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.
Yes, absolutely. Most people will have a mix of patterns on their fingers.
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Whether a surface is soft or hard wouldn't affect the presence of lividity or rigor mortis, they would develop regardless. It might affect the pattern of lividity (whiter at the pressure points).
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From live people we usually take a buccal swab from the inside of the mouth. From a deceased person, we can use any part from which we can extract DNA, such as blood, bone, teeth, etc.
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Whatever you’re scheduled to work—depending on your agency’s setup you might work 8, 10, 12 hour shifts, maybe plus overtime call-outs.
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Inner City English Teacher
What was the saddest student journal entry you've read?
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Do people ever ask you to keep your meter off in exchange for a cheaper fare?
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Are Hollywood execs as nightmarish as depicted on TV?
There's only two kinds of blood, blood and menstrual blood, and as far as I know there's been no studies using menstrual blood.
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According to a little chart I have tacked up above my desk, livor mortis sets at about the same time as complete rigor mortis, so it could be possible. But you really need a pathologist to answer that.
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The requirements are whatever your employer says they are (same with your job title). DNA analysts are often required to have a PhD in genetics. At the coroner's I had to have a BS in one of the natural sciences. At my police department they only require a high school diploma, but give extra points for advanced schooling so we all have BSs.
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