Question

A gunshot victim is found lying on his back with his left arm bent at the elbow and pointing up in the air without support. Dried blood trails from the nose to the left ear. You determine

A. the victim was left-handed.
B. the body of the victim was in a different position, probably on his left side, for some time before being rolled onto his back.
C. the body of the victim was in a different position, probably on his right side, for some time before being rolled onto his back.
D. the victim is trying to leave a message that his attacker was left-handed.
E. the victim died where he lay, but some object, which has since been removed, had been propping up his left arm.

Answer 1

The forensic evidence, specifically the arm position and blood flow, indicates that the gunshot victim was initially lying on his left side and was later moved onto his back, aligning with option B.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the description of the gunshot victim's position and the trail of dried blood, the most accurate assessment is that the body of the victim was in a different position, likely on his left side, before being rolled onto his back. This is indicated by the fact that the blood trailed from the nose to the left ear, which suggests that gravity caused the blood to flow in that direction when the body was on its side. Additionally, the left arm being bent at the elbow and pointing up in the air suggests that rigor mortis could have set in while the body was in another position, supporting the idea that the body was moved postmortem.

Option B, which states "the body of the victim was in a different position, probably on his left side, for some time before being rolled onto his back", aligns with the forensic evidence presented. It suggests that the victim's posture was affected post mortem, and rigor mortis set in following his death, maintaining the arm in the upwards position. The blood flow indicates that he was lying on his left side before being moved to his back.