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

How to identify if s nose was broken from a fall or from a punch

Asked by Doug over 4 years ago

I”m sorry but I have no idea—you’d need a pathologist for that one.

Question regarding site not this sorry, but after you answer a question are you able to go back and edit it or even delete it afterword's

Asked by Sarah almost 5 years ago

Yes.

What if you set someone up with white powder with kool aid that turns colors with water say its red kool aid will it test positive by dying the thing even if it would other wise work just fine? Asking for a friend ;)

Asked by Darren over 4 years ago

Interesting idea, but again I don't know. I don't know what liquid is used for the tests, so that might affect things.

Hi, Lisa Black I am Bobbie-Sue besides fingerprints or DNA what are other things that are looked at? Toe prints? There I am sure many other things besides those two things... right?

Asked by Bobbie-Sue about 4 years ago

We can compare footprints just as finger or palm prints, but there isn’t a database of footprints so you would have to have standards of the suspect’s feet. Otherwise I don’t know what you mean by ‘looked at.’ Everything is looked at, in a sense—there’s ballistics, fibers, bloodstain patterns, arson evidence, toolmarks, video and photo analysis, paint, glass, etc. and etc.

Face reading and NLP. It’s a YouTube video

Asked by Brett over 4 years ago

I can’t speak to this guy’s course specifically, but deception detection training is often offered to detectives and law enforcement personnel. I sat in on a two day course through my department once, just to use in my writing.

How has forensic equipment changed and developed over the time of your career?

Asked by Christina Phokou over 4 years ago

Departments have access to larger (county, state, sometimes federal) fingerprint databases, though it's still not like you see on TV. DNA analysts can now obtain a profile from 'touch DNA', someone simply touching an object. And video surveillance systems have become commonplace but also much easier to use with better clarity.

Hello what do different colors flags mean? You know those little flags that stick in the ground? What does pink, yellow, green, multicolored, white, etc mean?

Asked by Barney about 4 years ago

I have no idea--are you referring to utility companies marking gas lines, etc? My agency has some flags but we haven't used them recently. I suspect if an agency uses different colored flags it might be some internal coding that they use. Sorry I can't be more help.