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

Why when someone is dying do first responders try to make them talk and keep talking

Asked by Justin almost 6 years ago

I have no idea as I’ve never worked as a first responder. I would suspect that’s largely a plot device for film or books, but I don’t actually know.

is there any device in existance which can sense a possible forensic evidence and give you something to strat search with????

Asked by rekhab about 5 years ago

That depends on the kind of forensic evidence.

Is being a Forensic Scientist more of just a job, a career, or is it a lifestyle?

Asked by Mikey almost 5 years ago

I think you could ask that about any job. It all depends on the person doing it; if it's only a way to get a paycheck, then it's just a job. If it's all they want to do, it's a career. If it occupies a lot of their personal time, it's a lifestyle. But forensic science can be demanding and most of all, unpredictable, so most people wouldn't do it just as a 'job.'Hope that helps!

How to identify if s nose was broken from a fall or from a punch

Asked by Doug about 5 years ago

I”m sorry but I have no idea—you’d need a pathologist for that one.

If there is animal blood and human blood mixed at a crime scene, how does that affect a DNA test? In other words, does animal blood contaminate human blood enough to confuse a DNA test? How has this technology advanced in the past 10 years?

Asked by Gorgonbunny about 4 years ago

That’s an excellent question, that unfortunately I can’t answer. We have the OBTI test that can confirm blood is human, but beyond that…I don’t know if there are alleles that both animals and humans share that might show up in the average DNA analysis. Even if animals have some alleles that are the same as humans, if those aren’t the alleles looked for in a DNA test, then it wouldn’t affect things. But if they are, then I don’t know if scientists have a way to distinguish them. Sorry I can’t be more help!

If you ask a cop why do all cops have short hair and the cop says something like “we cut it short so we don’t pull it all out” what does that mean?

Asked by Ryan almost 5 years ago

It means that, like most people, they get tired of people asking them stupid questions.

Have you ever done a autopsy on a animaln

Asked by Ryan over 5 years ago

I haven’t ever done an autopsy at all, since I’m not a pathologist. They can be done on animals, usually it’s called a necropsy and may be done by a veterinarian.