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.
It all depends on the circumstances of the death (fire victims can have a smoke smell, of course) but mostly the degree of decomposition. That's the only thing that makes a difference, otherwise everyone is the same.
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I always loved mysteries and detection, but didn't want to be a cop.
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Sure, no problem. Please email me at lisa-black@live.com.
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Huh, that's a good question. I hope my books show what it's really like, except, of course, that my protagonist spends much more time out of the lab than in it, which is not at all realistic.
The non-fiction TV shows and books show reality, however, you have to remember that they're presenting cases that most investigators may come across once or twice in a lifetime.
Fiction shows, like "CSI" in which they have computerized databases of every substance in the world including toothpaste and wall paint, or ones in which female pathologists wear cocktail dresses to work. are definitely not realistic at all.
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Wills and Estates Lawyer
Can I leave everything to my pets?
Day Trader
What's the difference between a trader and a hedge fun guy?
Navy Officer (Former)
Just how educated is the typical US military serviceman?
For school projects, please email me all the questions at once at: lisa-black@live.com
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Sorry, I think that's something I used to know years ago but have since forgotten. I know the DNA can be cut, maybe by enzymes? into the sections of short tandem repeats. But I haven't done DNA analysis in 20 years, so my skills are not up to date. Sorry I couldn't help!
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