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

Can you visit and read this and possibly help me?

https://ogburn.brainhoney.com/Frame/Component/CoursePlayer?enrollmentid=95998597

Asked by Al about 7 years ago

Sorry, the link just took me to the sign-in page.

Do you think physical evidence has increased in importance over the last several decades, with advancements in technology and testing procedures? Why or why not?

Asked by Ar about 7 years ago

Physical evidence was always extremely important. What has changed with technology is what types of evidence are more commonly examined. It used to be hairs and pollen and now it's touch DNA and cell phones.

Where you ever shocked by a crime scene?

Asked by Denise_ot5 over 6 years ago

They’re all shocking, in their way, But there hasn’t been one in particular that bowled me over.

How long will latent prints last when ninhydrin is used?

Asked by Krissy over 6 years ago

I'm not sure what you mean: a) how long after a print is left will ninhydrin still detect it, in which case I can say from my own experiment that there's little rhyme or reason to this, sometimes older prints develop better than newer ones or vice versa, or b) how long does a print developed with ninhydrin last, and the answer to that is that ninhydrin is a dark purple dye, so it is permanent, though it will continue to develop so that the entire page may eventually turn purple so we use a fixative chemical on the now-visible print so that will stop the ninhydrin from darkening the paper further. I hope that helps!

if a person licks their fingers in order to aid them in counting money, counts the money and hands ti to another individual who places that money in their bra. Can there be saliva dna transfer to the breast?

Asked by angie over 6 years ago

I suppose that’s theoretically possible, but I wouldn’t think it likely. The saliva would sink into the paper of the money quickly, and then when swabbing the person’s skin you’d have to happen on the exact spot where that tiny bit of saliva transferred to.

I hope that helps!

What does death smell like and why? Do different people smell different?

Asked by asdf over 5 years ago

It all depends on the circumstances of the death (fire victims can have a smoke smell, of course) but mostly the degree of decomposition. That's the only thing that makes a difference, otherwise everyone is the same.

Do you think Roger Stone is guilty or innocent or unsure?

Asked by JW over 5 years ago

Who’s Roger Stone?