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

Asked by Annette Davis over 6 years ago

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

There weren't any samples they just briefed us through. I think changing a question would be better. How is natural science used to establish forensic science?

Asked by Junz over 7 years ago

I'm sorry, but again that is way too broad a question. Most forensic science is based on biology, physics and chemistry, so it's all 'natural' science.

I need help with my major for being Forensic Science Technician. I was wondering if I could take Criminal Justice for my Associate at a Community College and then Transfer to a four year university and get my bachelors in biology or chemistry for FST

Asked by Kyerra Lenard about 7 years ago

Hi, sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. Again, titles and job requirements aren't uniform, so the only way to know is to call the crime labs in your area or whereever you might be interested in working and ask them. You can also go on the websites for professional organizations such as the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and check out their job vacancy postings and see what the various positions require. Good luck.

Something about hydrocarbons

Asked by Junz over 7 years ago

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

Do you do one on one or group tutoring? For forensic Science?

Asked by Sam almost 7 years ago

I’m sorry, no. I don’t feel qualified to do that.

A criminal stabbed to death two victims and then inflicted wounds upon themselves The killer's shirt was covered in blood. Is it possible to determine that one victims blood was on top of another persons blood? Can they tell who was stabbed 1st or 2

Asked by Chunky Monkey over 7 years ago

As far as I know, no. The DNA tests of the shirt will just show a mixture of the victims, so that the analyst would only be able to say the blood could have come from these two or three people--in other words there are no alleles that definitely couldn't have come from those three. But because it is a mixture, they can't say it did come from these three exact people. And they couldn't tell, again as far as I know, which blood was deposited first.

Do you feel that the junk science portrayed on TV makes it more difficult for you to give successful evidence in court?

Asked by Marcel about 7 years ago

That's called the 'CSI Effect' and it can be a problem for juries to have unrealistic expectations. One instructor described it as "Juries don't know as much as they think they know, but they really do know a lot more than they used to know."