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.

SubscribeGet emails when new questions are answered. Ask Me Anything!Show Bio +

Share:

Ask me anything!

Submit Your Question

989 Questions

Share:

Last Answer on July 21, 2022

Best Rated

Would be able to give me a few tips on a resume since I'm going into the same field as you?

Asked by Steve over 5 years ago

Sure, you can send it to: Lisa-black@live.com

If the song Before He Cheats happened in real life how would you investigate the vandalized car???

Asked by Sherri Karry Katie Perry almost 5 years ago

I would fingerprint around all the damaged areas and the handles, and possibly collect a sample of paint in case the suspect’s keys were found (provided the state lab would do FTIR analysis on a non-violent case). And of course we’d check for any video cameras in the area that might cover the parking lot. And measure the width of the holes in the tires in case the suspect’s knife was located.

Do you know if phlebotomy relate to forensic science in any way? If so, how?

Asked by Christina over 5 years ago

I thought phlebotomy was the drawing of blood, so I assume its mostly used in medicine. But one person in my office is actually trained in it so she can draw our blood when we need samples for positive controls.

If a attacker OC sprayed someone and robbed them is there chemical tests to see if the spray that was on the victims face and the Pepper spray on the suspect to see who did it

Asked by Question about 5 years ago

That’s a good question that I’m afraid I can’t answer. I’m sure there is some way to determine the chemicals used in pepper spray. But this would be affected by a) how long does it remain on the skin before the skin absorbs it and b) most forensic chemistry labs are set up to detect illegal drugs in urine, blood or gastric contents. Identifying any kind of poison or other substance may require equipment or reference databases they don’t have.

Proving it’s the same batch of pepper spray may or may not be possible. I”m not personally involved in this kind of testing, but I can assure you it is not like television. We had a series of cases and wanted to determine the exact composition of drugs with percentages of fentanyl, heroin etc. Turned out while nearly every crime lab can determine if a drug is present, there were only one or two labs in the entire country we could find that could determine percentages, and they charged an arm and a leg. 

Sorry I can’t be more help.

If a person is hung on their knees, when cut down and laid on the back with the knees/gegs still stiff and bent, can the blood still pool to the back?

Asked by TK almost 6 years ago

That’s really a question for a pathologist, but apparently lividity develops before rigor, so it shoudn’t shift much after rigor has set in. However that can vary depending on temperature and physical/medical conditions. Blood will pool following the law of gravity but if the legs were bent, restricting the blood vessels, then it might pool in the torso. Sorry I can’t be more help.

What's the best way to highlight and uncover gloveprints left by Nitrile gloves from a surface?

Asked by Richard almost 6 years ago

Usually simple black powder will show gloveprints as well as fingerprints. The bubbly sort of pattern they make will be visible.

If I am wearing thin, latex gloves, is it possible for me to deposit my fingerprint through the glove and onto the surface I am touching?

Thanks.

Asked by Richard Gray almost 6 years ago

Apparently experimentation has shown it is possible. It gets more likely the longer the gloves are worn.