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

3. List the five malware analysis techniques that can be used. Why do you think a Digital Forensics Investigator needs to be familiar with them?

Asked by ali mh about 8 years ago

As I'm not trained in digital forensics, I'm afraid I wouldn't know. PS the purpose of this website is not really so that you can cut and paste your homework and get other people to do it for you.

If you smoked weed within the past few years of applying to be a tech in a crime lab, could you still get the job or is that a deal breaker?

Asked by Cayla almost 8 years ago

It almost certainly would not be a deal-breaker. Just tell them the truth.

What are the most common mistakes a killer/murderer that gets them caught?

Asked by bart white over 7 years ago

The vast, vast majority of people who kill people didn't plan to kill someone, so they often leave fingerprints, blood, witnesses, text messages, and then come up with some sort of story that sounded good in their head but wouldn't fool a 6 year old.

How do you use chemistry in your job as a forensic scientist?

Asked by Kayla Fitzgerald over 7 years ago

I use it the way you use your computer without writing code. I have chemicals that I use to process for prints, but we just purchase them. There are a few reagents we mix ourselves. At the coroners office we mixed almost all ourselves. A toxicologist, on the other hand, would use it every day.

Considering gunpowder residue, how is it possible for someone to get it on their hand after simply firing a gun?

Asked by R-Mod almost 8 years ago

Gunshot residue can actually refer to two things, gunpowder that flies out of the barrel with the bullet and can land on the victim, and primer residue that can leak out of the back of the bullet cartridge and spray out onto the shooter's hand. But it can also get on the gun or nearby surfaces or people so presence of it on hands does not prove someone fired a gun, and it can wipe off easily so absence of it doesn't prove they did.

If a right handed person shoots himself in right temple with a 9 mm weapon while in a seated position in floor with back resting against bed and head slumped to his left, where is weapon likely to be found?

Asked by Jeannie almost 8 years ago

I would guess in his lap or to his right, but it's impossible to know for sure, since you cannot know exactly how the body was positioned or how powerful the load of the bullet might have been.

What college classes would benefit a forensic degree best? Biology, Chemistry ?

Asked by Sarah almost 8 years ago

That depends on what you want to go into. If you want toxicology, go with chemistry. If you want serology or DNA, go with biology. If crime scene, general forensic science.