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

Do you think physical evidence has increased in importance over the last several decades, with advancements in technology and testing procedures? Why or why not?

Asked by Ar over 6 years ago

Physical evidence was always extremely important. What has changed with technology is what types of evidence are more commonly examined. It used to be hairs and pollen and now it's touch DNA and cell phones.

Will Nancy Drew make you a better in a job like this is what is in the game anything similar?

Asked by asdfasdfasdf over 5 years ago

I don’t know that game.

HI! Did you ever regret pursuing your job? Also, can you be both, a forensic scientist and a CSI?

Asked by Fenis over 5 years ago

No, I've never regretted it. And your job title is whatever your agency says it is, so 'forensic scientist' and 'csi' can mean different things in different agencies, so you can certainly be both. the first implies you work mostly in the lab and the second implies you work mostly in the field, but depending on the size of the agency and any specialization you have, you might do both equally or they might be completely separate.

Can you visit and read this and possibly help me?

https://ogburn.brainhoney.com/Frame/Component/CoursePlayer?enrollmentid=95998597

Asked by Al over 6 years ago

Sorry, the link just took me to the sign-in page.

After a person kills themself with firearm, does their hand maintain the grip or does the gun fall from the hand?

Asked by Vin almost 6 years ago

It depends upon their position and the recoil of the gun and mostly on gravity. I've seen a few where the gun is in their hand, not so much because they're gripping it but because the hand falls to their lap or their side or something. But most of the time the gun has fallen to the floor or at least a lower spot.

Why did you want to be in the criminology department?

Asked by jasmine nunez over 6 years ago

If you have a list of homework questions, please email me at: Lisa-black@live.com

How long will latent prints last when ninhydrin is used?

Asked by Krissy almost 6 years ago

I'm not sure what you mean: a) how long after a print is left will ninhydrin still detect it, in which case I can say from my own experiment that there's little rhyme or reason to this, sometimes older prints develop better than newer ones or vice versa, or b) how long does a print developed with ninhydrin last, and the answer to that is that ninhydrin is a dark purple dye, so it is permanent, though it will continue to develop so that the entire page may eventually turn purple so we use a fixative chemical on the now-visible print so that will stop the ninhydrin from darkening the paper further. I hope that helps!