Priority Action Report

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 

Subcommittee

Physics\Pattern Scientific Area Committee

Toby L. Wolson, M.S., F-ABC

August 3, 2018

103rd International Association for Identification

Educational Conference
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

• The Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 

Subcommittee will focus on standards 

and guidelines related to the scientific 

detection and analysis of bloodstain 

patterns present at crime scenes and on 

associated evidence.

2
BPA SUBCOMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP & AFFILIATES

• All members are limited to 2 consecutive terms. After 

which they must step away for 1 year.

• The 1st cycle of appointments to fill positions occupied by 

term limited members is in 2019.

• To become an OSAC member, you must complete an 

OSAC application at https://www.nist.gov/forensics/osacapplication.cfm.

• The BPA Subcommittee currently has 50+ BPA experts 

that have volunteered to be affiliates. They represent 6 

countries, public, private, academia, law enforcement, 

crime scene investigations, crime laboratory, and judicial 

sectors.

3
Subcommittee Leadership

Position Name Organization Term Email

Chair Toby L. 

Wolson, M.S.

Noslow Forensic 

Consultations, LLC

2019 toby.wolson@gmail.com

Vice Chair Jeff Gurvis National Forensic 

Support Laboratory

2018 Jeff.gurvis@nfslab.com

Executive 

Secretary

Holly Latham Kansas Bureau of 

Investigation

2019 bloodstainanalyst@live.

com

4
Subcommittee Members

# Name Organization Term Email

1 Tom J. Griffin Bevel, Gardner & Associates 2020 grifclue@comcast.net

2 Cristina Gonzalez Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department 2019 ccgonzal@lasd.org

3 Leah Innocci Wyoming State Crime Laboratory 2019 Innocci1@gmail.com

4 Kenneth Martin, MS Bevel, Gardner & Associates 2019 kf.martin@verizon.net

5 Stephen Michielsen, PhD North Carolina State University 2018 smichie@ncsu.edu

6 Jeremiah Morris Johnson County Sheriff’s Office 2020 jeremiah.morris@jocogov.org

7 Elizabeth Pierri, MSFS Naval Criminal Investigative Service 2020 elizabeth.pierri@ncis.navy.mil

8 Susan Rinehart LAPD Crime Laboratory 2018 g9670@lapd.online

9 Elizabeth Richards, PhD USAF Office of Special Investigations 2020 elizabeth.richards@us.af.mil

10 Celestina Rossi Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office 2020 celestina.rossi@mctx.org

11 Jason S. Simser, PhD MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension 2019 jason.simser@state.mn.us

12 LeeAnn Singley, MS Grayson Singley Associates 2018 lsingleygsa@msn.com

13 Gabriele Suboch, PhD Northcentral University 2019 forensics25@hotmail.com

14 Peter Valentin, PhD University of New Haven 2020 pvalentin@newhaven.edu

15 Haonan Wang, PhD Colorado State University 2018 wanghn@stat.colostate.edu

16 Gary Wilgus Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation 2020 gary.wilgus@ohioattorneygeneral.gov

17 Kevin Winer Kansas City Police Department 2018 kevin.winer@kcpd.org 5
Past Subcommittee Members

# Name Organization Served

1 Almon Brown S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SELD) 2014-2016

2 Kim Clements, MSFS D.C. Consolidated Forensic Laboratory 2014-2018

2 Peter De Forest, DCrim Retired Professor/Consultant 2014-2017

3 James O. Pex, MS International Forensic Experts, LLC 2014-2016

4 Ralph R. Ristenbatt, III The Pennsylvania State University 2014-2016

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17 6
AAFS Standards Board (ASB) 

The OSAC BPA Subcommittee is using the AAFS Academy 

Standards Board (ASB) as the Standards Development 

Organization (SDO) for completed documents. The ASB has 

three types of documents.

• Standards (S)

• Technical Report (TR)

• Best Practice Recommendations (BPR)

7
DOCUMENTS CURRENTLY

AT THE ASB

•Standard for Validation of Procedures in 

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (S)

•Standards for a Bloodstain Pattern Analyst’s 

Training Program (S)

•Guidelines for Report Writing in Bloodstain 

Pattern Analysis (BPR)

•Standards for a Quality Assurance Program 

in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (S)

8
DOCUMENTS PUBLISHED 

BY THE ASB

•ASB Technical Report 033, First Edition 

2017: Terms and Definitions in Bloodstain 

Pattern Analysis (TR)

9
Terminology Task Group 

Task Group Name: Terminology

Task Group Chair Name: Jeremiah Morris

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

jeremiah.morris@jocogov.org

10

•Methodology for the classification of bloodstain 

patterns (Taxonomy): Nearing 1st draft completion 

for discussion by the SC

•Conclusion statements for BPA reconstructions: 

Work in progress
Reports and Validation Task Group

Task Group Name: Reports and Validation

Task Group Chair Name: Tom Griffin

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

grifclue@comcast.net

11

•Methodology for performing bloodstain pattern 

analysis: Nearing 1st draft completion for 

discussion by the SC
Training and Education Task Group

Task Group Name: Training and Education

Task Group Chair Name: Kenneth Martin

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

kf.martin@verizon.net

12

•Certification criteria for a bloodstain pattern 

analyst: Nearing 1st draft completion for 

discussion by the SC
Quality Assurance and Standard 

Operating Procedure Task Group

Task Group Name: QA and SOP

Task Group Chair Name: LeeAnn Singley

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

lsingleygsa@msn.com

13

•Standard operating procedures for a bloodstain 

analysis program: Ready for release to the PSAC

•Proficiency testing criteria for a bloodstain pattern 

analyst: Nearing 1st draft completion for discussion 

by the SC

•Standards for technical review of BPA reports: 

Work in progress
Research Task Group

Task Group Name: BPA Research

Task Group Chair Name: Kevin Winer

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

kevin.winer@kcpd.org

14

•BPA Research needs: On going

•BPA Foundations document: Released to PSAC

•BPA Process Map: Nearing completion

•OSAC BPA road map and gap analysis: Nearing 

completion

•BPA Bibliography: Updated through December 

2017
OSAC BPA SUBCOMMITTEE 

WEBSITE

15

•https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensicscience/bloodstain-pattern-analysissubcommittee

•https://www.nist.gov/topics/organizationscientific-area-committees-forensic-science

OSAC WEBSITE
TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION

16
17

Questions?