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

Have you ever worked a case that was cold?

Asked by Seth almost 6 years ago

Yes, certainly. I didn't manage to find the one piece of evidence that solved the whole thing, but I have worked on several. In my department a double homicide finally broke open after 30 years: https://www.news-press.com/story/news/crime/2020/10/01/joseph-zieler-suspect-two-cape-coral-homicides-seeks-dna-expert/3584935001/

how do finger[rints get on things, does our fingers leave fluids when we touch things, or we just leave a print on existing dust?

Asked by rekhab about 5 years ago

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you!

Yes, fingerprints are impressions made by the oil and sweat on our fingers. If a surface is very dusty, we take away dust on our fingers instead of leaving prints on the object. It will look like fingerprints should be there because there will be finger marks in the dust, but actually we just removed dust.

Hope that helps!

Why do you delete so many questions?

Asked by Terry about 5 years ago

Why do you post questions that need to be deleted? Most people have better things to do.

Are you pretty much a unsworn detective? Do you do pretty much everything a detective does with the exception of arresting people or charging people?

Asked by Rae about 5 years ago

No. I do lots of stuff detectives don’t do, like lab analysis, scene reconstruction, latent print comparison, etc. And they do tons of stuff I don’t do, like track down victims/witnesses/suspects and interview them, run criminal histories, request search warrants, and so on. So our jobs are really very different. We are there to provide the forensic support for the case, but forensic topics are only part of any case. Hope that helps!

Also, what is your opinion on auditors?

Asked by Cale almost 6 years ago

I don’t know what you’re referring to.

Hi,

You recently advised that a simple black powder would reveal glove prints deposited by Nitrile gloves. Would Latent Silk Black Print Powder, manufactured by a company called Sirchie be a good choice?

Thank you.

Asked by Richard Gray almost 6 years ago

Sure--any good quality black powder should have the same effect.

If I am wearing thin, latex gloves, is it possible for me to deposit my fingerprint through the glove and onto the surface I am touching?

Thanks.

Asked by Richard Gray almost 6 years ago

Apparently experimentation has shown it is possible. It gets more likely the longer the gloves are worn.