Forensic Scientist

Forensic Scientist

LIsa Black

Cape Coral, FL

Female, 49

I spent the five happiest years of my life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist in the Cleveland coroner’s office I analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now I'm a certified latent print examiner and CSI for a police department in Florida. I also write a series of forensic suspense novels, turning the day job into fiction. My books have been translated into six languages.

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Last Answer on July 21, 2022

Best Rated

What do you think is the worst case you have ever done. What’s the most gruesome, frustrating, or however you define it.

Asked by Mark about 6 years ago

Probably the most raw was a small plane crash.

Sorry, I meant rape-and-murder, not tape-and-murder. Censored by autocorrect.

Asked by Laurel over 5 years ago

I was wondering!!

Hi Lisa. If you had to test residue on an object, and might suspect if to be sodium hypochlorite/bleach residue, what kind of field test could confirm it. Would it be a simple chlorine strip test?

Asked by Arin almost 6 years ago

I’m sorry but I have absolutely no idea. I have never worked in toxicology. Though my coworker did have to research testing for bleach in one of our cases, I will ask her when I get back to work next week.

How to become a blood spatter analyts?

Asked by Surya. E about 6 years ago

You'd have to be a general CSI and then take extra continuing education in bloodstain pattern analysis specifically. Also, I can tell you from personal experience, if you really want to do a lot of it with great expertise, you need to live in an area where there will be lots of bloodspatter cases to practice and work on. Best of luck!

Have you ever had a encounter with a first amendment auditor?

Asked by Question to you and a few others over 5 years ago

Not that I know of.

What do you think is the worst thing you ever seen?

Asked by Bradly almost 6 years ago

Probably a small plane crash. And one terrible case of elder neglect.

Are your books related off of real cases you have done and of corse maybe a little more realistic then many other books that are out there?

Asked by AJ about 6 years ago

I try to make them realistic, but they’re not based on real cases. Except for Trail of Blood, which is partly about the unsolved Torso Murders in Cleveland in the 1930s.