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

i asked a question and didnt even realize i forgot to put my teachers email so il just give you mine (derektclamon@gmail.com) thank you!

Asked by trace clamon almost 9 years ago

Okay, I emailed you.

I don't know how to edit my question to fix the photo link. The pic must be seen in order to provide thoughts on mold & debris vs. decomposing carcass. Thanks http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz263/spikeyjax/Mobile%20Uploads/PicsArt_11-01-12.30.19.jpg

Asked by Sleepy almost 9 years ago

Sorry I went to the link but it just loaded forever and I coudn't view the picture.

UPDATE: Hey on a whim I tried the link again and could see the picture. Unfortunately I still couldn't make a guess as to what the pile is. Though in my opinion it looks too light-colored to be a decomposing animal.

Are you required to be a police officer before becoming a forensic scientist? Also do you know of any jobs in forensics or any crime scene jobs in general that don't require being a police officer first?

Asked by Allie almost 9 years ago

Many if not most crime scene and forensic work job are now civilian, which means you don't need to become a police officer and are not trained at the police academy, etc. Some agencies do have their forensic staff become sworn officers, so the only way to know is to ask. I've worked in forensics for over 20 years now and I've never been a police officer.

if dna or other evidence could be reproduced by a 3d printer how would this effect forensic

Asked by viorgateway about 9 years ago

I'm afraid I don't know enough about how 3-D printing works to be able to answer. I can guess that it might be handy for reconstructing items such as shoeprints and tire tracks from photos or scans. Other than that I don't see where making a copy of something would necessarily affect a crime. And as far as I know they haven't reached the point of replicating on a cellular level such as DNA.

Is it true that a females DNA can't be used to trace paternal male lines? How would I trace my fathers ethnicity with him gone and no brothers?

Asked by L.Randolph about 9 years ago

I'm not a DNA expert, but I know that half the 23 chromosomes in a person''s nuclear DNA come from one parent and half from the other parent, so part of the father's DNA would have to be present in the child.

Mitochondrial DNA (which is a different substance entirely, a circular structure present in the cell's mitochondria, whereas nuclear DNA is a double helix present in the cell nucleus) is passed from mother to child without recombining, so only the mother's mitochondrial DNA is present in the child. We test for mitochondrial DNA when nuclear DNA isn't available, like when we only have cut hair or fingernails or old bone to work with.

What do you like about your job? What do you dislike?

Asked by Violet over 8 years ago

I like all the interesting, different, bizarre stories that make up the crimes that have happened that we have to investigate.  I dislike being 'on call' and knowing you can be interrupted at any moment of the day and have to go to a crime scene, even if it's the middle of the night or a holiday. I've also had to change vacations because I have to testify in a trial. I hate that. 

Is there a license required to become a forensic scientist? If so, what type?

Asked by Violet over 8 years ago

No. Depending on where you work and what you do, your employer might want you to be 'certified' in one area or the other.