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.
I had a bachelor's degree in biology when I applied to the coroner's office in 1998. They required a degree in one of the natural sciences, and there were no forensic science degrees back then. Only you can decide what you want to go to graduate school for, but as for career requirements you might look at the American Academy of Forensic Science and the International Association for Identification and look at their job vacancy postings to see what they require. As for other degrees with a bio major, there are many private labs for DNA, drug testing, paternity testing, water and food standards analysis, etc. as well as hospital labs that might require. Again, look at job vacancy postings in all these areas--they should be easily found online and they should state the educational requirements. It will also let you see in what areas more jobs are available.
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Wow, you'd really have to ask a pathologist. But I would assume a stab wound with a horn would look different than one from a knife, more round and uniform. You might also have a sliver of horn break off in the wound. The round wound in the flesh or bone might make a doctor think it came from a bullet at first, but with no bullet found then they might think icepick or something horn-shaped. Best of luck!
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Take a lot of science classes, and keep up your English skills.
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Not often. Since a glove itself isn't secreting sweat and oils, there's really nothing for it to make a print with until it gets a little dirty or if the surface it's touching is a little dirty.They can be wiped off as easily as any other print.
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Firefighter
What's the worst you've been burned in a fire?
Tattoo Artist
Have you ever messed up while giving someone a tattoo?
Rap Promoter / Manager
Do rappers ever stage beefs with each other as a PR stunt?
Yes. Unless I could make it as an architect. I would really like that too.
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That depends on how much time has elapsed and the environment. Of course the more time, the longer it's been the more decomposition will have occurred. A very fresh body might not smell like much of anything and a very decomposed one can smell like terrible bodily functions or really rotten garbage. A very dry environment might cause the body to desiccate (much less smelly) or a wet one will prompt more decomposition.
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It could help if it's pulled hair, not cut, and if they were super-careful to leave no fingerprints or any other kind of possible DNA samples so that the police had no choice but to test the hairs for possible suspect DNA. It would also depend on the scene--if it's a heavily traveled bank, for instance, so there is a ton of discarded hairs, the police would hardly test them all. If they leave a tuft of hair on say, a chain-link fence used to get away, where the police couldn't help but notice it, then they'd have a better chance of making it a useful diversion.
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