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.
Take all the science courses you can, and visit and talk to forensic science personnel. You'll find them very approachable.
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There are usually levels of the job, like Tech I, Tech II etc. depending on years of experience that will come with an increase in salary. After that one can progress to supervisory role. But there aren't a lot of steps, really. For instance I have nowhere to go from my current position, and I don't care. I like what I'm doing and have zero interest in being the supervisor.
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It would still be discoverable up to a point. How much dilution it could take, I'm afraid I don't know.
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Not often. Since a glove itself isn't secreting sweat and oils, there's really nothing for it to make a print with until it gets a little dirty or if the surface it's touching is a little dirty.They can be wiped off as easily as any other print.
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Fashion Model
Do you feel objectified when you're standing around in skimpy outfits?
Firefighter
How can you tell if a fire was arson?
Basketball Referee
Ever get into a physical altercation with a crazed parent?
I would never want to discourage someone from this field because I love it. But it's a very popular field right now so I would also advise anyone to have a career plan B.
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Interesting question, but I doubt I can be of much help. A body can do one of two things after death--decompose or desiccate. So it might turn into sludge or it might become a mummy. It might depend on temperature or pH levels (more relevant if the car was buried) to determine which way it would go. Being sealed would definitely slow the process to a crawl. I had a body in an attic once that was partially wrapped in plastic, and after three years the wrapped areas still had plenty of flesh and the unwrapped parts were down to bone.
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I spend about 90% of my time sitting in front of a computer looking at fingerprints. The rest of the time I go to crime scenes to photograph and process for fingerprints and collect items of evidence. When I was at the coroner's office I probably spent 40% of the time examining victim's clothing, 10% on gunshot residue testing, 30% on hairs and fibers, and 20% everything else.
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