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.
For school projects, please email me all the questions at once at: lisa-black@live.com
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Supposedly, but I don’t know of any cases personally.
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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.
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titles and job requirements aren't uniform, so the only way to know is to call the crime labs in your area or whereever you might be interested in working and ask them. At the coroner's office we had to have at least a bachelor's in a natural science (this was before they had forensic science majors). At the police department where I am now, they only require a high school diploma but you get more points in the interviewing process for having a four year degree, so we all have one. You can also go on the websites for professional organizations such as the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and check out their job vacancy postings and see what the various positions require. Good luck.
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Bartender
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Border Patrol Agent
Do you ever feel sorry for the illegals you catch trying to cross the border?
Server / Bartender
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Yes.
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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!
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I don’t see why not. But I wasn’t aware hair could be tested for alcohol, I thought it was only drugs and heavy metals.
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