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 don’t interview suspects—or victims or witnesses.That’s the detective’s job. I’m there to analyze and collect evidence.
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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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Sure, it’s Lisa-black@live.com
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That seems like a good plan. It depends on what you want to do--if you want to work in a lab you might want to major in biology or forensic science (if available) and minor in criminal justice. Titles and job requirements aren't uniform, so the only way to know is to call the crime labs in your area or wherever you might be interested in working and ask them. At the coroner's office we had to have at least a bachelor's in a natural science (this was before they had forensic science majors). At the police department where I am now, they only require a high school diploma but you get more points in the interviewing process for having a four year degree, so we all have one. You can also go on the websites for professional organizations such as the American Academy of Forensic Sciences or International Association for Identification and check out their job vacancy postings and see what the various positions require. Good luck.
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Obstetrician Gynecologist
Has being an OBGYN affected your own beliefs about when "life" begins?
Birthday Party Clown
OK seriously, how DOES the clown car thing work?
Inner City English Teacher
Are you pressured by administrators to pass kids that aren't ready yet?
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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Probably a small plane crash. And one terrible case of elder neglect.
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There was a really bad case of elder abuse that I think I blocked out of my mind for the most part, because I can picture only a brief image of it while I remember everything else about the call. Other than that, no.
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