How to Determine Handedness from Stab Wounds

Determining a suspect's handedness based on a victim's stab wound can help you solve a criminal investigation.

Determining the handedness of a suspect based on a victim's stab wounds can be the missing puzzle piece in a criminal investigation. Through careful analysis of the area, severity and type of wound, you can generate a conclusive case as to the handedness of the suspect, enabling you to eliminate potential suspects and limit the scope of your investigation. Coupled with other investigatory techniques, determining handedness from stab wounds can provide the evidence needed to put a violent criminal behind bars.

Things You'll Need

• Latex gloves
• Microscope
• Cotton swabs
• Measuring tool

Instructions

1. Determine if the stabbing was done from the front or the back of the victim. If the stab wound is on the side of the victim, the slicing pattern will enable you determine if the stabbing happened from the front or the back. If the wound slices to the front of the victim, the wound typically came from the front as the victim likely recoiled from the stab as the suspect removed the knife, resulting in a forward slice. The same principle applies to stabbings on the back of the victim.

2. Examine the side of the body from which the victim was stabbed. Typically stab wounds on the left side of the body came from right-handed people, while stab wounds on the right side of the body came from left-handed people.

3. Measure the length and depth of the wound. This will help you determine the force with which the stabbing occurred. Sometimes minor stab wounds are less forceful because they are done with the suspect's non-dominant hand.

4. Search for any defensive wounds on the hands, wrists or forearms of the victim. Since unarmed victims of stabbings tend to defend themselves with both hands, whichever hand has more defending wounds could clue you into the handedness of the suspect. Stab wounds predominantly on the left hand could indicate a right-handed suspect, while stab wounds on the right hand could indicate a left-handed suspect.

5. Examine the type, style and cleanliness of the wound. This will help you to determine the type of weapon used in the attack. Knowing the type of weapon used could help you determine the handedness of the suspect as some stabbing weapons--scissors, knives and so on--can be designed specifically for a right or left-handed person.

References

• Criminal Investigation; Wayne W. Bennett and Karen M. Hess; 2007