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.
Wow, sorry, I have no idea where the subclavian vein even is. I’m afraid you need a pathologist.
Sorry I couldn’t be more help!
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It hasn’t changed. In general it’s best to process an item at the scene so that handling and possible smudging is kept to a minimum, but it depends on many circumstances. If there isn’t a clean dry place to do it or if the person at the scene doesn’t feel their expertise is adequate for the particular item or mostly if the item needs other processing than the simple black powder or mag powder. If it’s a porous item like plastic or vinyl or paper and might need to be superglued or sprayed with dye, then it should be transported to the lab.
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I may not be the best to ask since I'm not really on the front lines, I come in after the action is over, but in my opinion, yes. You don't get criminal masterminds in real life.
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I actually don't know. I haven't done DNA analysis in 20 years so I don't know all the details of what analysis can show. Sorry I can't be more help!
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That’s an excellent question that I”m sorry I can’t answer. You will need to ask a pathologist. Sorry I couldn’t be more help!
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Wow, that's an extremely broad question. I don't know if the rates of crimes solved have been increased greatly--perhaps in some crimes like rape or murder but perhaps not in other crimes like burglary and theft. But certainly the biggest advances in forensics have been DNA and the connectedness of fingerprint databases. Less specific but perfectly valid analyses like pollen, soil, and other trace evidence examination have gone by the wayside. And digital analyses such as the downloading of cell phones and personal computers are helping solve crimes more and more, but then people didn't have cell phones or personal computers 40 years ago so I'm not sure that counts!
I hope that helps!
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That would depend entirely on what the mess up was and what it affected, and whether it was an honest mistake or the result of negligence or bias. For a serious mistake, yes, I'd probably be fired.
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