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Source of Blood in Atlanta House Still a Mystery AP Published: September 12, 1987 An investigation has determined that human blood found inside a house here does not belong to either occupant, the police said today.
To investigate the bleeding walls story, several skeptics went to
the Atlanta Police Department's Homicide Division to obtain more
information. Dr. Joe Nickell, Larry Johnson, Rick Moen, and I
discussed the case with Lt. H. Walker, who led the original
investigation. We reviewed the actual police files, including
color photographs of the scene which showed what appeared to be
blood in various rooms of the Winston home. I subsequently
obtained copies of several of the photographs through the Open
Records Act.[/url]
Our discussions with Lt. Walker and our review of the police
records confirmed that the substance was human blood, it was indeed
type O whereas the Winstons were type A, and the police did rule
out the possibility of any violent crime. However, Lt. Walker
definitely did not subscribe to the poltergeist theory. It was his
professional opinion that someone had deliberately splattered the
blood around the house as a hoax.
According to Lt. Walker, family problems apparently existed which
gave either the Winstons or their children a possible motive for
perpetrating such a hoax. The Winstons conceivably had access to
human blood because Mr. Winston was a kidney dialysis patient,
leading some people to suggest that one or both of the Winstons
might have hoaxed the blood in order to get more attention from
their children. However, Lt. Walker stated that the Winstons'
daughter worked in a hospital and also had access to human blood.
Therefore it has also been hypothesized that the Winstons' children
could have hoaxed the blood in order to have their parents legally
declared incompetent for financial reasons. Because there had been
no homicide, and to spare the Winston family possible additional
embarrassment, the Atlanta Police opted not to further pursue the
investigation.
Is it safe to donate blood and what happens during blood donation?
Donating blood is safe and simple. We use only totally sterile disposable blood bags and needles. The actual donation process works like this:
You will complete a donor registration form that includes your name, address and a few other details.
You will be asked a few questions about your health.
You will go through a simple medical checkup including blood pressure, and pulse.
A drop of blood will be obtained from your finger tip to test for Hemoglobin% and your group.
You will proceed to a donor bed where your arm will be cleaned with antiseptic.
During the donation process, you will donate 350ml or 450ml depending on your weight.
After the process is over, you will rest for about 5 minutes.
Following your donation, you will be given a refreshment.
GeisterFahrer
Well, I am just a layman, and not a detective. But wouldn't it have been prudent to at least check the source of where the family was getting blood from? I mean, it states they had access to blood. Ok?
Because there had been no homicide, and to spare the Winston family possible additional embarrassment, the Atlanta Police opted not to further pursue the investigation.
GeisterFahrer
So .. this detective decided that since one person in the household was on a kidney dialysis machine, they obviously hoaxed everything.
Dr. Joe Nickell, Larry Johnson, Rick Moen, and I discussed the case with Lt. H. Walker, who led the original investigation.
GeisterFahrer
No crime had been committed, supposedly, but if someone had taken Type O blood without authorization ... you have a crime.
GeisterFahrer
Quite a jump if you ask me.
The coincidental and amusing occurrence of my own "bleeding walls"
did provide some useful information. It gave me an opportunity to
compare the blood patterns in the Winstons' home to the pattern
made by a liquid which actually did come from inside a wall. The
"blood" in my bedroom emerged through the paint on the wall,
approximately eight inches below the ceiling, and left streaks
about a foot long as it ran down until it dried (Figure 1). An
intact droplet shape remained at the bottom of each streak. In
contrast, the blood on the walls of the Winstons' home (Figure 2)
showed a pattern of splashing outward from various points of
contact, indicating that it did not emerge from within the walls
but instead was splattered from some distance away.
GeisterFahrer
So ... apparently a person's name, address and other details (like blood type) are recorded and filed.
GeisterFahrer
No, I didn't "forget" to read over that part
So .. this detective decided that since one person in the household was on a kidney dialysis machine, they obviously hoaxed everything. No crime had been committed, supposedly, but if someone had taken Type O blood without authorization ... you have a crime.
"Splattered along the walls" is far different than "seeping through the floors" which is what the archived newspaper article in the OP indicates.
The last time I checked, walls are not considered floors. "Seeping through" also indicates thatthe blood did not have a splatter pattern.
Just to add something here - I have lived in the Atlanta area most of my life. I have never known the APD to dismiss, or drop, a case because they didn't want to embarrass someone
Kgdetroit
I'm not going to say that I unequivocally believe this is evidence of a supernatural presence, however I'm also of the same mindset as the OP. The fact that the police believe it may have been staged isn't proof that it was. There really isn't enough evidence in either of the links or quoted material to make a determination either way.
On one hand we have an elderly couple, we don't know if there's a history of dementia or alzheimers. On the other we don't know anything about the history of the family other than there was some dispute between the parents and adult children. Without the specific facts there isn't enough to go on to make the stretch that one side or the other had some ulterior motive to go so far as to steal blood and stage what could very well be construed as a crime scene.
As someone who tries to keep an open mind knowing that we as humans have only gone so far in the knowledge of our surroundings and that as of yet not one of the brilliant minds walking the planet has proven or disproven the existence of spiritual entities, the counterargument isnt enough for me to dismiss the case outright as it may be for some.
Director Larry Howard stated that they could have learned much more-sex, race, traces of drugs or alcohol-more easily from fresh blood.The only semi-relevant fact discovered by the Crime lab was that it "looked like the blood was projected out of something or shaken off something.
GeisterFahrer
I actually would like to ask Lt. Walker about it. If I could find him and not impose this on him.