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]

Meta Rejects DNA Doe Project’s Ad for Transgender Doe
October 09, 2024
Identifying Does is hard enough. The DNA Doe Project certainly doesn’t need pushback from the world’s largest social media corporation. Yet, that’s exactly the situation the non-profit has found themselves in this week. read more
Reexamination Points to Convicted Murderer in 1980 Cold Case
October 07, 2024
Once reopened, a reexamination of all physical evidence—including audio of a jailhouse informant interview and Tracy’s rape kit—pointed toward one person: convicted murderer Charles Strain. read more
DNA Recovered 30 Years Later Implicates Suspect in Morgan Nick’s Abduction
October 02, 2024
A hair recovered from Billy Lincks’ truck 29 years after he allegedly abducted 6-year-old Morgan Nick has been confirmed to belong to the young girl through testing. read more
IGG Helps Exonerate Brothers of 1987 Murder
September 30, 2024
Even though the DNA evidence did not match the Bintz brothers, a judge sentenced them to life in prison. read more
DNA Matches Fingernail Scrapings Taken from 1988 Murder Victim
September 23, 2024
A DNA sample from saliva collected off the ground outside a suspect’s home has matched the profile found underneath the fingernails of a young mother brutally murdered 36 years ago. read more
MS Method Can Analyze Overlapping, Weak Fingerprints
September 18, 2024
A two-decade old mass spectrometry method has breathed new life into forensic fingerprinting, seemingly solving a common problem—analysis of overlapping fingerprints. read more
A New Kind of Database for National Cold Case Month
September 16, 2024
September 1, 2024 marked the start of the inaugural National Cold Case Month in the forensic community, with some well-known organizations joining the call to action. read more
Use of pFF Fentanyl Analogue has Increased Drastically Since 2016
April 29, 2024
Drug experts believe pFF is added to fentanyl to increase total drug volume for distribution, to dilute the drug being cut and to enhance the pharmacological effect. read more
Case Update: Trial Court Says Melissa Lucio’s Conviction, Death Sentence Should be Overturned
April 22, 2024
Almost two years after she was scheduled to be executed, a Texas trial court has recommended that Melissa Lucio’s conviction and death sentence be overturned. read more
First ‘Cybercrime Index’ Ranks Countries by Threat Level
April 15, 2024
Following three years of research, an international team of researchers have compiled the first ever “World Cybercrime Index,” which identifies the globe’s key cybercrime hotspots by ranking the most significant sources of cybercrime at a national level. read more
Experts Urge FDA to Rescind Approval of DNA-based Opioid Addiction Test
April 10, 2024
A group of scientists and experts are calling on the FDA to rescind their approval of a controversial DNA test that claims to predict genetic risk of opioid addiction. read more
Can DNA Be Collected from AC Units at Crime Scenes?
April 08, 2024
Researchers are using a new technique to potentially pick up and record airborne forensic DNA evidence from crime scenes wiped clean of fingerprints and other trace evidence. read more
Australia’s Wastewater Shows 75% Increase in Pentylone Use
April 01, 2024
Wastewater monitoring has revealed a 75% increase in detections of the synthetic stimulant pentylone across Australia, according to researchers at the University of South Australia. read more
Suspect Arrested After DNA from Cigarette Butt Matches 2012 Crime Scene Evidence
March 27, 2024
A senseless argument that led to the murder of a 34-year-old man in a Pennsylvania diner parking lot has now been solved thanks to facial recognition technology and DNA left on a Styrofoam cup at the crime scene 12 years earlier. read more
Cold Case Unit Relaunches After 2-Year Hiatus
March 25, 2024
After being disbanded two years ago, the Portland Police Bureau has announced the reinstatement of the Cold Case Unit thanks to a grant awarded through the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). read more
13 Tribal Nations to Accelerate Hemp Development
March 18, 2024
Oregon State University has been given a $10 million grant to work with 13 Native American Tribes to spur economic development in the western U.S. by developing manufacturing capabilities for materials and products made from hemp. read more
‘Bootcamp’ Brings Multidisciplinary Approach to Tackling Substance Use Disorder
March 13, 2024
Researchers at MIT have taken a different approach to the drug crisis. A new hybrid program recently convened 34 innovators to build and pitch new ventures with the goal of bringing life-saving innovations to the field. read more
Astroforensics: Analyzing Bloodstain Patterns in Space
March 11, 2024
If there is ever going to be a permanent or even semi-permanent base in outer space, society needs to be prepared for the inevitable: humans committing crimes. read more
First Ancient DNA Study of Arabians Reveals Malaria Adaptation
March 11, 2024
Researchers extracted DNA from 25 people but—due to the age and hot climate—only samples from four individuals were suitable for sequencing. read more
35% of Drugs Bought on Dark Web are Not as Advertised
March 08, 2024
Scientists recently tested illicit drugs purchased online and were not surprised to find about 35% were not what they said they were, increasing the risk of unwanted side effects, potential overdose and death. read more