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 do you think so many people on this site want people to give them the answer they wanna hear instead of the truth or your (or whomever their asking) opinion? I mean they already told them selves so whats the point?

Asked by Walker asks folks over 5 years ago

I don't get that impression.

Do you watch Law and Order?

Asked by Jimmy over 6 years ago

Not regularly, but I’ve caught many reruns over the years.

Thanks for your answer! I have 2 more q's. 1) Is it possible for me to contact you more privately e.g. email, where I can ask more questions in detail? If not, 2) in your opinion, what piece of forensic technology/method helps you the most as a CSI?

Asked by Kate Flynn about 6 years ago

Sure, you can email me at lisa-black@live.com.

What we use the most is a camera, and after that a tape measure (to make crime scene diagrams...99.9% these tell us nothing significant, but there could be that rare exception in terms of court testimony).

What is the most helpful to me is our fingerprint database to identify the unknown prints collected from crime scenes and evidence.

Recently, one of my daughter's friends was dosed with Visine eye drops presumed to be in her drink. Malicious activity? A date rape attempt? Is there a way to test for Visine in a drink, or in food?

Asked by Bill almost 7 years ago

The perpetrator could be imitating a scene from the movie “Wedding Crashers” in which they put Visine in a man’s drink to give him diarrhea and vomiting. However Google tells me that’s not what it actually does, it can cause drowsiness and can be dangerous. So the motivation depends on whether the perpetrator knew what the actual effects would be or not.

As far as detecting it, it’s apparently in the imidazole family which includes histidines, so perhaps a chemical lab could detect it or some compenents of it. That would utilize thin layer chromatography and I don’t know how many labs actually do that any more—but I truly have no idea where or how or if a lab could test for it since I don’t have much of a background in chemistry, sorry!

Hope that helps.

Have you ever been emotional with the cases you have worked on?

Asked by Denise_ot5 over 6 years ago

Once in a great while something will catch me when I’m not expecting it. But very rarely.

RESPECTED SIR/MADAM , I AM A B.COM GRADUATE. CAN I JOIN B.SC FORENSIC SCIENCE WITHOUT A SCIENCE BACKGROUND, IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY, PLEASE SEND YOUR VALUABLE WORDS.

Asked by MUBEENA M I over 6 years ago

I’m sorry but I don’t know what b.com is. The best way to know is to contact your local crime labs and ask them what their requirements are.

Best of luck.

What is your least favorite part of your job?

Asked by Hily almost 7 years ago

Being on call and having to leave dinner or get up in the middle of the night to go to a crime scene. And having to schedule vacations and events around whether I can get someone else to cover my call for me.