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.
Sure, I will email you.
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I'm sorry but I'm not versed in microbiology.
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Cleveland State University. I have a BS in Biology.
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Generally bodies in the water decompose more slowly than bodies exposed to air, but more specifically than that I cannot tell you. I did find this: https://digital.library.txstate.edu/handle/10877/4078
It's really a pathology question and not my area. Also colder temperatures will cause slower decomposition than warmer temps.
I definitely can't answer your second question but also, are you asking a) how long the person lived as a sailor b) how long the person was in the water before the hand was cut off or c) how long they might have survived in the water after the hand was cut off (assuming they had no access to a tourniquet and such like)? If you could locate someone who worked as a ship's doctor they might be a big help.
Best of luck!!
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Swim Instructor
What are the physical traits that make for the "ideal swimmer's body"?
Obstetrician Gynecologist
Has being an OBGYN affected your own beliefs about when "life" begins?
Certified Nurse Aide
Have you ever seen any 'senior abuse' in your nursing home?
Nothing that is nationally famous.
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She should try to get an internship with a local agency--city, county, state police or medical examiner's. Practical experience will count for a lot. However much depends on what kind of forensic scientist she wants to be--does she want to do crime scene work, in which case most of the training is on the job, or does she want to work in a lab, in which case she'll probably need at least a BA in biology or chemistry. She can check forensic organization websites and government websites for job vacancy postings to get an idea of what the job requirements are. She might also check out entry level positions. At our department we have PSA--Public Service Aides, a paid position that's basically a step between community volunteers and sworn officers. They do more cop-type things, but will make contacts and learn a lot. They do things like direct traffic at accident scenes, take burglary reports and process scenes for fingerprints. She might also want to consider that forensic positions involving crime scene work often have unpredictable hours and sometimes overtime, which might be difficult to juggle with child care arrangements.
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I don't know, but it could depend mostly on where the sample was sent and what their backlog is. Some state labs might have a bad backlog. It could also depend on how they prioritize samples.
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