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.
There are numerous techniques for obtaining fingerprints from surfaces--black powders, colored powders, alternate light, superglue, dye staining. Once you can visualize the print, comparing one to another is done by noting all the information (where ridges end, divide, form a dot, have a scar, etc.) in one pattern and comparing it to another print's pattern. This can be done by a computer so that thousands to millions of prints can be searched quickly, all day, every day, all over the world, but is always confirmed by human beings. Despite what you see on TV!
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It all depends on where you want to work and what they require. At the coroner's office we all had at least a bachelor's degree in a natural science like biology, because there were not any forensic degrees then. If you want to be a DNA analyst you will probably need to major in genetics or biochemistry. At the police department where I work, with our very small lab, we are only required to have a high school diploma--but you get extra points in the interview process for advanced degrees so we all have at least a bachelor's.Hope that helps.
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I don't really watch any except the ones on the ID channel, and those are mostly about the investigation. But when they do mention forensic evidence, they're accurate.
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Unless he actually ejaculated in his underwear, I don't see why there would be sperm in underwear he simply wore. But maybe that's one of those questions about men I'd just rather not know! I'm also not sure that semen would go back into solution when re-wetted like sugar or salt. So it might be possible, for all I know, but you'd probably have to ask a serologist or DNA technician. I'm sorry I can't be more help.
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a) I work at a police department. We have a small lab with equipment for processing for fingerprints and the rest of the office is regular office stuff--desks, computers, supply cabinet, coffee machine.We work mostly days, with someone on call tonight. b) Both. I work on my own for most call-outs and working on pieces of evidence, but for larger cases then we work as a team. c) Both, again. We have a lab but I probably spend only 5-10% of my time, on average, in there.
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I'm sorry, I"m sure I answered this question months ago, I don' t know why it didn't post. The answer is there's no way to guess, a doctor would have to look at it. If there's no tissue, DNA might possibly be obtained from bones or teeth.
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No. There are cases and victims that I feel sorrier for than others, but nothing reaching the level that I would call emotionally involved. Everything is over by the time I get there, and then I don't usually see the victims or other parties again so there isn't an opportunity to bond.
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