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

if I can send you a picture can you please tell me the entrance wound or the exit wound from the pictures in your experience

Asked by Clu D Wright almost 7 years ago

No, you would really need a pathologist for that. Generally, exits tend to be larger than entrances, but it depends on what someone is shot with and where. If the muzzle is very close or in contact with the body, then the entrance will likely be larger than the exit. if the bullet fragments inside, then there might be a small exit. So different factors can affect it. Best of luck to you.

I’m currently in high school expected towards b’s and a’s I want to do forensics analysing Dna from crime scenes or what is closest to that, what qualifications would you suggest for me to proceed to take? Thank you

Asked by Daniel wikinson over 6 years ago

If you want to be a DNA analyst you may need a Masters or PhD in genetics, depending on the requirements of the agency or facility. Check vacancy postings at professional organizations, such as https://webdata.aafs.org/public/jobs/postings.aspx and https://www.theiai.org/job_listings.php.

Best of luck!

what is the importance of physical fingerprinting in a scientific sphere of DNA profiling?

Asked by Nic about 7 years ago

I”m sorry but I don’t understand the question. What is physical fingerprinting and what is a scientific sphere?

Do you help with Forensic Homework?

Asked by Al over 7 years ago

I think that's what I'm doing most of the time when I answer questions on this site. If you look over the previous Q&As you'll probably see a lot of homework questions.

sorry I also have another question, Should I continue with graduate school in the same forensic field or should I expand?
Thank you!

Asked by Kimmi almost 7 years ago

That depends entirely on what in the field of forensic science you want to do. The best way is to call some of the places you’d like to work as ask what their requirements would be, because they can vary all over the country. Smaller labs will want you to cross train.Larger ones might want you to specialize.

Good luck!!

Why do some think that these forms are chat rooms?

Asked by Donaldsonerson about 6 years ago

I don’t know what you mean by that.

What does it mean if a cadaver had "abundant amount of mud on the hands," if the body was in the water for two weeks and it was swift water for days?

Asked by Lina N Lete over 7 years ago

‘Abundant’ probably just means the hands were smeared with mud on some parts, not that they had clumps of mud in them. Why it would be on the hands after being in water—some possible reasons might be that the body got hung up in muddy shallows and that’s why it was found, or it was dragged over muddy areas when pulled from the water. As I don’t have any picture of where it was or how it was recovered, that’s my best guess.