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.
I can’t imagine having so little to do. That would make me crazy.
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As far as I know that is possible. Whether a medical examiner’s office would actually test the water in the lungs in a case of apparent drowning is another matter. There is also the possibility of ‘dry-drowning’ in which the throat closes and no water gets in the lungs. A pathologist told me once that drowning is sort of a ‘negative diagnosis’ in that, if no other cause of death presents itself and the person is found in water, then drowning is assumed. Sorry I can’t be more help!
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Yes and no. Labs and units have expanded a lot in the past 10-20 years especially due to federal grants, but they're not as big as you see on TV. A small police department may do only fingerprints and send everything else to the state lab. A big city facility might take up an entire block or two and do everything from drug testing to paint and glass. As for skills, take as much science classes as you can and try to find programs with hands-on field work. Best of luck!
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Yes, yes and yes. Our Evidence department’s job is to keep track of everything, how long it’s been around, and then get the responsible party (usually the collecting officer or a prosecutor) to sign off on it’s ‘disposition’, which can be returning it to an owner, destroying, or sale or donation. For example, if you find something (like money) and turn it in, if it’s not claimed after a certain amount of time, you can have it. Stuff that no one wants is destroyed. They had a company that used to sell stuff but I don’t think they’re using it any more. (I think it was called PropertyRoom.com) Things like bicycles can be donated to charitable organizations to give to underprivileged citizens. Drugs are destroyed (which has to be witnessed by at least three people from three different departments—I have to be one sometimes when my boss is busy and we have to escort the Evidence van to the waste management facility and stand there and watch the stuff go into the incinerator...not fun in the summer months!).
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Football Official
Were the replacement refs actually worse than the regular refs?
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Did you experience the notorious 100-hour work weeks?
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Do you think tablets are just a fad?
I”m sorry but I have no idea.
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I’m sorry, but I can’t. I haven’t done DNA analysis in over 20 years. Sorry I couldn’t help!
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Sure, it’s Lisa-black@live.com
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