Off the 'Cuff

We have a particular interest in blood spatter at our museum, partially because we’re big fans of shows like Dexter, but also because of a space hidden deep in our building’s basement. Hidden away from the publicly accessible areas is a room once called the “Blood Drying Room”. This tile-lined (floor-to-ceiling) room was used to drip-dry blood soaked evidence before it was bagged, tagged and stored. Just imagine having to rinse off those floors every day. (Today, that room is used to store all the textiles at the museum including police uniforms that go back more than 100 years.)

Occasionally, investigators will go back to their older evidence for DNA testing–a technology that didn’t exist at the time. It can be tricky, though, because evidence-handling procedures and attitudes have changed significantly over time; some of that evidence could have touched other evidence and had genetic material transferred to it. The Vancouver Police Department now has highly advanced drying lockers and handling procedures that both greatly reduce the possibility of cross-contamination.

Perhaps someday we’ll have the chance to open up the Blood Drying Room for the occasional public visit. In the meantime, it remains–for visitors aware of its existence–a delicious and unsettling mystery two floors below you.

Tags:   blood drying room · blood spatter · Forensics1 Comment