What do splash patterns typically indicate?

Splash patterns are crucial in a crime scene investigation, especially when analyzing blood spatter. They typically indicate the movement of the victim after injury. When blood is expelled from a wound, gravity causes it to fall or splash in unique patterns depending on various factors, including the victim's movement, the type and severity of the injury, and the surface on which the blood lands.

For instance, if a victim moves after being injured, the resultant blood spatter can show the trajectory and flow of blood in relation to that movement. Investigators can recreate the sequence of events by examining these patterns, which often provide insights into how the incident unfolded.

In contrast, while other factors like the location of the murder weapon, the type of weapon used, and the timing of the injury might relate to various aspects of a crime scene, they do not directly derive from analyzing splash patterns alone. Instead, those would be determined through other forensic analyses and investigative techniques.