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 forensic scientist have to specialize into one field like serology, latent print, toxicology, etc. or can they be multidisciplinary in the sense that one day they work on entomology another they do blood spatter and so on?

Asked by Chicken Jr. over 8 years ago

see question above.

Is it correct process to declare cardiac arrest or heart attack as reason for death without internally examining the heart purely based on symptoms of other organs? If examination of heart necessary, is it done at forensic lab or at autopsy?

Asked by Raja over 8 years ago

Examination of the heart would be done at the autopsy by a pathologist, and since I'm not a pathologist I'm afraid I cannot address your first question.

whats a typical day in the life of a forensic scientist?

Asked by kenia over 8 years ago

When I was at the coroner's office, a typical day would be examining victim's clothing from a homicide or suicide, typing blood samples and testing gunshot residue samples. Now at the police department, a typical day is spent in front of the computer putting in latent prints that the officers or I have lifted from items and searching for a match, or checking past searches of new people put in the system. Then I might go out to process a burglary scene.

Before an autopsy is performed, must all the blood be removed from the body?

Asked by Richard Ferstandig almost 8 years ago

No. Much blood will drain from all the cutting done during the autopsy, but no attempt is made to particularly remove it.

Lisa thanks you for responding. Yes there are many variables in this but what Iam asking is : If you had to take a measure of amount of blood that was on human skin , how would you?

Asked by Rodger about 8 years ago

I'm sorry but I really don't know.

can a person erase their fingerprints w/ household cleaning products

Asked by fierce95@yahoo.com over 8 years ago

From an object? Sure, if you clean the surface thoroughly.

What type of equipment do you operate? How did you learn to operate the equipment?

Asked by Violet almost 9 years ago

Over the years I've operated a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, alternate light sources, a photography setup, and various software programs. Venders or other employees train me to use them.