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 type of decisions do you make

Asked by Angel about 8 years ago

How to best process or obtain a piece of evidence.

Would you be able to tell the difference between hair that was taken from a victim's brush (and planted at a crime scene) and hair that just naturally malted? For example, would hair from a hairbrush have more of a root than a malted hair??

Asked by Caroline over 7 years ago

I don't know what malted means, but I suspect the answer is no. Just brushing hair can pull it out just as in a struggle.

when i was in third grade i had a chemistry set- on day a relative gave me conc nitric acid; glycerin and some powdered magnesium - i almost got hurt -got lucky- do u think this person meant me harm- i've often wondered

Asked by markboutwell65@gmail.com about 8 years ago

Without knowing you or your relative, I really couldn't guess. Maybe they hoped you'd read the instructions first?

So is there a specific test for nuclear DNA versus mitochondrial DNA?

Asked by L.Randolph about 8 years ago

Yes, they are different substances.

Will a dry blood stain on rocks, say the interior of a cave, appear red after at least a year or would the stain be darker or change because of the conditions within the cave?

Asked by MK over 8 years ago

It will turn a dark red brown once it's completely dry, and will stay that color so far as I know if conditions stay consistent. If it changes further it would probably just fade a bit.

Is a forensic expert allowed 2 make a hair or fiber match based only in the fact that the hairs or fibers were artificially dyed

Asked by Michele over 8 years ago

Unlike what you see on TV, a hair and fiber expert never 'matches' hairs or fibers (except in the case of DNA analysis). We can say they are 'consistent with' having come from this person or this article of clothing in that all the microscopic characteristics are the same or within a group of the same characteristics. Though dyed hair is quite distinctive with the growth since dying and the color so it would be a strong indication that they came from the same person, you couldn't actually put a number on it (like 'there's a one in two billion chance this came from someone else', like DNA). That's largely why hair and fiber comparisons are rarely done any more.

If somone ejaculated in a girls or guys mouth they swallow can u find dna proving who ejaculated

Asked by jim amdiny almost 9 years ago

See above.