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

Best Rated

Do you ever go through computers and what’s the weirdest thing you have found? Do you run through everything? And do you ever find things that most people think would be gone

Asked by Dillon almost 6 years ago

I do not, as I'm not trained in digital forensics. But my coworker who is says that many many times, what people think is deleted is not really deleted.

I have not used cocaine in a year, why is my hair still testing positive for cocaine?

Asked by Terence J Donnelly over 6 years ago

Hair is just dead cells, so once something is there, it stays there. Hair grows at about 1/2 inch per month, in general (mine, to my frustration, grows much more slowly). So if your hair is longer than say 6 inches, the cocaine will still be there. If your hair is much shorter, then I don’t know what’s happening.Hope that helps.

Have you ever made a arrest?

Asked by Shelby about 6 years ago

I'm a civilian employee, not a sworn officer, so no.

How anonymous are people really on the dark, deep, and even on the regular internet? What about websites where people talk about bad things they have, doing, or going to do without signing up or anything?

Asked by Dan almost 6 years ago

I'm sorry, but I have no idea. I don't work in digital forensics.

Assume a swimming pool on a yacht was filled with regular tap water and chlorine. A person drowns in the pool. The body is dumped over board and found within hours. Could lung water be tested chemically to help discern the true facts?

Asked by PT O'Neil over 6 years ago

As far as I know that is possible. Whether a medical examiner’s office would actually test the water in the lungs in a case of apparent drowning is another matter. There is also the possibility of ‘dry-drowning’ in which the throat closes and no water gets in the lungs. A pathologist told me once that drowning is sort of a ‘negative diagnosis’ in that, if no other cause of death presents itself and the person is found in water, then drowning is assumed. Sorry I can’t be more help!

Can I ask you some questions for my novel? I need some things fact-checked. Probably too long to write on here.

Asked by Paula almost 6 years ago

Sure! Email me at Lisa-black@live.com.

Do you see yourself doing this job in the next ten years?

Asked by Trump 2020 MAGA KAG almost 6 years ago

Yes.