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.
Time of death is not determined as precisely as it is on television, I know, and they often use a number of factors to make an estimate such as when the person was seen last, mail piling up at the door, rigor mortis, lividity, etc. But honestly a pathologist could answer that question much more accurately than I could. They are the ones that determine TOD.
I'm sorry but I would have no idea. You'd have to ask a pathologist.
That's always a good question. Black powder or superglue will not ruin the DNA, so we can photograph the print and then swab for DNA. Usually we're swabbing areas that we wouldn't normally be able to get a print from (like textured steering wheels or rough gun grips or the edge of a plastic bottle that someone drank from) so we do one or the other.
No. I've worn glasses since the 5th grade and had no trouble being hired.
Casting Director
What do you look for when auditioning candidates for reality TV?
Firefighter
What's the worst you've been burned in a fire?
Radio program/music director
Just how good of a radio host do you think Howard Stern is?
I'm afraid I'll need some more details than that.
No. Almost all blood enhancement reagents will not destroy the blood for DNA testing. I don't think it would affect confirmatory tests either, but If we wanted to do a confirmatory test for blood such as phenolphthalein we would probably just do it on a spot where the marks were smeared or otherwise not useful as fingerprints.
See above answer.
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