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.
Again, titles and job requirements aren't uniform, so the only way to know is to call the crime labs in your area or whereever you might be interested in working and ask them. At the coroner's office we had to have at least a bachelor's in a natural science (this was before they had forensic science majors). At the police department where I am now, they only require a high school diploma but you get more points in the interviewing process for having a four year degree, so we all have one. You can also go on the websites for professional organizations such as the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and check out their job vacancy postings and see what the various positions require. Good luck.
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That's a pretty broad question. I can tell you that for both seminal stains and blood stains, the best way to package one is to let it dry, then place in a sterile paper envelope or bag. Never plastic! Then keep in a dry, cool environment.
Hope that helps.
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No and no, I’m afraid. That’s more a question for a pathologist.
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1. Probably not in a forensics lab. I'm guessing that would require carbon dating; an archaeologist would know much more than I would. 2. Possibly.3. Depends on the backlog at the lab (could be weeks, could be many months) and how much you're willing to pay for rush work at a private lab.4. I'm not sure news releases are ever required for anything, unless there's some sort of imminent threat to the public. Sorry but I actually don't know how our public information officer decides when to issue a release or not. 5. News reporters usually come to the scene of a crime or accident when they see something going on, but it depends on how busy they are, who they can spare to go to the scene, and whether they guess this will be a useful story to them. It's entirely up to them. We have a public information officer that they can always contact to get any release-able information.
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Hospice Nurse
Do most patients in hospice know they are going to die soon?
Special Education Teacher
How come it often takes years to figure out that a kid is dyslexic?
Professional Reseller
What kind of mark-ups can you fetch on the clothing you resell from thrift stores?
I don't see why not!
Best of luck.
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I would major in biochemistry for either, and/or genetics for DNA. Best of luck!!
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Huh...that's a tough question. Nothing really stands out...everything is a little weird in some ways but not incredibly so. Perhaps the most unusual thing I ever had to examine was a safety harness from a window washer who fell 38 floors. Mostly I'm just amazed at the way people live, and the things people do to their houses. (And what they think looks good in terms of decor.)The most fun thing we had, at a homicide scene, was the homeless victim's cat with her litter of small kittens. That rivaled the litter of puppies who had a temporary bed in the master bath jacuzzi tub of a grow house.
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