Which term describes the bloodstain pattern produced when the blood source is on a moving object and the object is then moved, causing droplets to strike distant surfaces?

• A. Contact wound
• B. Cyanosis
• C. Decompose
• D. Cast-off

Answer: (D)

Cast-off stains occur when blood is on a moving object and that object is swung or otherwise moved, flinging droplets onto distant surfaces. The resulting pattern is typically a line or arc of droplets on a surface, with the stains often showing tails or elongation in the direction the object traveled. The number of stains roughly corresponds to the number of swings or strokes, and the spacing can reflect how far the object moved between releases and the force of the motion. This pattern differs from a single impact, where a surface is struck by a blood source at one moment, and from other patterns like contact, which come from the object touching the body, or non-spatter terms like cyanosis or decomposition.