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]

Police Warn of Heroin Cut with Research-only Cannabinoid
March 02, 2020
Police in Massachusetts have issued a warning about heroin cut with a synthetic cannabinoid—intended only for research purposes—that may not respond to Narcan. read more
Mass Senator Proposes Bill to Expand Familial DNA Searching
February 26, 2020
The Massachusetts Judiciary Committee took up a bill proposed by a state senator that would explicitly allow law enforcement to use familial DNA searching in the investigation of violent cold cases. read more
Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team Nominated for 2020 Nobel Peace Prize
February 25, 2020
The non-profit, world-renowned Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) has been nominated for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its commitment to the applied sciences and victim justice. read more
New Podcast Seeks to Dispel Forensic Pathology Myths
February 24, 2020
Doing its part to fight against the CSI Effect, “Detroit’s Daily Docket” is a weekly podcast dedicated to educating the lay public and armchair detectives about forensic pathology. read more
Half of Americans Okay With DNA Testing Companies Sharing their Data
February 21, 2020
The market for at-home DNA testing services has skyrocketed in the past 5 years. At first, privacy concerns were largely swept under the rug but mainstream crime cases, like the apprehension of the Golden State Killer, have brought the issue to light. read more
Illinois State Police Launch Interactive Forensic Stats Dashboard
February 19, 2020
The dashboard shows the number of assignments completed by each department, the average turnaround time and the current case backlog. read more
DNA Doe Project IDs 2004 Jane Doe in 48 Hours
February 18, 2020
Fifteen years later, DNA Doe Project produced a lead on the woman within 48 hours and has now positively identified the remains as Ginger Lynn Bibb. read more
Med Student Kickstarts School’s Human Trafficking Curriculum
February 14, 2020
Thanks to a medical student, the Mayo Clinic and other medical schools are beginning to integrate the topic of human trafficking into their curriculum. read more
2021 Federal Budget Proposal Focuses on Violent Crime
February 13, 2020
The 2021 budget focuses on violent crime and mass violence, the opioid crisis, cybersecurity, and state, local and tribal assistance. read more
Two States Endorse Bills for Mental Care for First Responders
February 12, 2020
Spurred by the health of their constituents, representatives from Nebraska and New Mexico are shining light on the mental health risks of first responders, specifically firefighters and police officers. read more
Fingerprint Test Can Tell if a Person Used Cocaine or Simply Touched it
February 10, 2020
Forensic researchers have debuted a new fingerprint test using high-resolution mass spectrometry that is sensitive enough to tell if an individual has ingested cocaine or merely handled it. read more
Incorrect Dispatch Information Linked to Deadly Force
February 07, 2020
For the first time, an experiment has helped quantify and demonstrate the importance of accurate dispatch information and the vital role it plays in the safety of police and citizens. read more
Q&A: Cellebrite CEO on the Future of Mobile Forensics
February 05, 2020
Recently, Forensic spoke to Yossi Carmil, Co-CEO of Cellebrite, about what its recent acquisition means, what it offers for consumers in law enforcement and the future of mobile forensics. read more
Newborn Blood Card Played a Role in 2007 Cold Case, Additional 4 Infant Homicides
February 04, 2020
While the coroner’s records are sealed and few details are public, Lieutenant Matthew Davis of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Forensic that “newborn bloodspots did play a role in the case.” read more
Q&A: NIST Computer Scientist Details Phone Data Extraction Methods
February 03, 2020
Forensic recently spoke to NIST computer scientist Rick Ayers about data extraction methods and the growing field of mobile forensics. read more
Florida Training Program Seeks to ID Potential Mass Shooters
January 30, 2020
After several mass shootings in the state in the past few years, Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday the implementation of a training program to spot potential mass shooters. read more
Report: FBI Investigating D.C. Forensic Firearms Lab
January 29, 2020
The Washington Post is reporting that the FBI is investigating a firearms analyst at the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. read more
Police Presence at Train Stations Reduces Crime by 21 Percent
January 28, 2020
An experiment in London’s Underground has found crime declines in areas where police patrolling was recently seen, meaning potential offenders become apprehensive about police presence and adjust their crime behavior pattern accordingly. read more
Fingerprint Residues Can Reveal Their Age
January 27, 2020
A new proof-of-concept study that uses a highly sensitive mass spectrometry method to date fingerprints has its authors thinking they can test the promising methods in real criminal cases within the next few years. read more
Life-sized ‘Nutshell’ Forensic Course Gets an A+
January 24, 2020
The one-of-a-kind course saw 12 criminal justice students work through the Nutshells during the week, before culminating in an interactive recreation of one of the Nutshells by the UW-Parkside theater department. read more