title: Simulating forensic casework scenarios in experimental studies: The generation of footwear marks in blood.
abstract: A study was designed to investigate the effects of external variables, including blood type, flooring surface, footwear tread depth and blood dryness, on the appearance of blood-based footwear marks, with particular reference to simulating a specific casework scenario. Results showed that footwear marks left in human blood tended to be of greater quality than those in equine blood, highlighting a potential issue in applying data generated with equine blood to human bloodstains in casework. Footwear tread effects were also dependent on blood type, but the type of flooring surface did not affect the appearance of the mark. Under some conditions, as the blood dried, the amount of detail retained from footwear contact decreased. These results provide the beginnings of an empirical evidence base to allow a more accurate interpretation of blood-based footwear marks in forensic casework. When applied to a disputed bloodstain in a specific case, these results also demonstrate the importance of such experiments in narrowing the range of explanations possible in the interpretation of forensic evidence.
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, UK; UCL Department of Security and Crime Science, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, UK. Electronic address: rachel.l.mcelhone@bath.edu.
authors.forename: Rachel L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: McElhone
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, UK; UCL Department of Security and Crime Science, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, UK. Electronic address: g.meakin@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Georgina E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Meakin
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, UK; UCL Department of Security and Crime Science, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, UK. Electronic address: james.french@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: Forensic Services, City of London Police, 37 Wood Street, London EC2P 2NQ, UK. Electronic address: Tracy.Alexander@city-of-london.pnn.police.uk.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, UK; UCL Department of Security and Crime Science, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, UK. Electronic address: ruth.morgan@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ruth M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001801:Blood Stains; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D012775:Shoes
keywords: Blood; Empirical data; Footwear marks; Forensic science; Interpretation; Trace evidence