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 have not used cocaine in a year, why is my hair still testing positive for cocaine?

Asked by Terence J Donnelly almost 6 years ago

Hair is just dead cells, so once something is there, it stays there. Hair grows at about 1/2 inch per month, in general (mine, to my frustration, grows much more slowly). So if your hair is longer than say 6 inches, the cocaine will still be there. If your hair is much shorter, then I don’t know what’s happening.Hope that helps.

Why do some think that these forms are chat rooms?

Asked by Donaldsonerson about 5 years ago

I don’t know what you mean by that.

Hey I will ask you since your at the top of the list. Why do so many people not answer but have their accounts open? I know a few of them occasionally will answer but for the most part they lay dormant,

Asked by Sam almost 5 years ago

I have no idea.

I am complaining about a civil attorney. He was supposed to send me some photographs. He sent an envelope, said the photographs are enclosed, but they were not. He claims he sent them, and I lost them. Can the envelope be examined for residue?

Asked by Tom over 6 years ago

Almost certainly, no. Unlike television, real forensic equipment is designed to test for certain things. For example the mass spectrometer in the toxicology department is set to test for illegal narcotics and not heavy metals such as arsenic. If arsenic is suspected, it could be detected with a different instrument or different parameters programmed into the same instrument. So I doubt there is any equipment that could be set up to detect microscopic amounts of photographic chemicals, if a photo would even shed any.

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

Asked by asdfasdfasdf about 5 years ago

I don’t know that game.

I know they use interrogation techniques, polygraphs, and have experts who recognize truth and deception. But do and could someone use hypnosis?

Asked by DJ about 5 years ago

Supposedly, but I don’t know of any cases personally.

Why did you choose this career?

Asked by Beanie almost 5 years ago

I always loved mysteries and detection, but didn't want to be a cop.