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As part of Milligan University’s Faculty Lecture Series, Dr. Ken Lang, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice, will present a lecture titled “Blood and Fury! Examining Bloodstains at the Daniel Lady Farm Field Hospital, Battle of Gettysburg (1863).”

The lecture will be held in Hyder Auditorium in the university’s Science Building on Monday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Lang’s lecture details his work interpreting bloodstain patterns, which date back to the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 at the Daniel Lady Farm Field Hospital. As a retired detective with 25 years of experience in law enforcement, Lang was asked to complete an expert witness report for the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association.

“The Daniel Lady Farm became a field hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg, and the bloodstains from this event remain stained in the original flooring,” shared Lang. “This opportunity allowed me to apply modern crime scene forensic techniques to uncover a wealth of information about the historical events at the Daniel Lady Farm. Since field forensics is grounded in science and math, it allows us to present evidence from our historical past with a high degree of mathematical and scientific certainty.”

The Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 became a turning point in the American Civil War. During that battle, Confederate soldiers occupied the Daniel Lady Farm, setting up artillery along McPherson’s Ridge and engaging Union artillery on Culp’s Hill. Casualties from this three-day conflict skyrocketed, and triage and surgeries were conducted in the Daniel Lady Farmhouse.

The Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association Board of Trustees requested Lang conduct a weeklong analysis of these bloodstains in the summer of 2022 to provide museum historians with interpretive information so they could better understand the medical actions rendered during the battle.

Lang’s analysis of these bloodstains led the museum’s historians to reconfigure their displays to enhance the storytelling of the Daniel Lady Farm for its visitors.

Lang is a retired detective and police instructor from the Baltimore County Police Department. Lang’s homicide investigation of the Wesley Person murder was featured on several true crime television shows, including “Forensic Files,” “Murder Decoded” and “Payback.” He still appears regularly on the “Law & Crime” Trial Network, providing insight into investigative aspects of high-profile court cases.

Additionally, Lang is an expert witness, focusing his analysis and research in areas concerning police practices and procedures, criminal investigations, forensic art and restorative justice. He is currently working with the Northern District of West Virginia Federal Court in designing and piloting a restorative justice program for drug offenders. He also serves as a reviewer and research ethics board member for the International Journal of Restorative Justice.

The Faculty Lecture Series provides students and other members of the Milligan community a glimpse into the active world of academic research and writing at Milligan.