Cattle Mutilation: Blood Residue Analysis from October 2000
Analysis of dark substances found beneath a mutilated cow revealed blood-derived material lacking whole blood components. The investigation suggests processed hemoglobin rather than complete blood was present at the scene.
Background
On October 2, 2000, a mutilated cow was discovered with unusual dark substances present on bovine feces beneath the animal and on nearby grass. Investigator Louise Ashby examined the scene and documented the findings, which later became the subject of laboratory analysis to determine the composition of the mysterious residue.
The forensic analysis aimed specifically to identify whether the dark material consisted of pure bovine hemoglobin, similar to findings in two previous animal mutilation cases. Testing confirmed that the residues were definitely blood-derived, though they did not appear to constitute whole blood. Certain components typically found in complete blood, such as lipids and other unidentified elements, appeared to be missing from the samples.
The absence of whole blood components indicates that some form of blood processing likely occurred prior to deposition at the site. However, definitive confirmation of hemoglobin through infrared analysis proved impossible because the residue could not be adequately isolated from contaminants including feces, grass, and dirt minerals. These interfering substances produced additional spectral absorptions that prevented conclusive differentiation between whole blood and hemoglobin components.