Mapping homicide by 3-D modelling of bloodstain patterns at crime scene

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3-D) modelling can be a useful technical aid and we used it to reconstruct a homicide scene to corroborate the statement of an eyewitness. 3-D modelling of the bloodstain was conducted by Micro Smith Poser 11 and Autodesk 3-Ds Max software. The technique was found to be easily understandable by the police and judiciary in the interpretation of the sequence of the events of the crime. It refuted the eye-witness's account of the actions of the accused who was charged with murder and allowed collection, storage and retrieval of the patho-anatomic information about the deceased. CONCLUSION: The checks on the accuracy of statements given by eye-witnesses that can be provided by 3-D modelling may change the outcome of criminal investigations in future.