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

I mean a sworn police officer sorry for not being specific

Asked by Terry over 5 years ago

As far as the job is concerned, I would think the odds of getting the job would be the same, but there are other considerations. The pay and benefits are different (at least at my agency) between sworn and civilian because they’re different unions. A sworn officer would be taking less pay and benefits to be non-sworn so the hiring party might wonder why, or worry that they would get tired of it and want to leave.

I need to know how can I get blood group from old dried blood?

Asked by Mou over 5 years ago

They used to do that in serology, taking threads soaked in the blood and putting them in tiny pools of blood type reagents. I don’t know exactly what the reagents were, sorry, that had never been part of my duties. But if you research old serological techniques you should find it.

Best of luck!

Have you ever almost got fired before?

Asked by Mike over 5 years ago

Not that I know of.

Does it help my chances of employment if I am a certified peace officer? I know your a civilian but if having the added peace officer certification along with everything else does it help, hurt, or make no difference? Plus I get to carry a gun and badge

Asked by Parker almost 6 years ago

I would think it would help because it would show some familiarity with law enforcement agency procedures. Even if you work for a completely civilian agency such as a medical examiner’s office, you would still be interacting with law enforcement constantly, so I would think it would help. Though even if you can carry a gun and badge in your everyday life, you probably wouldn’t be able to carry it on the job unless it was all right with your employer.

I would like to know if an autopsy conducted on a woman buried in dry soil for three years
could determine if she had an abortion, being the cause of her death.
Thank you
Karen

Asked by karen_west@bigpond.com over 4 years ago

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.

Are there any famous cases in history that involved thin layer chromatography (TLC) that you are aware of? Or any interesting facts many would not know?

Asked by Mike about 5 years ago

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.

How do you do a ride along?

Asked by Cale over 5 years ago

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!