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 someone create false positive molestation forensic testing by wiping a week old rag with dried semen onto their child

Asked by Queen B over 3 years ago

I suppose anything’s possible, but it depends on how well a dried stain is going to transfer to anything. usually a dense, dried liquid simply flakes off a surface. Someone could try wetting the rag but I honestly don’t know how well that would work or if at all. Also, whoever is collecting any evidence off that child would have to swab that exact spot. So I can’t say it’s impossible but I would guess it’s unlikely to work. Hope that helps!

Sorry I meant badge number 100 as a example because they usually go by badge. Anyways sometimes they will call into base, dispatch, or station and I want to know the difference?

Asked by Nsnsns about 5 years ago

At my agency we’d be calling either Dispatch or, less likely, another person, in which case we’d use their badge number. What people call their dispatch unit, base, station, (we call them the name of the city, the first word in ‘such and such police department) probably depends on the habits of that particular agency. In other words there is no difference. Hope that helps!

Wait is your husband the country singer?!

Asked by Tim about 5 years ago

No. That’s the actress Lisa Hartman Black.

I know your a author are you ever going to write a autobiography or have you?

Asked by Mr. Miller about 5 years ago

Nope, not planning on it!

What do you think is the worst case you have ever done. What’s the most gruesome, frustrating, or however you define it.

Asked by Mark almost 5 years ago

Probably the most raw was a small plane crash.

Are your books related off of real cases you have done and of corse maybe a little more realistic then many other books that are out there?

Asked by AJ about 5 years ago

I try to make them realistic, but they’re not based on real cases. Except for Trail of Blood, which is partly about the unsolved Torso Murders in Cleveland in the 1930s.

Is every death counted as COVID if someone has it even if it is murder, car wreck, heart failure, suicide, or anything else?

Asked by Tim about 5 years ago

I”ve heard that rumor too, but I don’t see how it could possibly be true. Cause of death is decided by a myriad of different doctors. Generally it is signed by the doctor who was caring for the patient regarding the condition that led (or at least appeared to lead) to the death. If that is not clear, if the person wasn’t consistently under a doctor’s care or if, say, a cancer patient suffers a traumatic car accident, then cause could be determined by a different doctor. That could be a pathologist at the Medical Examiner’s Office, a cancer patient’s oncologist, an ill person’s regularly-visited doctor, the doctor on staff at a nursing home, a hospital doctor who’s been caring for the patient during a temporary stay, or even an emergency room doctor. In the past few months I’ve been called to a number of deaths and none of them were ruled as COVID cases.