More Than Meets the Eye

Though all of this science to figure out murders may seem far-fetched and made just for television there are real people out there who apply this branch of science and physics to their work every single day. These men and women are hardworking scientists who help catch thieves and murderers by using the information we have included in this website. So if you ever catch yourself thinking that only characters on the hit tv shows "Bones" or "CSI" can use this kind of science, think again. The real life facts are sometimes even more astonishing than anything crafty tv writers can ever think up.

Popular Jobs in the Forensics Science Field 

  • Ballistics Expert
  • Crime Scene Investigator
  • Forensic Chemist
  • Medical Examiner
  • Forensic Anthropologist
  • Forensic Pyschologist
  • Forensic Science Techinician
  • Forensic Nurse
  • Forensic Entomologists

Ballistics Expert

Ballistics Experts are in charge of any evidence that has any tie to ballistics/guns in any way. These experts also analyze the bullet to find out what gun it was from by using the tell-tale characteristics of each unique gun. The Ballistic Expert attends the post-mortem examinations, examines the bullet for internal, external and terminal ballistics, writes up documentation about the bullet for its specific case, and presents the ballistics evidence during court as an expert.

Crime Scene Investigator

 A Crime Scene Investigator's job is to (obviously) go to the crime scene and collect evidence while also analyzing the crime scene. The evidence collected will be taken back to the lab and any useful facts that come out of it will be reported to the law officials assigned to the case. Some examples of a Crime Scene Invesitgator's job in the lab would be lfiting fingerprints and looking for hair, skin, or fiber which could be used to make a case against the suspect. While at the crime scene it is extremely important that they make sure none of the evidence is tampered with. Taking pictures of the crime scene is also another common responsilbility and is protrayed on tv endlessly.

Forensic Chemist

 A Forensic Chemist analyzes evidence brought in from the crime scene and runs tests on the evidence to see what it can tell them. It is important for a Forensic Chemist to be able to use the pieces of evidence as smaller puzzle pieces used to string together the entire case as a whole, giving the team the ability to find the killer and solve the crime. Forensic Chemists handle only evidence and do not take part in the investigative part of the case.

Medical Examiner

The name Medical Examiner (ME) can also be switched with a coroner here in the United States however not all coroners are Medical Examiners. To be a Medical Examiner a person must have an M.D. and be licensed as a pathologist. A Medical Examiner usually specializes in autopsy pathology but the assistants to the Medical Examiners (who are not yet ME's themselves) may perform quite a bit of the autopsy. The Medical Examiner finds evidence on the victim's body that will help their case in court, showing how the victim died and how the suspect is guilty.

Forensic Anthropologist

 A Forensic Anthropologist is a scientist who uses the physical evidence to get a better understanding of the crime scene. They use the bones of badly decomposed or unidentifiable human remains to get a feeling for what the person was like when they were alive. Analyzing the bones of a corpse could lead to identifying the human remains and also when the crime took place. A Forensic Anthropologist can determine the age, sex, ancestry, stature, and any unique features the victim would've had, including diseases and disabilities that affected the skeleton.

Forensic Pyschologist

A Forensic Pyschologist dedicates their career to studying the actions and motives of criminals and use this information to help in other cases against the murderers and thieves. Because there are so many different branches of psychology it is difficult to say what a Forensic Pyschologist specifically does. The various branches of pyschology include soical, cognitive, behavioral, etc. and different crimes the a Forensic Pyschologist could analyze are arson, murder, robbery... the list goes on. A Forensic Pyschologist could be used as an expert witness in court cases. 

Forensic Science Technician

Forensic Science Technicians can rage from crime scene technicians, lab technicians, evidence room techinicians, fingerprint identification technicians, and even photographic technicians. Also called Criminalists, Forensic Science Technicians simply use physical evidence (such as the murder weapon, clothing, blood, fingerprints, etc...) to recreate and solve the crime.

Forensic Nurse

A Forensic Nurse is someone who has experience in many of the different fields of forensics including evidence collection, legal processes, and more. A Forensic Nurse is the bridge between the medical side of forensics as well as the criminal justice system part. A Forensic Nurse will have the most knowledge on how to care for victims of sexual assualt and violence. In the United States it is most common for a Forensic Nurse to do just that. Forensic Nurses work with attonerys and law enforcement induviduals in court cases and are able to provide expert testimony.

Forensic Entomologist

A Forensic Entomologist is a scientist who specifically works and analyzes insects and bugs. If you're a fan of the popular tv show "Bones" the entomologist is the man referred to as the "Bug and Slime Guy" and works in that specific area of forensic evidence. Entomologists can range from Forensic Entomologists to Agricultural Entomologists which studies the negatives effects of insects on crops and find appropriate ways to deal with them. Some information that Entomologists collect at the scene from the evidence left behind by the insects could be the amount of time the body has been decompsing. Specific bugs show how long the body has been dead by the age of the insect larvae, the type of the insects, and the amount of insects. Entomologists can act as expert witnesses at court cases.