Question

1. An assailant is cut and drips blood as he or she walks or runs away. Describe how you would go about estimating the height of the wound as well as the length of the stride.

2. How would you determine if the assailant was walking or running?
3. Can the length of the stride be used to estimate the height of the subject?

Answer 1

The height of the wound could be determined by how far the blood splattered once it hit the ground.

The length of the stride (walking or running) could be determined by how far apart the drops (or splatters) the blood are from each other. The farther apart they are, the larger the stride (or the faster they were moving).

The length of the stride can in fact be used to estimate the height of the subject. A person's stride is proportional to the length of their legs, which is generally proportional to their height. A person's stride is generally just over 40% of their height.