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's the best way to highlight and uncover gloveprints left by Nitrile gloves from a surface?

Asked by Richard about 6 years ago

Usually simple black powder will show gloveprints as well as fingerprints. The bubbly sort of pattern they make will be visible.

How often do homeless people intentionally try to get arrested? I heard they do this because the shelters won’t take them if they are on drugs among other things so they commit crimes in front of cops to have a place to sleep

Asked by How often do homeless people intentionally try to get arrested? I heard they do this because the shelters won’t take them if they are on drugs among other things so they commit crimes in front of cops to have a place to sleep over 5 years ago

I wouldn't be involved with cases like this so I don't know. In my experience with homeless camps the people are usually not too cooperative and don't want to leave, so I haven't seen this happen.

I had crash some OLA 2.5 pills with olanzapine 10 mg tablets together and had kept it. Just few weeks back some police officers came to my house n found it. They tested it with forensic and it came back as heroin.
Please can you explain why

Asked by Malvin about 6 years ago

I’m sorry but I can’t. That’s a question for a toxicologist. I don’t know anything about drug chemistry.

Does gas chromatagraph/chromatagram data always show peaks relative to the solvents used with samples to perform gc/ms analysis?

Asked by Answer Seaker about 6 years ago

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.

If a person is hung on their knees, when cut down and laid on the back with the knees/gegs still stiff and bent, can the blood still pool to the back?

Asked by TK about 6 years ago

That’s really a question for a pathologist, but apparently lividity develops before rigor, so it shoudn’t shift much after rigor has set in. However that can vary depending on temperature and physical/medical conditions. Blood will pool following the law of gravity but if the legs were bent, restricting the blood vessels, then it might pool in the torso. Sorry I can’t be more help.

Can a fallen fake finger nail show bite mark?

Asked by Aj over 5 years ago

I don't see why not, it's rigid and would hold a shape. It's a very small item and somewhat brittle, though. I would think it would be tough to bite all the way through one. You'd probably be better off swabbing it for DNA of the biter.

I need to write an extended essay for school about an area of my interest. What is a forensic science method which still needs some research. I need to conduct an experiment and form a conclusion from my hypothesis.

Asked by Yusra almost 6 years ago

Arson investigations, bitemarks...though those might be difficult to do experiments on. Best practices for visualizing superglued fingerprints depending on the surface? Genealogical tracing?

Best of luck!