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 read that it's possible to determine sex from cranium or skeletal features and when trying it out on pictures of well known celebrities I find females with male skeletons and males with female skeletons, can you please explain this anomaly?

Asked by pietas almost 9 years ago

I'm sorry but I wouldn't have any idea. You'd have to ask an anthropologist.

Can cigarette remains (Butts, partially smoked, etc.) be used to identify time in forensic investigation? (ex: Staleness)

Asked by Wolf - Research for Novel over 8 years ago

Not as far as I know. I think that would be too difficult because even if you could assess staleness, you wouldn't know how fast the person smokes a pack, therefore how long the pack had been open, how it had been stored, etc.

Cadaveric spasm has also been called 'instantaneous rigor'. Will muscles/muscle groups frozen from cadaveric spasm 'unfreeze' before the muscles that froze from rigor mortis?

Asked by Tom Phillips almost 9 years ago

I'm sorry I can't help but that's a pathology question. I do not know.

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Asked by Shane over 8 years ago

I think it's unlikely that there wouldn't be any injuries, but I'm afraid I couldn't tell you. You would need a pathologist for that.

what work experience is recommended ?

Asked by kenia almost 9 years ago

Any kind of lab work, lab courses or internships in laboratories or with the criminal justice system.

What can be said about a time(frame) of death if a deceased was found with no lividity and no rigor mortis?

Asked by Emonzi about 9 years ago

Barring any bizarre circumstances i would think they have only been dead for a short time. But that's really a pathologist's question.Hope that helps!

Hello. I'm a high school student trying to become a forensic anthropologist. My parents and many relatives disapprove of my career choice because they think it's morbid. Please tell me something I could use to reason with them. Thanks.

Asked by Maeve over 8 years ago

Well, you could simply say you're going to be an anthropologist, which is true--I believe you'd have to be an anthropologist first and then specialize in forensic work. They might be disapproving because they believe it will be difficult to get a job--which is probably also true. When I was at the coroner's office our anthropologist was a college professor who would drive two hours to come and consult whenever we had skeletal remains. Very few agencies are large enough to have a full-time anthropologist on staff. So you might want to have some sort of back-up plan.