forensic

Hi everyone! I have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with 2 years of experience in a contract research lab. I am looking to move toward forensics. Is it necessary to go back to school or in your experience, a biology degree would suffice to get in to forensics-related careers? I am currently looking at master’s programs and obviously don’t want to pursue if not necessary.

Welcome to our weekly general discussion thread!

Feel free to chat with your fellow forensically-minded redditors about anything! Introduce yourself, show us pictures of your cat, complain about your kids, lament about exams/work, tell us what you're eating today... whatever you want!

Here are a few resources that might answer your questions:

A subreddit wiki with links and resources to education and employment matters, archived discussions on more intermediate topics in education and employment, what kind of major you need, what degree programs are good, etc.

• The subreddit Guide - Consider this an FAQ about our community and our field. Look here for basic education and employment questions/answers you might have. Didn't find what you were looking for? Please post in our weekly scheduled posts or to the subreddit. Note: please do use a desktop browser to view all features.
• List of verified forensics professionals
• Subreddit collections (please view on desktop browsers) on the following topics:
  • Education and Employment
  • Mental Health and Preparation for Working in Forensics
  • What It's Like Working in Forensics
  • Employment: Job Titles, Job Requirements, and Starting Salary in Forensic Science

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Has anyone pivoted into forensic chemistry from an industrial R&D position? Would be interested to hear your experiences. I've been in energy R&D at a large company for several years and am thinking to switch into forensics (drug analysis mainly) because I like doing lab work and digging into things but dislike office politics, working on fruitless legacy projects, and technical writing for the sake of internal reporting (which doesn't get read) and journal publishing. I have a B.S. in Chemistry.

Thanks in advance!

Welcome to our weekly thread for:

• Education advice/questions about university majors, degrees, programs of study, etc.
• Employment advice on things like education requirements, interviews, application materials, etc.
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Please let us know where you are and which country or countries you're considering for school so we can tailor our advice for your situation.

Here are a few resources that might answer your questions:

• A subreddit wiki with links and resources to education and employment matters, archived discussions on more intermediate topics in education and employment, what kind of major you need, what degree programs are good, etc.
• The subreddit Guide - Consider this an FAQ about our community and our field. Look here for basic education and employment questions/answers you might have. Didn't find what you were looking for? Please post in our weekly scheduled posts or to the subreddit. Note: please do use a desktop browser to view all features.
• List of verified forensics professionals
• Subreddit collections (please view on desktop browsers) on the following topics:
  • Education and Employment
  • Mental Health and Preparation for Working in Forensics
  • What It's Like Working in Forensics
  • Employment: Job Titles, Job Requirements, and Starting Salary in Forensic Science

​

https://forms.office.com/e/u52siixAQ7

Looking for responses from people in the below fields:

- Web design

- Music production

- Video production

- Computer games design, development and production.

- Data recovery

- Forensics

i previously made a post not knowing that much about forensics but what forensic jobs deal with dead bodies and etc i’ve heard about blood stain but i don’t know if that’s a real job I’m a senior in hs going to college for forensic biology

Has anyone attended the National Forensic Academy in Tennessee? My employer asked if I wanted to go next year and I am wondering what it is like.

Hello, I figured I would ask you smart minds a question. I think somebody might be trying to scare me and make me think something's going to happen. I've been battling An intense custody case for a long time and I was wondering how long would it take to get like Google messages, text messages from a cell phone?? It's an Android phone and the ohio BCI have had the phones for 4 months now. I'm just trying to understand what's going on here. I know that my ex's friends and stuff are trying to scare me probably, but I wanted to ask the experts. If that's a stupid question. I apologize

Hello I’m posting here because I think normal ppl in /jobs won’t understand..

I’m a college student and am applying to a coroners internship position. In my cover letter should I mention the fact that I like to do taxidermy as a hobby? I feel like having an understanding and being already experienced in dissection/ bone extraction/disinfecting/cleaning up afterwards is valuable for that career and makes me stand out/ could make me a better fit for the job than someone with no experience. I’ve had a few people tell me to avoid it since it’ll freak them out, but others have told me it does prove to be valuable knowledge. What’s your consensus? Should I include it?

Hi all!

I am currently in a program for my PhD in biomedical sciences with a concentration in neuroscience. I’ve always been interested in crime/forensics/criminal psychology and I’m not sure the standard academia/biotech/industry routes are for me. I previously had experience working for the DOD so I have a security clearance… what type of job opportunities are there in forensic science for me with these qualifications?

Let me know your thoughts, thanks!

Hi! I'm new here. I am not sure if other professionals have posted introductions, but I figured I would make the most of my early morning stomach issues.

I know a couple of the other professionals in this group and would consider myself an amateur redditor. Truth be told, I'm a pretty slow adopter and the only reason I got into reddit was because my best friend told me there was a subreddit for guns. I quickly got tired of that one but then I found r/NFA and that's where I spend most of my time.

I have been a Firearm Examiner for a little over a decade and thoroughly enjoy the work. My unofficial specialties include ammunition reloading and NFA firearms and other regulated items.

While I enjoy casework, my true passion is research. I have a couple of projects in the works and hope to submit my first paper for peer review and publication in the next year.

Looking forward to making new contacts and assisting here where I can. Have a great day!!

I have been thinking of King Mithradates a bit. He is famous for taking small doses of poison on a regular basis in such a way that he came to be immune to a number of them.

That made me think of assassinations in the past. A person would ideally want to get away from their homicide if they can, especially with the gruesome ways people would have been punished for regicide in the past. Ricin takes several days to kill. I wonder what toxins would be most likely to kill, assuming a healthy adult, but would give the maximum amount of time for the killer to escape or otherwise be capable of deflecting blame.

And no, I am not intending to do anything to a health insurance CEO. It also doesn't matter if the toxin would be easily diagnosed today, I am thinking about historic killings, unless it would be very likely for the toxin to lead to the killer in any case (such as being rare and only likely to be accessible to a certain suspect). Ideally in this kind of case, the symptoms don't appear either for a considerable amount of time, or if they do appear, they are mild enough that they don't create suspicion. This also helps to avoid a detection of the plot by someone who is deliberately eating some of what the king or other important person ate as a safeguard for the king.

Hi all,

I posted a question in a different sub and they suggested maybe I reach out here. My initial question was about gunshot residue analyst. However, after posting it, it appears that maybe I should not be focusing so much on GSR, as it is unrealiable?

I am looking at a specific "Undetermined Death" case from 1993 (death of family member). I have case files, including test results, autopsy report, witness statements, etc.

I will post my initial question below. However, please let me know if I should start with looking at other evidence. Any feedback is welcomed.

Thank you in advance!

***Can someone help me understand gunshot residue and transfer please? Would assisting a victim in stopping bleeding (placed finger in hole) after finding the victim wounded be consistent with these findings?

Weapon used was Taurus Model 669 .357 Revolver.
The swabs of the left hand, and the palm of the right hand showed the presence of antimony and barium.

FBI Lab 1995:

This is few different compounds of toxicology results of 3 diff loved ones I lost. I've searched & searched diff websites trying to have results explained in simple plain term that I will understand. I just can't seem to quiet understand it! 2 of these passed of drug OD. 1 was killed in tragic interstate accident. Which all 3 had drugs in reports. Id like to understand each drugs level that sum1 will die. Which person's results are super bad or extremely high. & exactly what drug/differences are the compounds listed. (I know what meth & fentanyl are)

If anyone can inform me I'd greatly appreciate it bc it's been long 3yrs since, & I just wanna understand.

My fiancé is a forensics studies major, graduating next year and hoping to start a career in the industry working with crime scenes and forensics.

For Christmas, I would like to buy her gifts that can help advance her knowledge in this field and provide valuable information as she starts her career endeavors. This could be a book, magazine subscription, online course, etc. or truly anything that those in the field (or familiar) would recommend as helpful.

I have done research on this but have found varying answers, and have always found Reddit helpful for personal questions. I have no knowledge of this industry, so I would appreciate any help and hope this is okay to post. I look forward to interacting.

Thanks!!

Hi Everyone,

I'm making this post in hopes to see peoples experiences that went to Grad school in PA. Particularly in Temple, Arcadia, TJ and Penn State. I got accepted 3/4 so far and still waiting to hear back from one. I'm trying to narrow down what seems to be the best option as school ain't gonna be cheap and getting a worthwhile experience.

I got a BS in Chemistry and want to study Forensic Chemistry or related to the field.

Please share your experiences and also some advice would be helpful as this is a big step I'm trying to prepare myself for.

Thank you.

Welcome to our weekly discussion thread about forensic science!

Forensic Scientists and Professionals! What's going on this week?

Use any of the following as a prompt if you need to

• What do you do?
• What kind of work are you doing?
• Are you doing any new kinds of analyses?
• What is your work week like?
• Do you have crazy stories from the field/lab? Tell us!

Remember! Don't reveal identifying info on decedents or victims. Change names or use nicknames if you must.

Students! How's school?

Use any one of the following as a prompt if you need to

• What degree are you pursuing?
• What are you learning about?
• Have you learned something new and/or exciting?
• Are you involved in research?
• Is there anything about the field you'd like to know?

Remember! Don't ask us to do your homework or assignments for you. We did the work and you have to do it too.

If you are asking for education or employment advice, please read our subreddit guide first and then look at our resources in the sidebar. If what we have doesn't address your needs, you can ask us a question here! Let us know where you are and which country or countries you're considering for school.

Don't know where to start when it comes to schools, programs, or degrees? Take a look at our subreddit wiki for a good rundown of what you should look out for.

Confused by all the job titles, requirements, and worried about things like starting salary? Please take a look at this collection of posts from /u/Cdub919, one of our verified forensics members.

Have questions for someone working in the field? Take a look at our list of verified forensics professionals. They are frequently tagged in comments and posts when mods or other community members see that their expertise is needed. You might reach out to them in a private message or chat if you need their help. Please be respectful of their time and advice and don't harass anybody for a response.

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I've got a forensics image of a Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 with Mailbox Database edb files. What is the recommended way to extract the PST files? Assuming I don't care to setup exchange. What is your goto tool ? I do use X-Ways, but my version is a little old. I'd think X-ways should be able to parse it but it dont. Thanks!!! I'm okay with paying, but there seems to be a couple options.

What do you guys think this is caused by. It appears to be a medium velocity spatter and i think its either blunt or a small stab

I’ve been wanting to be a detective or somewhere in the forensic field. I don’t want to be a private detective. This has always been something I wanted to do and I went into another field and now I’m 40 and I really don’t want to give up hope yet. I really don’t want to be a cop first and most of the articles I’ve read state that you need the experience to be a cop for a couple of years to become a detective. I want to solve cases. I want to bring justice to families. However that looks like in my future, I know that’s my calling.

I am set to take my IAI exam on Dec. 17th. Has anyone taken it in the past few months and if so is it extremely difficult. Thank you

hello! im a college student about to graduate with their associates degree in forensics science, i have it emphasize in crime scene investigation. However in fall '25 ill be heading up to university to get my bachelors in chemistry which is emphasized in criminalistics and forensics. I was hoping to get some insight because i really wanna start getting my feet in the water and get a related job! i feel like everything ive been seeing requires a bachelors (which im obviously working on getting but dont have yet). what would be the best sort of entry or related to job? where should i start aiming my searches towards? where should i look for one? in the US.

I'm enrolled in a research class ran by a Forensic Anthropologist on Forensic Anthropology. I've been looking for topics to research and eventually conduct an experiment with- but am struggling pretty badly trying to chose one. Technically, I don't need to chose until the kickstart of our Spring of 2025 Semester, but I want to be ahead and prepared. My main interest is decomposition, especially indicators of time of death. I'm also interested in going into a career in Crime Scene Investigation. But there is so much already known about those things, it's difficult to find something "unique" to explore in the realm of Forensic Anthropology. One of the presenters of the Research Class did the florescence of bone and how that could possibly be used in searches. Something in that vibe. I'm attempting to communicate with the professor as well for guidance. Thanks.

Long story short I am fighting with my boyfriend over the likelihood that DNA was missed in a test. Specifically I made him watch the Robert Wone documentary and he immediately says “they obviously missed the other persons DNA in the swab and the sample came back as Robert” and I tried to argue this then he says “well they only test a couple components so they probably just didn’t test any of the other persons DNA”.

I was under the impression that a mixture of DNA shows up completely differently on the test like the peaks would definitely show you there is more than one person in the sample but he completely denies this. I’m no forensic scientist but I listen to discussion of the results of these tests pretty regularly in podcasts and case coverage, I can’t imagine a scenario where you swab someone for DNA and determine it comes specifically from one person and there’s no indication another persons DNA is present. How likely is this actually to happen? I know this case was in 2006 but it’s not like it was decades ago. Would the technology back then make this likely?

Also it’s not like the sample was degraded, old, or limited in amount, they had easy access to swab him.

Completely aside from the fact that they did the PSA test and there actually wasn’t sperm present in the sample? And you release seminal fluid when you die.

I’m not a guy lol but I guess you could get seminal fluid on someone else if you’re in a position to do so? But anyway they swabbed the fluid to test it and the test came back that it was Robert. Like I’m just missing how they would completely miss other DNA?

Help me win the fight (unless my understanding is embarrassingly wrong)

Hi all, I am seeking advice on procuring collision analysis/accident reconstruction services for a small claims case. Alternatively, I am looking for resources on how to prepare similar documentation myself.

Context: My vehicle (2010 honda civic) was hit by an amazon delivery truck (2020 hino 195) in Washington, DC, and the driver fled the scene without leaving information. A witness left their information, and told me what happened and provided pictures of the amazon vehicle. Amazon insurance denied my claim on the basis of "insufficient evidence."

I am in the process of preparing documentation and evidence for small claims court, and would like to provide a relatively scientific, unbiased, and intuitive visual and written recreation of how the accident happened based on available evidence to the judge.

Ask: I understand that most professional services of this nature are expensive, and provided to attorneys rather than individuals (I have inquired with several). I am looking for resources to either conduct my own analysis, or find a provider willing to offer services for a civil cmall claims case such as this.

Is there any way i can get the haskkeeper tool i cannot find it on the web can any body help

Hi all! I graduated in forensic anthropology BSc(Hons) in Scotland in June this year and I’ve been unbelievably unlucky in finding a job. Preferably I’d like to go into CSI, crime scene photography or mortuary work. All the jobs I have applied for so far I’ve been rejected or not heard back, I don’t think I have enough experience but I can’t gain experience if no one hires me! I’m currently volunteering with special needs children and victims of crime, which I thought would help me gain some experience and get some good references as I have only ever been employed by family.

How do I get onto the job ladder? Where do I go from here? I’m feeling super lost and hopeless

Hello everyone, I have recently graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a degree in Forensic Science with a concentration in Biology this past May. I have been unemployed and want advice on how to get started in Forensic. I know that maybe getting a Masters degree would be a lot more helpful, but I would appreciate more hands on experience before I can commit to another 4 yrs of school. I felt lost on what to do with my degree and I want to at least start doing something that can bring me purpose.

I have been interested in Genetics, and wish to work in DNA analysis, or in a forensics laboratory processing biological matter since I have been studying biology. I have worked extensively in biological labs tied to my college courses ranging from microbiology labs handling bacteria and trying to identify what strain it is to working with cell lines like MDA-MB-231, a form of breast cancer.

I have also worked as an undergraduate researcher assistant, in a cytoskeleton cell signaling lab working with SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell to study the effects of different chemicals in order to observe degenerative effects on the cell. I learned how to culture cells, centrifuge, western blot, and worked with confocal microscopy, i wish I could say I did a lot more hands on experiments, but the time i was there, I was mostly shadowing because I really did each experiment that everyone in the lab at least once

So now that I have graduated, where exactly could I apply too, would clinical labs be more helpful than starting off at a police department? Should I even consider working for police departments or focus maybe on a private sector if that’s even possible.Also, I’m in Texas, should I look more into certifications in the meantime before I apply somewhere? I have been considering internships in biology that are lab focused because I have seen some internships that allow students a limit of up to 3 years after they graduated from college to apply. I appreciate your time to read this lengthy post, and I am open to learning about work involving forensics

Hi! Does anyone know if there is a place where you can find exercises where to reconstruct the scene, think about what happened or profile the murderer?

Thank you so much!