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

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I’ve always wanted to be a forensic scientist and I’m in first year of college. Im struggling in the college level biology class and losing hope. I just think I’m not smart enough because many teachers had told me I’m not. Do you have any suggestions

Asked by Julia almost 8 years ago

First of all, no teacher should ever tell you you're 'not smart enough' for a field.

Second, not all forensic work involves a great deal of biology--really only DNA analysis and serology do. Toxicology will require a good chemistry background. But specialized fields such as latent prints, crime scene investigator, questioned documents, digital evidence, ballistics and impression evidence would use little to no biology.

If a formal degree becomes a problem, you might want to see if you can start out in an Evidence/Property area and work up from there.

Best of luck!

If we report a script that was stolen please tell me they'll finger print the bottle or is it not considered that important

Asked by Shannon McTighe over 8 years ago

They might. I couldn't say for sure one way or the other.

What are the most common ways that people have been killed

Asked by bart white almost 8 years ago

Gunshot is the most common, then bludgeoning, then stabbing.

A girl was found dead in warf.When some one find the dead body her right hand was not touching ground,it was raised from surface.Also the body had the refreshness.Also her stomach contain the carrot ,it is known by postmortem report.say your thought

Asked by Abi about 8 years ago

Was she washed up out of the water or found on a dock or something? In the first case it wouldn't be interpretable because you can't know where the body was when rigor set in. In the second it might indicate that the body had been moved if the hand position wasn't consistent with where the body was found. I don't know what you mean by 'refreshness'. Stomach contents can help a pathologist estimate how long it had been between eating and time of death, though of course everyone's digestion rate is a little different. I hope that helps!

If a person died from a bullet wound within an hour and his eyes are open and he was shot 24 more times will his eyes stay open or would they shut from muscle contractions. If alive with 1 shot, then shot 24 times will eyes be open or shut

Asked by Ggrreenn about 8 years ago

I have no idea. It could be either. It doesn't matter how many times they were shot. As far as I know it would only matter if their eyes were open or not at the moment they died, not what happened before or after they died.

what work experience is recommended ?

Asked by kenia over 8 years ago

Any kind of lab work, lab courses or internships in laboratories or with the criminal justice system.

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 over 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.