Okay, so I am not 100% sure if this is the right place to ask, but I am looking for any advice or help possible.

2 months ago today, my best friends little brother and one of my friends passed away very suddenly due to a seizure. His family was not prepared at all. It's been a heartbreaking 2 months all around, and only now are they starting to try sort through his room (it was left in a very big mess as he had, of course, planned to return to it.)

His mum realised after the funeral that they had forgotten to get his fingerprints / handprint and was distraught today after finding out that his window has one of his handprints on it after he was looking out a few days before he died (there was a cat in the garden.)

We want to try to get the handprint off the window if possible so that she can have it, but we have no idea how to go about it. Does anyone here have any advice that may help? It doesn't have to be perfect. Even a partial handprint would help.

Here is a picture of him, he was 25 and the chillest guy around. Loved his dog Judy so much ❤️

Is there a memoir of a forensic scientist, preferably a UK one, that anyone can recommend?

Hey everyone, I'm an undergraduate student at MSU writing a research paper for my writing and rhetoric class. My primary interview fell through at the last minute and my paper is due tonight.If any working or retired forensic analysts/scientists could drop a 2–3 sentence reply to this question, it would completely save my project: "How do you effectively manage heavy laboratory workloads and tight deadlines while maintaining absolute accuracy?"Note: If you are comfortable letting me use your username or a general title (e.g., "A verified forensic chemist on Reddit"), please let me know. Thank you so much!

Ok so I am in the US going to graduate in May of 2027 with my bachelors in forensic science with a goal of DNA analysis. ( I will have some experience coming out of undergrad) I have a goal of one day working as a DNA analyst in the Seattle crime lab which I know will take time. Especially since they are not hiring in DNA rn. So I was deciding between A.) taking a job at a different crime lab in DNA as a placeholder till Seattle crime lab is hiring ( there were a few openings I applied too ) B.) If Seattle crime lab has openings in other sections apply and try to get that C.) try and get a non forensics lab job that involves DNA till Seattle crime lab posts something for DNA.

Hi, I don't post on reddit that often so sorry if I am doing this wrong. I currently work in IT at a managed service provider but I had an internship 2 years ago doing IT for law enforcement in my area and I just feel like more and more in my life keeps pushing me towards wanting to do traditional forensic science. I also had a forensic science class in highschool that did a really good job showing the basics of a lot of different jobs in the field and I would love to find a job that I could do a combination of digital and physical forensics and I also wanted to know what degree I should pursue to be able to do forensic science as well? At the moment I am about 1 year away from getting my cybersecurity degree and I am transferring to another school to finish my bachelors degree in a few months and am kinda wondering if I should minor in biology or find a school that specializes in forensic science that I can at the very least get an associates degree at.

If I'm kinda asking for the impossible with the specific job I wouldn't be shocked but I'd still appreciate advice on my degree(s) because the field interests me anyway and with AI taking so much over I would like to have a few different paths I can go down if my current job falls out of existence.

I am a college graduate who is currently an intern at a state facility. I am looking for a trainee latent print job . I am constantly checking IAI and other sources. If anyone has any jobs they have seen for trainees or individuals I can reach out to please let me know

Hello everyone,
I work in a toxicology laboratory equipped with a dual-channel GC-HS-FID system for determining alcohol concentrations in biological fluids, as well as a Randox Evidence Investigator, which we use for screening narcotics in whole blood and urine using dedicated kits. Recently, we acquired a single quadrupole GC-MS to enable confirmation of the screening results obtained with the Randox system.

We mostly analyze postmortem samples. If you could recommend literature and sample preparation techniques that are most suitable for the detection of substances such as cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, THC, etc., I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you!

I am currently in a Forensics class for my major. I am needing to find more information on the actual investigation and evidence that the forensics teams used to convict Aileen Wournos, and find that she was truly the woman behind the crimes. All I can really find linked to her case is the psychological perspective rather than physical evidence side of things. Would anyone be able to point me in a direction of credible sources that serve as factual points for the evidence side of the investigation?

Thank you in advance for anyone willing to help. It is greatly appreciated!

For all enquiries about where to study, what topics to take, or how to become a forensic scientist, post here...

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I’m making a cherry upside down cake for a cookbook club I’m in, and while cleaning up a new jar of vanilla bean paste fell out of my spice cabinet & into the pitcher of reserved cherry syrup on my counter. The syrup got EVERYWHERE - it ended up in places I never expected the syrup to get, particularly shocking was small droplets in between the lip & lid of a deli container about a yard above the where the pitcher was sitting.

As I was cleaning it all up, I started thinking & came up with a few questions for the folks who study bloodstain patterns. Some of the questions are probably super ill informed but I’m asking them either way in the hopes to learn something.

Cake tax included! Though the cake is missing the cherry syrup on top because…well, you know.

1. What got you into bloodstain pattern analysis? Was it something like this - where a big splatter you encountered left you questioning until you ultimately found the field?
2. When in school learning about bloodstain patterns, do they use demonstrations like this one? I’m sure they’re much more sophisticated than dropping a jar into syrup, but is it a similar situation?
3. Do you - as a BPA - know to look in unsuspecting places for blood (like the deli cup in my cabinet), because even though someone may clean up a crime scene after themselves do they typically miss the more unlikely spots?
4. Does the chemistry of someone’s blood change viscosity & then therefore patterning? Like could iron levels or something impact viscosity, which would then provide additional info for IDing a victim?

This circumstance made me realize I know so little about this, so please feel free to tell me any cool facts about this line of work. I am very intrigued!!

Edit: I also just realized I probably used the wrong flair? Please fix/take down if needed. Thanks!

I am currently a freshman who is undecided. My school (University of Maryland) does not have a forensic science degree or anything related to it. I was wondering if I could still get into crime scene investigation work with a criminology/criminal justice degree whilst also taking various biology/other science classes. Or should I try to get a general biology degree? I'm not sure where to go from here, any help would be much appreciated, thank you!

So I am a senior Forensic Science Bio concentration university student. I am looking to kind of interview (on the phone/ video) preferably someone who has a masters in the field for assignment as well get some questions answered as to where I wanna go next since I graduate next year.

I am just graduating my undergraduate with a double BA in Chemistry and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. I want to pursue a career in Forensic science and know I will have to do graduate education to get a good position, but I’m not sure what to pursue.

My main question is should I go for PhD or Master’s?

And should I get a specific Forensics degree or go more broad (like chemistry with an analytical focus) just so I have more job opportunities outside forensics in the future?

Please give me the benefits and consequences when you reply please! Personal stories welcome!

For all enquiries about where to study, what topics to take, or how to become a forensic scientist, post here...

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TLDR; how realistic is it to switch between forensic positions/ become cross-trained in the work?

I know I am unrealistic in hoping that I could be a jack of all trades, but Ive taken a heavy interest with multiple aspects of forensics that demand different things. Being a CSI appeals to me just as much as forensic DNA/toxicology and just as much as anthology/odontology/entomology. I currently work for a police department in the US doing emergency management but honestly, I hate not going to the scenes. I lean into evidence photos that my coworkers have to look away from and I go to these trainings with my responders and I wish I could investigate with them, I love every part of it but having one track sounds tiring. How easy is it to change paths in forensics, and how common is it that specialties overlap? Or that people end up specializing in multiple aspects of investigations.

For all enquiries about where to study, what topics to take, or how to become a forensic scientist, post here...

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Hello, everyone! I am conducting an online interview for one of my college classes. I am studying the use of reading and writing in forensics. Anyone can answer regardless of experience, as I would love to hear different opinions. If you could state your name (or a fake name), and your connection to the forensics field (even if you are simply interested in the topic) and give your response to all or a few of my interview questions, It would be greatly appreciated!

How does reddit platform facilitate your understanding of forensics?

What types of information are most beneficial when investigating forensics?

How does reading and writing incorporate into the daily tasks of a forensic investigator?

How would language change when explaining findings to someone who may not have experience in forensics?

Thank you so much! All responses are welcome!