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]

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
Alabama Invests Opioid Crisis Settlement Money into Hard-hit Forensic Labs
October 22, 2021
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall knew exactly what to do with the millions of dollars the state will see from its opioid-related settlement—invest it in the forensic labs and scientists who have been on the frontlines of this crisis from the very beginning. read more
Private Lab to Analyze DNA Evidence from Atlanta Child Murders
October 20, 2021
Investigators from the Atlanta Police Department traveled to a private lab in Salt Lake City to physically hand over DNA evidence associated with a terrifying 2-year murder spree that resulted in the death of at least 28 people, most of them children. read more
NCMEC: Proposed Changes to Sexual Assault Laws Put Children at Risk
October 13, 2021
In letters written from child- and victim-organizations, executives and members express concerns with proposed changes to who is required to register as a sex offender and who has access to that information, as well as weakened sex trafficking and reduced maximum sentences for offenders. read more
New App Empowers Abuse Victims to Capture their Own Evidence
October 11, 2021
A UK forensic science expert and entrepreneur has launched a ground-breaking app that quietly captures legally admissible forensic evidence of abuse to support police investigations. read more
Studies Assess Impact of Budget Cuts, COVID-19 on Missing Persons Reports
October 06, 2021
Researchers have recently published two independent studies assessing the impact of police budget cuts on missing person investigations, as well as the impact of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on missing person reports in the UK. read more
Museum Exhibit Shines Light on 20 Cold Case Homicide Victims
October 04, 2021
Facial reconstructions of three bodies exhumed last year by forensic anthropologists in Florida will be featured—along with 17 other John and Jane Does—in a month-long museum exhibit called “The Art of Forensics.” read more
Can Ancient DNA Methods Be Used to Improve Success Rate of Forensic ID?
October 01, 2021
At ISHI 32, Elena Zavala presented the results of her recent study comparing three common forensic extraction methods to one of the most widely used ancient DNA extraction methods. read more
Journal Editor Calls Out ‘Emotional’ Response to Controversial Study
September 29, 2021
Michael Peat, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Forensic Sciences, says he is disappointed by the “emotional” nature of letters submitted in response to a February 2021 study by Itiel Dror et al., that claims to show the potential for racial cognitive bias in the forensic pathology field. read more
Anthropologists Propose ‘Clearer’ Professional, Diversity Guidelines for AAFS
September 24, 2021
An update by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) to its vision and mission statement has spurred a broader conversation about language, inclusivity and room for growth. read more
Maryland Chooses Experts for Post-Floyd OCME Audit
September 22, 2021
After testifying in the murder trial of George Floyd, Maryland has assembled a team to review in-custody death determinations made by medical examiner David Fowler. read more
FBI to Run Multi-lab Study on Rapid DNA Enhancements
September 20, 2021
While states are still building the infrastructure needed to use these systems, the FBI and other stakeholders are already paving a path for Rapid DNA at the crime scene and for use in CODIS. read more