Abstract
This chapter begins with an analysis of the wrongful conviction and eventual exoneration of David Camm and then explains the history and the science of bloodstain pattern analysis. Bloodstain pattern analysis is the examination of the physical aspects of the production of bloodstains during crimes of violence. Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) conducted by scientists using deductive reasoning, experimentation, and a complete understanding of the crime scene can inform courts and juries about the details of a crime. However, BPA conducted by investigators hopeful to support a certain theory or convict a certain party can mislead courts and juries and result in wrongful convictions. In order to ensure just verdicts, an expert should not adopt nor express an opinion concerning the method of production of a specific bloodstain pattern unless they have reproduced that pattern with the same method on the same target material, at the same relative location, and with the same position of source. At the end of the chapter, Camm's case is used to demonstrate the potential power of BPA to both obscure and reveal the truth.
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