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]

Canadian Bill Seeks DNA Collection in Non-violent Convictions
March 01, 2023
The bill has gained the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, who say its implementation could have spared a wrongful conviction and brought justice sooner in the cold case murder of a 9-year-old girl. read more
With ‘Lady in the Fridge’ Identification, Police Ask Public for Missing Pieces
February 27, 2023
The badly decomposed body of a woman known as the " lady in the fridge" has been identified 27 years after she was murdered. Now, investigators are appealing to the public to fill in the “pieces” of her life. read more
Stopping the Shortage ‘Cycle’: Ways to Fortify the Forensic Pathology Workforce
February 22, 2023
The United States has about 750 full-time, board-certified forensic pathologists. But, experts say that number needs to be at least 1,500—if not more—to deal with the rising caseloads across every state. read more
AI, Remote Sensing Tackle Illicit Opium Production in Afghanistan
February 15, 2023
Did you know Afghanistan is the source of more than 80% of the world’s opium? Academics will use artificial intelligence to interpret data from satellites to track where poppy crops are grown in Afghanistan. read more
Genetic Genealogy Finds 30 Relatives of Jane Doe, But Not Her Name
February 13, 2023
Investigators have released a new facial approximation of a Jane Doe whose body was found in 1993. At least 30 relatives of Jane Doe have been identified and contacted, but her identity still remains a mystery. read more
AI Software Can Create Suspect Sketches
February 08, 2023
During a recent AI hackathon, two computer science experts from Portugal created a platform they hope will help speed the forensic sketch process. read more
DNA Ties Serial Rapist to 3 Attacks, Possibly More
February 06, 2023
Genetic genealogy has helped identify a serial rapist who was committing crimes for at least 40 years of his life, varying his location and even changing his MO as he got older and became plagued with medical issues. read more
Blowfly Database Will Enable More Accurate Estimations
February 01, 2023
Blowflies are often the first to arrive to the scene of a crime, lured by body fluids and gasses emitted from a corpse within 10 minutes of a murder occurring. read more
Opioid 20x More Potent than Fentanyl Detected in Pennsylvania, Florida
January 30, 2023
A new nitazene analog that is up to 20x more potent than fentanyl has quickly made its way from Pennsylvania to Florida. read more
3 Years after Suspect’s Suicide, Fingerprint and Tips Link Him to 1994 Murder
January 23, 2023
One day after police tried to interview school bus driver Jeremiah Guyette about a murder that took place in 1994 in the town he briefly lived in, Guyette fatally shot himself. read more
Supreme Court Sides with Death Row Inmate, DA in Light of Faulty DNA Evidence
January 18, 2023
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with a Texas death row inmate who is trying to overturn his conviction due to possibly faulty DNA evidence. In a rare situation, the inmate received the support of the prosecuting district attorney. read more
The Controversial Ethics of Ancient DNA Research
January 13, 2023
A group of 21 Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars has published a commentary (Kowal et al.) suggesting that Alpaslan-Roodenberg et al. do not sufficiently consider the interests of Indigenous communities. read more
9,000 mph Ballistics Tests Will Help Inform Hypersonic Weaponry
January 11, 2023
Vaporization? Exotic ice? Light creation? These are all possible results when Bryan Schmidt fires an 18-millimeter-diameter projectile against a wall of water at 9,000 miles per hour this summer. read more
DNA, Genealogical Testing Played Key Role in Kohberger Arrest
January 06, 2023
Genetic genealogy in the traditional sense—which involves the searching of publicly available databases and the construction of a family tree—was not used, although parentage testing did play a vital role. read more
Will the University of Idaho Murders be a Turning Point for Genetic Genealogy?
January 04, 2023
When Idaho police could not—presumably—match the DNA retrieved from the crime scene to anyone in CODIS, did they immediately turn to IGG? read more
Forensic’s Top 10 News Articles of 2022
December 28, 2022
As we prepare to move into a new year, let’s take a look back at Forensic’s most popular news of the year, while reflecting on how far forensic science has come in the last 12 months. read more
JonBenet Ramsey Detective Disciplined for Failing to Investigate Cases
December 14, 2022
A former lead detective on the JonBenét Ramsey murder case—and the person who interviewed JonBenét’s parents four months after the murder—has been disciplined for failing to investigate cases. However, not all parties involved agree the reprimand doled out fits the seriousness of the misconduct. read more
2022 Holiday Gift Guide for Forensic Professionals
December 12, 2022
If you have a forensic scientist, science-lover or even budding scientist on your list this year, check out the top 10 gifts on this year’s Forensic Holiday Gift Guide. read more
'Boy in the Box' is Identified as Joseph Augustus Zarelli
December 08, 2022
After 65 years, "America's Unknown Child" has been identified as Joseph Augustus Zarelli. Colleen Fitzpatrick and Identifinders International helped give Joseph back his name. read more
Drugs of Abuse Update: A Safer Opioid and 3 New Biomarkers
December 05, 2022
Recent research by scientists at the University of Southern California and the National University of Singapore seeks to address at least some of today’s challenges in forensic toxicology. read more