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 chemically distinguish between an original hand-written signature and a printed copy (the one that is scanned and then printed)

Asked by rixy about 8 years ago

I'm sure document examiners could do this fairly easily but I don't know exactly how. I would guess that alternative light source (like infrared or ultraviolet spectrums) could show that there is no difference between the signature and the rest of the document. Or I believe thin-layer chromatography could show that the chemical makeup is the same. A Questioned Document Examiner could tell you much more.

Can seman be removed with dry cleaning

Asked by aratliff8 over 7 years ago

I don't know that as a fact, but I would think so. Simply washing with soap and water will take care of it.

I am doing a project over my career and I want to ask some questions and I was wondering if you could answer them thank you!

Asked by trace clamon over 8 years ago

I was going to email your teacher but you didn't give me her complete address, just her name. Please go to my website and hit 'contact me' and let me know where to send a response. Thanks and good luck with your project.

As a forensic scientist, what problem have you found that lead to unreliability of forensic science? Any possible solutions?

Asked by yubing over 8 years ago

"Unreliability of a science" is pretty a broad swipe, so I don't have any idea what you're referring to. Any line of work--government, plumbing, brain surgery--can be unreliable if the people doing the work are undertrained,overeager, arrogant or lazy.

Many cold cases have unidentified victims but how come they are unidentified when you have fingerprints and hair, etc, i don't understand why cant they know who they are when they have that.

Asked by lily over 7 years ago

Because not everyone's fingerprints are in a database. You only have fingerprints taken when you are arrested or apply for a job or some other license for which it is required. Not all of those necessarily end up in a database accessible to the agency that has the unidentified person. And DNA such as hair only helps when you have a profile to compare it to--if the unidentified person is a convicted felon so their DNA might have been entered when they went to prison, or if there are family members available to give a sample (in which case you would have to already have an idea of who the person might be). It's not really like TV. We don't have databases of every single person and every single substance known to man.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how certainly can you look at two photographs and tell whether they are the same individual? Like to show you the photos. Thanks.

Asked by Seligo about 8 years ago

Sorry but I am not trained in facial recognition and I am notoriously bad with faces. My husband teases me about it all the time.I'm sorry I couldn't help!

What are some skills and abilities a person would need to be successful in this type of work?

Asked by Violet about 8 years ago

You have to have good attention to detail, can work under stress and unpredictable circumstances, be patient and cautious.