Caught In His Lies When His Blood Was Found In Places It Shouldn't Be 12/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis Christopher Vaughn murdered his wife and three childrenand then tried to blame his children's deathson his deceased wife. According to Vaughn, shekilled the children, attacked him, and then committed suicide. Paul Kish, a blood spatter expert, said that the evidence left behind in the family SUV told a completely different story. It was Vaughn's blood that made it clear he was telling a lie. He had minor wounds after the incident, which he claimed were caused by his wife attacking him. However, his blood ended up in areas of the SUV that don't match up with this assertion. Based on this evidence, Vaughn was convicted and sentenced to four life terms. ADVERTISEMENT Darlie Routier Convicted By A Now Disgraced Blood Spatter Analyst 13/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis Darlie Routier is currently on death row for the murder of her ve-year-old son Damon and six-yearold son,Devon. Darlieclaims she was sleeping near her children in the living room when she awoke 14/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis to an attack. She did sustain cuts, but her conviction pivoted around the testimony ofblood spatter expert Tom Bevel. Mr. Bevel testied that the blood spatter on Routier'sshirt proved that she was the one to stabher son from above, and that she pulled the knife back out above her head, and stabbed him again. Since that case, Bevel's credibility has taken several big hits. His testimony was used in numerous cases that were lateroverturned or are now viewed as questionable, including Warren Horinek'smurder trial. Routier's request for further DNA testing of evidence was granted in 2014. She's still currently facing the death penalty. ADVERTISEMENT Sarah Johnson Convicted Despite The Blood Evidence Saying She Couldn't Have Done It 15/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis Johnson was only 16 years old when her parents were murdered in 2005, but this didn't stop a judge from sentencing her to two life terms plus an extra 15 years when she was found guilty of the crime. Interestingly, in this case the jury completely ignored the blood spatter evidence. In fact, blood spatter expert Michael Howard testied that it was impossible for Johnson to have pulled the trigger without gettingcovered in blood, which she wasn't. Evidence that may have overruled Howard's opinion was testimony from a cellmate who claimed Johnson admitted to the murders. 16/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis ADVERTISEMENT Craig Perry And The Conicting Blood Spatter Experts Murder trialscan get especially trickywhentwo blood spatter experts givecontradictorytestimony. This happened when Craig Perry was accused of murdering his terminally ill uncle, Robert. Craig claimed that his uncle had committed suicide, but the rst blood spatter expert said the evidence made this extremely unlikely. Additionally, Craig had a pattern of blood on his pants that is typical in a gunshotmurder. A blood spatter expert for the defense told the jury that the blood on Craig's pants could have come 17/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis A blood spatter expert for the defense told the jury that the blood on Craig s pants could have come from his ill uncle coughing up blood before killing himself. Whatever the truth may be, the jury acquitted Craig due to inconclusive evidence that he had committed any crime. ADVERTISEMENT Trending now Tommy Zeigler May Wrongfully Be On Death Row Due To Faulty Analysis 18/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis 19/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis On December 24, 1975, Tommy Zeigler'swife, her parents, and another man were found dead at his furniture store.Detective Donald Frye had recently received preliminary blood spatter training before being assigned to the case, and it was his analysisthat convicted Zeiglerof the crime despite his proclamation of innocence. The prosecution conjectured that Zeiglershot himself after luring his victims into his furniture store. Zeiglerhas been on death row since 1976 and continuesto claim he did not commit the crime. Zeigler's attorneys requestedto have new DNA testing methods used to reexamine the evidence,but the Florida Supreme Court ruled against the request. ADVERTISEMENT Charles Buck Acquitted Despite Bloody Shirt 20/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis Charles Buck's wife, Leslie, was kidnapped in 2002. Two days after she escaped,her husband found her dead in their home. A blood spatter expert stated that the blood on Mrs. Buck's shirt was consistent with a clubbing attack from aboveand Buck was charged with the crime. During the trial, the jury learned that although Leslie was supposedly clubbed to death in her home, there was no blood found anywhere near her body. They also learned that a younger woman alleged that Charles Buck was infatuated with her. The lack of solid, veriable blood spatter outside of the victim'st-shirt hindered the caseand Buck was acquitted. He later appeared on the Dr. Phil show to confront the woman who had made claims about him during the trial. James Smith, Jr. Learns You Can't Argue With Blood 21/28 9/20/22, 8:43 AM 13 Famous Criminal Cases That Hinged On Blood Spatter Analysis James Allen Smith, Jr. claimed he killed his wife in self-defense in 2000 after she attacked him. Unfortunately for Smith, a blood spatter expert testied at the trial that Smith's wife wasn't standing when she was hit with six bullets. This indicated that she couldn't have been physically attacking her husband, and Smith was convicted of murder. Three years later, Smith led an appeal request based on the blood spatter work. He alleged that the testimony wasn't based on scientic fact. The court disagreed,and they turned down his request for an appeal. next up ADVERTISEMENT 22/28