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

Face reading and NLP. It’s a YouTube video

Asked by Brett almost 5 years ago

I can’t speak to this guy’s course specifically, but deception detection training is often offered to detectives and law enforcement personnel. I sat in on a two day course through my department once, just to use in my writing.

Since, you are in the forensics field. Do you know anything about forensic toxicologists? If so can you elaborate on what you know about this field?

Asked by GunKillerOdin almost 4 years ago

Unfortunately, no, I cannot. I've never worked in toxicology. Sorry I couldn't help.

Is that possible with in 25 day. I mean decay process.

Asked by Kalyan reddy over 4 years ago

I’m not a pathologist, so I really wouldn’t know for sure, but I know decomposition can vary wildly depending on circumstances—whether the body is exposed or contained or wrapped; temperature and humidity are majorly important; and predators, insects, water, shade vs sun, all can affect matters. My best guess is yes, it’s possible.

Hello what do different colors flags mean? You know those little flags that stick in the ground? What does pink, yellow, green, multicolored, white, etc mean?

Asked by Barney over 4 years ago

I have no idea--are you referring to utility companies marking gas lines, etc? My agency has some flags but we haven't used them recently. I suspect if an agency uses different colored flags it might be some internal coding that they use. 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 over 4 years ago

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

Hello Lisa, what is the dumbest case you ever worked?

Asked by Steven about 4 years ago

Nothing's really 'dumb' since every case involves, a minimum, property loss or inconvenience. Criminals can be dumb...the best example I can think of was when a bunch of boys broke the glass in a door to get into a jewelry store, couldn't find much to take, then were hightailing it out of there as the alarm rang and one was trying to climb back out the broken window and not having much luck when his buddy barreled through the other door simply by pushing the push bar on it. The video was hilarious.

Hi Lisa the forensic scientist. In this scenario it might be a little graphic.

So let’s say there is a girl/woman (or a guy I suppose) was being raped and sodomized. She was being forced to preform oral sex and she bites his penis totally off.

Would this be self defense? I would hope it would be classified self defense. Right? But I know sometimes the system is messed up and puts someone who was defending his/her/their self(s) are thrown under the bus.

Asked by Claire over 4 years ago

That would be a legal question, unaffected by forensics.