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 have no idea as I’ve never worked as a first responder. I would suspect that’s largely a plot device for film or books, but I don’t actually know.
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I haven’t ever done an autopsy at all, since I’m not a pathologist. They can be done on animals, usually it’s called a necropsy and may be done by a veterinarian.
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Job requirements depend on the job. Requirements might range from a HS diploma to a PhD. Check the websites of forensic professional organizations (IAI, AAFS, pathology or other disciplines) for job vacancies. I like the variability of the days.I dislike the hours, which can be unpredictable, and require being ‘on call.’
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I'm not sure what you mean by post certified?
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Aircraft Mechanic
Did you ever catch something critical right before a plane was about to take off?
Forensic Scientist
When did you know you wanted to work with the dead?
Private Detective
Has anyone ever caught you surveilling them, and what happened?
That depends on the kind of forensic evidence.
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That’s an excellent question, that unfortunately I can’t answer. We have the OBTI test that can confirm blood is human, but beyond that…I don’t know if there are alleles that both animals and humans share that might show up in the average DNA analysis. Even if animals have some alleles that are the same as humans, if those aren’t the alleles looked for in a DNA test, then it wouldn’t affect things. But if they are, then I don’t know if scientists have a way to distinguish them. Sorry I can’t be more help!
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Like any job it has its tedious moments, but yes I like it.
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