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

If I keep a lock of hair in a bottle and it's stored in a humid area, will the hair still disintegrade over time? Thank you!

Asked by :) over 7 years ago

If the bottle is sealed well, I don't think so. Hair is pretty tough.

What's the shortest time for an autopsy you've done on a body? What's the longest? How long does an average autopsy take to finally decide you've found everything you could from it?

Asked by R-Mod about 8 years ago

I have never done an autopsy, as I’m not a doctor. I’ve attended many, many autopsies, and they generally take about two hours, but can go up to four or five if there are a lot of injuries. At that point they will be done with the body, but the autopsy report can take much longer depending on if they have to send out samples for toxicology analysis (most places do) or have to wait on some other kind of specialty report. In one case I remember we had to wait a long time for a pediatric x-ray analysis. That can be weeks to months depending on who you’re waiting on and how big their backlog is.

What can you tell me about death related to homicide, suicide and car fatalities.

Asked by Annette Davis about 7 years ago

That’s an exceedingly broad question that could take a stack of textbooks to answer.

I went to a forensic lab that day and I remembered them saying something about using gas chromatography to know if it wasa suicide or done by others. How do they know?

Asked by Junz almost 8 years ago

What was it they were testing?

Something about hydrocarbons

Asked by Junz almost 8 years ago

But what sample were they testing? What piece of evidence were they analyzing in the gas chromatograph?

Okay. Also, won’t my own skin cells like disturb her skin cells? Like over the course of 6 months? I have touching many things like in the bus and train handles and then touching my phone. Won’t the new germs like destroy her germs and dna as wll?

Asked by HELena about 8 years ago

As far as I know germs don’t ‘eat’ other germs. But they can’t live long by themselves so on an inanimate surface, they would die sooner rather than later.

On a lot of TV shows, it's often said that water washed away dna evidence (ejaculate). Is it not possible for some to be left deep inside vagina? (Assuming there is ejaculate). Isn't it like taking a bath; water can't really get into vagina?

Asked by Leandra almost 8 years ago

Sorry, but I really don't know. You'd have to ask a pathologist. I imagine it might depend on how long after death the person was in the water.