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

So unless the gloves and/or surface had some form of dirt or oil or other sort of substance that would make a print form, if both were completely spotless, there would be no gloveprints?

Asked by R-Mod over 8 years ago

Probably not. Fingerprints are left usually because skin has oils and sweat, which of course gloves wouldn't have.

837 Votes

As a forensic scientist, do you use the diameter of blood splatters as clues to how the crime happened?

Asked by Rylee almost 9 years ago

Yes, the arcsin of the width divided by the length of the stain will give you the angle of impact at which the blood struck the surface (usually a wall). The direction of the stains can be traced back to a point of convergence and from there the angles can be traced back to a distance from the wall, giving you the approximate point in space where the blow was struck.

835 Votes

So you wanna be a Forensic Scientist?

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Is it correct process to declare cardiac arrest or heart attack as reason for death without internally examining the heart purely based on symptoms of other organs? If examination of heart necessary, is it done at forensic lab or at autopsy?

Asked by Raja about 9 years ago

Examination of the heart would be done at the autopsy by a pathologist, and since I'm not a pathologist I'm afraid I cannot address your first question.

834 Votes

Can I interview you on this for a school project?

Asked by Samantha about 9 years ago

Sure, email me at lisa-black@live.com.

834 Votes

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How many hours do you put in a day

Asked by jon57 over 8 years ago

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.

833 Votes

So I eventually want to enter into being a forensics analysist, but I've encountered a problem. I recently got a medical marijuana card for a medical problem. And I am not a frequent user. Can I basically forget about being an forensics analysist.

Asked by Carisma almost 9 years ago

I don't see why as that would be perfectly legal.

832 Votes

Do forensic scientist have to specialize into one field like serology, latent print, toxicology, etc. or can they be multidisciplinary in the sense that one day they work on entomology another they do blood spatter and so on?

Asked by Chicken Jr. about 9 years ago

see question above.

832 Votes

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