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.
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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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.
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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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I don't believe so (in fact I believe I address this question during an autopsy scene in my book Perish) but you'd have to ask a pathologist. Sorry I can't help.
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A pathologist is a doctor, so you'd have to go to med school first, and they usually have standard placement systems. To be a forensic scientist, it's best to get an internship position with your local lab while you're in school or just graduated. Or at least contact all the labs you're interested in, ask for a tour, meet people. You can also attend forensic conventions, though you'll have to pay for the registration. Hope that helps!
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