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.
Who’s Roger Stone?
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Any science major is a good thing. The requirements for each agency or lab vary, so if you have a particular location in which you wish to work, you might call all your potential employers and ask what the job requirements are. Then you can decide whether a science degree, a forensic science degree, a masters or a PhD would be best. Also check salaries and decide whether they are sufficient, and be prepared for a lot of competition.
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Sorry, I think that's something I used to know years ago but have since forgotten. I know the DNA can be cut, maybe by enzymes? into the sections of short tandem repeats. But I haven't done DNA analysis in 20 years, so my skills are not up to date. Sorry I couldn't help!
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Almost certainly, no. Unlike television, real forensic equipment is designed to test for certain things. For example the mass spectrometer in the toxicology department is set to test for illegal narcotics and not heavy metals such as arsenic. If arsenic is suspected, it could be detected with a different instrument or different parameters programmed into the same instrument. So I doubt there is any equipment that could be set up to detect microscopic amounts of photographic chemicals, if a photo would even shed any.
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Sorry, I wouldn't know anything more about it than anyone else. Try Google. Or watch the excellent miniseries, "American Crime Story: The Run For His Life." It was great.
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That entirely depends upon what agency you work for. Some police department crime labs may have that requirement. Many, like mine, have civilian employees for forensic support. The only way to know is to call the place you might want to work at and ask. (Or check their website for job postings.)
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That depends entirely on where you want to work and what you want to do. If you want to do DNA analysis and testify in court about it, you may need a PhD in genetics. If you want to work at crime scenes bagging and tagging evidence, you may need only a high school diploma, with added hireability for advanced degrees. The only way to know is to check job opening notices or call the agencies and ask. Best of luck to you.
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