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]

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
2022’s DNA Hit of the Year Program Reflects on Database Loopholes
May 13, 2022
“Sarah’s case could have been solved decades earlier if Washington state had stronger DNA policies in place. Why aren’t they in place? Shouldn’t the state do what they can to utilize the full potential of DNA to solve crime, prevent crime and exonerate the innocent?” read more
AI Uses Historical Examples to ID Possible Corrupt Cops
May 11, 2022
Researchers used insights from three known cases of police corruption to create a statistical model to identify possible crews of officers engaging in misconduct and criminal behavior. read more
New York Court Shuts Down Familial DNA Matching
May 09, 2022
Just a year and a half after Bronx investigators used familial DNA for the first time to arrest a man for the 1999 rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl, an appeals court halted the use of the technique. read more
Chicago Police Launch Video Series on Cold Case Homicides
May 06, 2022
Each episode will focus on a cold case killing, and will feature testimonials from the victim’s family members as well as a CPD detective who recounts the specifics of the case. read more
John Ramsey Slams Local Police, Wants Daughter’s Case Moved Out of Boulder
May 04, 2022
After criticizing the Boulder (Colorado) Police Department (BPD) of “pride” and “ego,” John Ramsey, father of JonBenet Ramsey, threw his support behind a petition that asks the governor of Colorado to take the case out of the hands of BPD. read more
ICYMI: Emergent Synthetic Stimulant Replacing Drug Sold as Ecstasy, Molly
May 02, 2022
N,N-Dimethylpentylone was first identified in toxicology samples in the U.S. in late-2021. To date, N,N-dimethylpentylone has been identified in 32 toxicology cases, including 26 postmortem. read more
Shifting Attention to the Nation’s Sexual Assault Epidemic
April 29, 2022
In recognition of the end of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, let’s take a look at some recent sexual assault news and investigations. read more
Study: Firearms Now Number 1 Cause of Death for Children
April 25, 2022
In the U.S., gun violence now kills more children under 19 than any other cause. According to the study data, gun-related deaths in children surpassed deaths caused by motor vehicle collisions beginning in 2019. read more
The Fifth Victim of the Happy Face Killer Finally Gets Her Name Back
April 20, 2022
On April 13, 2022—29 years after her murder— the DNA Doe Project (DDP) and cold case detectives at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department identified the once-unknown woman as Patricia Skiple. read more
Study: Muscled Bodies Do Not Bias Eyewitness Identification
April 18, 2022
There has been story after story of how DNA found on a murder weapon or at the scene of the crime proves the innocence of an incarcerated person. Those stories typically have a common thread: the guilty verdict hinged on an eyewitness account. read more