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

Does gas chromatagraph/chromatagram data always show peaks relative to the solvents used with samples to perform gc/ms analysis?

Asked by Answer Seaker over 4 years ago

That is a great question that I can’t answer! So sorry, but I never worked with a GC or Mass Spec. That was the toxicology department.

Thanks for your quick response.

Besides black powder, do I need to use a special type of brush and/or lighting such as a UV light to uncover gloveprints?

I should add that the color of the Nitrile gloves I am trying to obtain prints from are blue.

Asked by Richard Gray over 4 years ago

No, just a regular brush, and UV light, as far as anyone here knows, wouldn’t make any difference. The gloves will, however, leave more traces the longer they are worn.

Hi Lisa. If you had to test residue on an object, and might suspect if to be sodium hypochlorite/bleach residue, what kind of field test could confirm it. Would it be a simple chlorine strip test?

Asked by Arin over 4 years ago

I’m sorry but I have absolutely no idea. I have never worked in toxicology. Though my coworker did have to research testing for bleach in one of our cases, I will ask her when I get back to work next week.

I found my finance on the floor but his legs were bent perfect and his knees together on top of each other. How is that possible? I'm thinking someone killed him

Asked by Shell over 4 years ago

That's quite possible, the body reacts with the fetal position to many circumstances. I responded to a fatal traffic accident--it actually happened right in front of me--and the victim was thrown from the truck, and that's exactly how I found her. However, bodies and causes of death are really questions for a pathologist.

Do you wear a white suit? If so why or why not? What is really the point?

Asked by Benny over 4 years ago

Do you mean a Tyvek suit? To prevent cross contamination? We have whole body suits but have not yet had a scene that required them. We will wear disposable booties and of course gloves for any homicide scene. Sometimes the point, as with fentanyl and COVID risks, is to protect ourselves, and sometime the point is protect the scene and keep from dragging trace evidence from outside the scene to inside the scene.

I have to choose my major so are there branches of this career like examining bodies etc or does a forensic scientist have to do it all and what subjects should i take in school the subjects that my school provides are phys bio maths chem

Asked by dania over 4 years ago

All of those are good. Take as many science courses as you can. Much depends on where you want to work and what you want to do. If you want to do DNA analysis and testify in court about it, you may need a PhD in genetics. If you want to work at crime scenes bagging and tagging evidence, you may need only a high school diploma, with added hireability for advanced degrees. The only way to know is to check job opening notices or call the agencies and ask. I would also suggest that you look for schools that have hands-on lab work with forensic topics such as fingerprints or crime scene work. Best of luck to you.

Why do people ask you such non sense questions. If you look much of many of these questions the writing styles are the same I am getting the feeling someone or some people are messing around with the site and messing with the forms.

Asked by Jessica over 4 years ago

I agree.