Police responded to a single-family residence. Upon arrival, they were met at the front door by the victim’s husband, who indicated that his wife had shot herself. Blood was observed on the husband’s clothing. The victim was located lying on the bed in the master bedroom. She was clad in pajamas and was partially covered with blankets. The victim had sustained a single gunshot wound to the right side of her head.
A Sig Sauer, P226, 9-mm pistol was located on the nightstand adjacent to the bed, the clip had been removed and the slide was locked open. The husband acknowledged removing the clip and clearing the pistol and placing it on the nightstand; he also indicated he washed blood off his hands and face in the bathroom, although he denied any involvement in the death of his wife. The victim died as a result of a single close-contact gunshot wound to the right side of her face, just anterior to the right ear. The projectile did not exit her body.
Fig.1 Overall location of the victim in the master bedroom.
Fig.2 View of the victim’s final position after the pillows and blankets were removed.
A light blue blanket and a white quilted comforter can be seen on the lower half of the bed. Several pillows are located around the victim’s head and torso. The east wall of the master bedroom and the entrance to the bedroom are located in the background. A nightstand is located along the east wall between the bed and doorway. A Sig Sauer, P226, 9-mm pistol was located on top of this nightstand. The slide of the pistol was locked open and the clip had been removed from the pistol. The pistol, the clip, and a live round of ammunition were all on the nightstand. Transfer-type bloodstains were located on the majority of the pistol. Bloodstains were present on the exterior of the clip. A dresser with a mirrored top is located on the south wall located to the right of the bed.
The left arm of the victim was noted to be folded back beneath her torso. A large saturation pattern was located on the fitted sheet adjacent to the victim’s left side. This saturation pattern along with the positioning of her right arm is consistent with the victim being on or over this area while bleeding heavily prior to her final position.
Fig.3 Closer view of the spatter distribution on the bed observed in Stain Area D of Fig.2. View of the area of convergence of back spatter pattern on the east bedroom wall.
Fig.4 View of overall appearance of stain patterns A to C on the east bedroom wall.
Fig.5 View of stain area A on the east bedroom wall.
Three distinct bloodstain patterns are visible on the east wall. A large saturation pattern is located on the fitted sheet. Several spatters are present on the fitted sheet to the right of this saturation pattern. Fig.3 (left) provides a closer view of the spatter distribution on the bed. The physical appearance, location, and distribution of these spatters are consistent with there being back spatter emanating from the victim’s entrance gunshot wound. Fig.3 (right) shows the overall appearance of stain patterns on the east bedroom wall. This stain pattern consists of a linear distribution of larger spatters, whose direction of travel is right to left and downward.
The physical appearance and distribution of these spatters are consistent with being produced by a projection mechanism secondary to the shooting. The physical appearance of these bloodstain patterns is consistent with their being transfer bloodstain patterns. These transfer patterns were created secondary to the shooting when an object wet with blood came into direct contact with this portion of the wall.
Fig.6 View of bedroom from the doorway of the master bedroom across the bed.
Fig.7 View of passive bloodstains on the bathroom floor.
Fig.8 View of diluted bloodstains located on the bathroom sink counter as well as within the sink basin.
Fig.9 View of the diluted bloodstains located within the kitchen sink and on the kitchen counter adjacent to the kitchen sink.
Photographs taken of the victim’s husband on the day of the incident documented spatter on the right side of his face, cheek, and around his right eye. The husband was clad in a gray sleeveless T-shirt. The distribution of small spatters is located over the front of both shoulders and over the top of the right shoulder area. A number of these spatters were encircled on the garment with a black marker to illustrate the distribution of the spatters. Two transfer patterns are centrally located on the T-shirt. Additional spatters of blood were observed over the mid-section of the T-shirt.
The physical appearance and distribution of spatters on the T-shirt are consistent with being the result of back spatter from the victim’s entrance gunshot wound. Fig.13 provides a closer view of the transfer pattern located on the upper front chest region of the T-shirt in Fig.11. Clot-like material is located within this transfer pattern.
Fig.10 View of the front of the husband’s gray T-shirt.
Fig.11 View of the gray T-shirt from the top down.
The husband gave several versions as to where he was located when the shot occurred, none of which placed him on the south side of the bed in front of the dresser; however, the bloodstain pattern evidence provided enough information to determine what could and could not have happened. The distribution of spatter on the east bedroom wall, the positioning of the victim’s left arm under her body, and the larger saturation pattern on the fitted sheet adjacent to her left shoulder, as well as the distribution of spatter on the fitted sheet adjacent to the large saturation pattern, indicate that the victim’s body was rolled or moved over to her final resting position after her gunshot wound had been inflicted.
The bloodstain patterns and forensic evidence of this case are consistent with the victim lying in bed on her stomach with the left side of her face against the bed. The bloodstain evidence in the bathroom and kitchen is consistent with an individual, other than the victim, attempting to clean up a source of the victim’s blood from their person and/or objects in their possession. The clot-like material within the transfer pattern on the front of the husband’s T-shirt indicates that the victim’s blood had begun clotting prior to the T-shirt making contact with her blood. The physical appearance and distribution of the spatters on the upper front shoulder region and back right shoulder region of the husband’s T-shirt are consistent with back spatter associated with a gunshot. This back spatter associated with a gunshot is consistent with spatter emanating from the entrance gunshot wound to the head of the victim.
Fig.12 View of spatters located on the upper right shoulder region of the gray T-shirt.
Fig.13 Closer view of the transfer pattern located on the upper front chest region of the gray T-shirt.
The physical appearance and distribution of back spatter on the husband’s T-shirt indicate that he was in close proximity to the victim’s head when her gunshot wound was inflicted. This is further supported by the location and distribution of stains on the right side of the husband’s face. The physical evidence is consistent with the husband being on the south side of the bed between the bed and dresser when the victim was shot in the right side of the head. Furthermore, the bloodstain pattern evidence at the scene as well as on the husband’s person placed him within the void area of the dresser on the south side of the bed when his wife’s injury was inflicted.
The husband ultimately went to trial and was found guilty of murder.
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