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.
I didn't know there was a character limit. But yes, many people write 'how can I become a forensic scientist' without ever checking past questions to see that that has been asked 20 times. And I think others are trying to goad me into saying something non-PC. Apparently too many people have too much time on their hands.
Not that I know of.
That is a great question that I can’t answer! So sorry, but I never worked with a GC or Mass Spec. That was the toxicology department.
Contact your local PD and ask what their procedure is. You will probably have to fill out an application and a waiver. Best of luck!
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That’s a good question…I know that the human body will either decompose or desiccate, so if the conditions were right and she dried out instead of breaking down, then the body might be largely preserved. But what could be determined from an autopsy would be a question for a pathologist, I’m afraid. Sorry I’m not more help.
I”m sorry but I”ve never used thin layer chromatography. If I had, it most likely would have been to distinguish extracted fiber dyes. As far as I know it’s the only way to determine if natural fibers likely had the same source.
Probably everyone gets interested in the field because it looked interesting in a TV show. But by the time you’re sufficiently trained to actually get a job, you’d know that it’s not like TV.
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