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]

Expert Testimony Bill Passes Public Safety Committee Before Being Put on Suspense File
January 24, 2022
Senate Bill 467 seeks to expand this definition of false evidence by making the following inadmissible in a pre- and post-conviction. read more
23andMe Researchers ID Genetic Risk Factor for COVID-19 Loss of Smell
January 19, 2022
Researchers at 23andMe have utilized the expansive database of over 12 million individuals to identify a genetic risk factor associated with the loss of smell after a COVID-19 infection. read more
Ancient DNA Reveals the World’s Oldest Family Tree
January 12, 2022
Analyzing ancient DNA from a Neolithic tomb in Britain, an international team of geneticists and archeologists have mapped out the family tree of a group of 27 close biological relatives who lived around 3700 BC. read more
Non-profit Forensic Lab to Head Tulsa Race Massacre DNA Identification
January 10, 2022
In what feels like the epitome of a “perfect match,” the City of Tulsa has awarded a grant to Intermountain Forensics to help identify bodies thought to be associated with the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. read more
Could Genetic Genealogy Provide a Lead in JonBenet Ramsey Case?
January 05, 2022
A recent statement from the City of Boulder and the Boulder Police Department has people wondering if IGG can solve an even more well-known case that captivated the nation 25 years ago and still today—the murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey. read more
Forensic’s Top 10 News Articles of 2021
December 22, 2021
Before Forensic takes a holiday break before the new year, let’s take a look back at the top 10 most popular articles of 2021. read more
Researchers Close in on Pathognomonic Marker of SIDS
December 20, 2021
SIDS is unlike most other causes of death medical examiners identify. For one, there is still not a common set of diagnostic features that indicate SIDS. Even at autopsy, there are no pathognomonic markers of the fatal event. read more
Remains Found in 1982 are Those of Former O’Jays Guitarist
December 15, 2021
With the help of DNA Doe Project, unidentified remains discovered on Feb. 18, 1982, have now been identified as Frank “Frankie” Little, Jr., a guitarist who once played with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame R&B group the O’Jays. read more
NPS Alerts: New Synthetic Opioid and ‘Unusual’ Overdose Symptoms
December 13, 2021
The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE) has issued two public alerts this month regarding next-generation opioids. read more
DNA Links Newly ID’ed Suspect in 1979 Homicide to a Second Murder
December 08, 2021
Now, LVMPD has tied that same suspect to yet another cold case sexual assault and murder, this one four years later in 1983. read more
New Fingerprint Tech Leads to Suspect’s Arrest in 1983 Murder
December 03, 2021
In less than one year, the sole detective in the newly launched Delray Beach Police Department’s Cold Case Unit has solved the 1983 murder of Carla Lowe by utilizing fingerprint technology not available 38 years ago. read more
DOJ Awards $500,000 to Retest Evidence from Shuttered Austin Police Forensic Lab
December 01, 2021
The Department of Justice has awarded over $573,637 in grant funding to Travis County (Texas) to help the district investigate cases potentially affected by improper testing and other problematic behavior by the Austin Police Department’s forensic laboratory in 2016. read more
Forensic Lab Confirms First Case of Fentanyl-laced Marijuana in the U.S.
November 29, 2021
Scientists at the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed the first case of marijuana laced with fentanyl within the state, possibility within the entire United States. read more
Study Shows Roma DNA Used Inappropriately, Reveals Broader DNA Database Concerns
November 22, 2021
Building off five years of research, analysis of 100s of publications and examination of five databases, researchers at the University of Freiburg have recently authored an article in Nature detailing how Europe’s Roma people are vulnerable to poor practice in genetics. read more
Image Database Gives Research Unexpected Boost During COVID-19
November 19, 2021
Researchers then used the information to build the New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID), a first of its kind database that went public on Feb. 17, 2020. Not only was the database launch impressive, it had impeccable timing. read more
Researchers Train AI to Predict the Next Designer Drugs
November 17, 2021
Researchers have taken a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to the problem—they have successfully trained AI to predict new drugs before they hit the market. read more
Spectroscopy-based Fingerprint Method Works on Challenging Surfaces
November 15, 2021
Scientists say they have developed a spectroscopy-based technique that can retrieve high-resolution fingerprint images from surfaces where conventional fingerprint imaging typically fails. read more
Team Reveals Analysis of Remains Upended during Superstorm Sandy
October 29, 2021
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, residents were surprised to find skeletal remains in the roots of an upended 103-year-old tree. read more
DNA Doe Project Helps ID John Wayne Gacy Victim
October 27, 2021
One of the six remaining unnamed John Wayne Gacy victims has been identified 44 years after he was murdered with the assistance of genetic genealogy. read more
‘Aisha’s Law’ House Approval Moves Ohio Closer to Felony Strangulation
October 25, 2021
Ohio is one of only two states where strangulation is not a standalone felony. Lawmakers are trying to change that with “Aisha’s Law,” or House Bill 3. read more