Blood Secrets

January 18, 2010
Proving that one person's bloody mess is another's treasure trove of clues, blood spatter analyst Englert takes readers on a fascinating journey into the study of crimson drops. Englert's first encounter with blood—and the stories it can tell—came when, as a young cop, he mistakenly assumed a bloody corpse had been the victim of an ax attack; in reality the victim had succumbed to a particularly nasty case of bleeding ulcers. He educated himself about the behavior of blood by recreating crime scenes in his Oregon barn using cow's blood and attending every available seminar on the subject. Englert presents case studies for each principle he discusses, from the varying velocities of blood spatter to the trajectory of a killer's bullet. It's easy to see why he's a favorite expert witness of prosecutors around the country, even in celebrity cases like O.J. Simpson's and Robert Blake's. With the help of reporter Passero, Englert deftly balances real-life examples and detailed scientific analysis, giving readers a richer understanding of this developing avenue of forensic science. 11 b&w photos.