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.
Alas, I really don't know. I think it depends on many cirucumstances, the temperature, the pH and the humidity. I can tell you that covered corpses break down much more slowly than those exposed to air so there's a good chance, if the environment was somewhat cool and dry, that there would be a good amount of flesh left on the body. If the environment was hot and humid, it might be completely decomposed into inches of sludge. Hope that helps.
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Like any job it gets easier the more you are accustomed and practiced in what you’re doing. I have no idea what kind of IQ you need, and it depends on what you want to do. If you want to analyze DNA you may need a PhD in genetics. But to work crime scene you need only be conscientious, reliable, observant, and willing to learn. 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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Certified Nurse Aide
What's it like going into a room in the morning to find someone dead?
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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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No and no, I’m afraid. That’s more a question for a pathologist.
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