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.
Answer to both is: maybe. If she was buried in the earth over 20 years, unless the ground was always frozen or so dry that she mummified, there will most likely be only skeletal remains left. So they might be able to establish identity from dental records, medical device implants (say a pacemaker or an artificial hip), or something left in the grave with her (like an ID card). I believe anthropologists can tell from the pelvic bone if someone has given birth, but not if pregnant at the time of death. However depending on how far along the baby is, they might have their own bones present so then it would be obvious. Best of luck!
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I doubt it. It depends on how little it was, and if those juvenile records are sealed (they usually are) but if it didn't prevent you from joining the military I'm guessing it wouldn't affect you working in a crime lab.
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I honestly have no idea. I don’ t think it would necessarily hurt you. What will be more important at hire is your training and experience—and it depends on what you want to do. If you want to be a DNA analyst you’ll probably need postgraduate degrees. If you want to do crime scene work you will need hands-on college courses and preferably an internship or two. If you want to do laboratory analysis then some sort of laboratory experience will be best. Is there a way you can present your travels as having increased your knowledge of forensics?
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It is scientific information applied to matters pertaining to the law. And what you major in depends on what area you're going in to--pathology, toxicology, entemology, etc.
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Automatic access to a national fingerprint database. Even though you see it on TV every day, it's not really possible for police departments. At best we are tied into the state database, but not any sort of national or international one, at least not without a lot of hoops.
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I actually haven’t seen that movie. Do you mean super bloody homicides or ones where some psycho has set up a torture chamber? (The answers would be yes to the former, no to the latter.)
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I’m sure it depends on what you want to do (lab work or field work) and what’s required. You would be better off talking to your local forensic lab to see what kind of things they do. Most likely the daily work of a forensic lab does not really involve exquisite chemistry. For my part, I was an ace in general chemistry but I never really ‘got’ organic chemistry. Best of luck!
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