Forensic exploitation of patterned injuries: Promoting structured analysis as an early assessment for comparison...

Area of Science:

• Forensic science
• Biomechanical engineering
• Digital imaging analysis

Background:

• 3D surface imaging is used for morphometric comparison of patterned injuries.
• This approach does not always yield accurate conclusions in forensic casework.
• An early assessment of comparison outcomes is needed to select informative lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a selection protocol focused on the analysis phase.
• To enable early assessment of comparison outcomes for patterned injuries.
• To select lesions likely to lead to probative conclusions in forensic investigations.

Main Methods:

• 65 patterned injuries were created on a simulated human skin model using 23 blunt objects.
• A blinded analysis and comparison of lesion photographs and 3D models were performed.
• A selection protocol was applied during the analysis phase.

Main Results:

• The analysis phase protocol was consistent with comparison results in most cases.
• The protocol enabled correct identification of the responsible object or narrowed it down to 2-3 possibilities.
• This approach improved the exploitation of patterned injuries from surface imaging data.

Conclusions:

• A selection protocol focused on the analysis phase can improve early assessment of patterned injury comparisons.
• The developed protocol enhances the ability to identify the source of blunt force trauma from surface imaging.
• While effective, certain limiting factors require further consideration for optimal application.