Michelle Taylor

Editor-in-Chief

Forensic

Michelle Taylor has worked on the Forensic brand since 2016. Well established in the industry, Michelle has attended dozens of scientific conferences and conducted interviews with key opinion leaders, including multiple Nobel Prize winners and award-winning forensic scientists. Michelle enjoys writing about investigative forensic genetic genealogy, novel psychoactive substances, next-generation sequencing, sexual assault kits and more. Michelle received her BA in journalism from Elon University in North Carolina. Michelle can be reached at [email protected] Michelle can be reached at [email protected]

Retiring Cold Case Detective Solves 15th Case with IGG in 4 Years
July 01, 2022
In a very fitting end to a 45-year law enforcement career, Detective Jim Scharf of the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office and oft-partnered Parabon Nanolabs solved the 1990 sexual assault and murder of 17-year-old Michelle Koski with an extremely challenging DNA sample and a full year of genetic genealogy research. read more
NIJ: Forensic Science Strategic Research Plan through 2026
June 29, 2022
The first strategic priority is the longest, with a handful more objectives than its counterparts. While that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the most important, the implications on the forensic laboratory community—specifically—are vast. read more
Quinine in Street Drugs Decreases as Other Adulterants Rise
June 27, 2022
Scientists from the Center for Forensic Science Research & Education (CFSRE) identified the adulterant quinine in up to 57% of seized drug cases in the U.S., however, positivity varied greatly by state and rapidly declined in early 2022. read more
Viable DNA Extracted from Two Possible Tulsa Race Massacre Victims
June 24, 2022
Two sets of remains found last year at Oaklawn Cemetery have yielded enough DNA to possibly identify them by name and as victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre. read more
New Tool Can Link Digital Media to Origin Camera
June 22, 2022
In a project aimed at developing intelligent tools to fight child exploitation, scientists created a system to analyze the noise produced by individual cameras. This information can then be used to link a video or an image to a particular camera. read more
NY is Second State to Adopt Microstamping Technology for Firearms
June 20, 2022
More than 10 years after it was first proposed, New York has become the second state in the U.S. to enact a law requiring semiautomatic pistols manufactured and sold in the state to be equipped with microstamping technology. read more
Book Rec: We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys
June 20, 2022
Renowned forensic anthropologist Erin Kimmerle released a new book last week detailing her experiences as she led the investigation and dig at the now-infamous Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys. read more
aDNA from 1338 Used to Trace Origin of Black Death
June 17, 2022
In a new study, an international team of researchers analyzed ancient DNA (aDNA) from human remains as well as historical and archaeological data from cemeteries to piece together the timeline of havoc Yersinia pestis wreaked. read more
New York Bills Address Rape Kit Tracking, DNA Storage
June 15, 2022
A bill that establishes a tracking system in New York state for sexual assault kits has passed both the senate and assembly, and is expected to be signed into law by the governor shortly. read more
Cold Case Detectives Seek Public Help After Y-STR Match
June 13, 2022
After a Y-STR match, detectives are seeking information from the public—especially anyone who may have spoken to 16 specific people they believe have direct or indirect information about the murder. read more
NIJ Report: Best Practices in DNA Lab Staffing
June 08, 2022
Backlogs and intense demands for precision and timeliness can put undue pressure on DNA personnel. read more
Bill Proposes Making Troubled D.C. Lab an Independent Agency
June 06, 2022
One year after ANAB revoked the lab’s accreditation, there is finally movement on the future of the once-heralded lab. read more
Genealogy IDs Teen Murdered in 1974, Could be ‘Killer Cop’ Victim
June 03, 2022
Othram and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office have identified a 1974 teen homicide victim that investigators think could have been murdered by serial killer Gerard John Schaefer, also known as the “Killer Cop.” read more
NIJ Report: Best Practices in DNA Lab Operations
June 01, 2022
Even as automated and new techniques have shortened the processing time for DNA samples from months to days, laboratories are struggling to keep pace with the vastly increased demand. read more
Police Release Name, Image of 10-Year-Old Arrested for School Shooting Threat
May 31, 2022
In an unusual move, law enforcement in Florida released the name and image of a 10-year-old boy who was arrested over the weekend and charged with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting. read more
Pompeii Bone Analysis Yields Insights for Forensic Proteomics
May 27, 2022
Working with the remains of victims of Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italian researchers have conducted the first proteomic analyses of bones exposed to eruptive conditions. read more
Drones, Live Streaming Up the Ante on Search and Rescue Missions
May 25, 2022
In two separate studies, research teams from Australia and Canada recently debuted their upgraded search and rescue technologies specifically focused on tracking through the wilderness and other dense forest environments. read more
DA’s New Assistance Dog Helps Win Child Rape Conviction
May 23, 2022
A new assistance dog at Bristol County District Attorney's Office helped a 10-year-old girl testify against her 44-year-old abuser, ultimately leading to his conviction for aggravated rape of a child. read more
Researchers Working on Opioid Overdose Patch
May 18, 2022
Thanks to a nearly $4 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Feng Guo is developing a wearable device that can not only detect an opioid overdose in real-time, but also treat/reverse it. read more
The Power of DNA Databases to Solve Rapes, Missing Persons
May 16, 2022
The 2022 DNA Hit of the Year program is looking at how Latin America is leveraging their incredibly successful DNA database programs to solve serial sexual assaults, missing persons cases and more. read more