MURDER WEAPONSForensic Knife Wound Analysis Forensic Knife Expert Witnesses and Crime Scene Investigators use specialist techniques and forensic knife analysis to determine what type of wounds or injuries are caused by knives. A Knives can cause a slash, stab, and incised wounds. Forensic analysts try to determine information such as type of attack and type of knife used in order to identify an attacker.
Slashing Knife Wounds A slash knife wound have greater length across the skin than depth. Generally, they have less severity than stabbing and incised wounds, unless they injure major blood vessels. Incised Knife Wounds Incised, or sharp cut-like wounds by knives, have edges that vary according to the cutting edge of the blade. A fine, sharp blade leaves regular margins, whereas a thick, blunt blade may cause more crushing. Knife Stab Wound A stab wound from a knife or other sharp object has greater depth than length and can damage vital organs in the abdomen and chest. The compressibility of the tissue can result in depth longer than the length of the blade. Tissue contracting around the wound can also obscure size of blade. Defence Wounds A victim of a sever knife attack can suffer multiple incisions while trying to ward off the knife. These defence wounds typically occur on the palms and hands. |
In 1888 the police had many theories about Jack the Ripper based on the wounds inflicted to his victims.
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JACK the ripper's knife work...
Using Catherine Eddowes we can look at the injuries inflicted by Jack the Ripper. She received extensive multiple slashing, incised and stab wounds to her face, throat, abdomen (stomach area) and groin.
These pictures have been made by modern historians and have been based on the descriptions of the police doctor - Frederick Gordon Brown. |
Jack's knife
In 1888 the police and coroner (doctor who inspects the bodies) looked at the wounds inflicted on the 5 victims and came up with different ideas about the knife used and who the killer might be:
-Some policemen believed the knife must have been very sharp, so it was probably a butcher's, barber's or surgeon/ doctors knife.
-Some policemen believed that because the killer had identify and removed certain organ from the bodies the killer must have had some knowledge of the anatomy of the human body - making him a doctor/ surgeon.
-Others believed that the wounds could have been lucky guesses and more likely suggested the killer was simply deranged/ a mad-man.
-Some policemen believed the knife must have been very sharp, so it was probably a butcher's, barber's or surgeon/ doctors knife.
-Some policemen believed that because the killer had identify and removed certain organ from the bodies the killer must have had some knowledge of the anatomy of the human body - making him a doctor/ surgeon.
-Others believed that the wounds could have been lucky guesses and more likely suggested the killer was simply deranged/ a mad-man.