LIVONIA, MICH. – Like many people, 2017 Madonna forensic science alumna Valerie Mayra developed a fascination with forensic science from TV shows like Forensic Files. Raised by her state trooper father, her interest in law enforcement and criminal justice began at an early age. But, it was Jessica Zarate’s Impression and Trace Evidence class at Madonna that piqued Mayra’s interest in the Latent Print discipline.
Mayra will be honored with the FBI’s prestigious Latent Hit of the Year award at the Bureau’s annual policy board meeting in December. The award recognizes an outstanding latent print examiner who solved a major violent crime.
As a latent print analyst at the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Mayra’s defining moment came when she played a role in solving a gruesome and challenging case – the murder of Susie Zhao.
Identifying Zhao’s fingerprints proved difficult due to extensive burns on her body. Unable to use traditional ink and paper methods, Mayra took digital photos to capture post-mortem finger impressions. Details found in the right thumb were checked against the FBI’s Next Generation Identification system and were a match for Zhao.
Mayra’s dedication led to the conviction of Zhao’s killer, Jeffrey Morris. Mayra was happy to have brought justice to Zhao and her family.
Valerie believes that successful latent print examiners possess qualities like patience, strong visual acuity, exceptional attention to detail, analytical thinking, and a high level of integrity. She gives sound advice to prospective forensic scientists and latent print examiners: stay vigilant, work hard, and go the extra mile. The competitive field of forensic science rewards dedication.
Her advice to prospective forensic scientists and latent print examiners: stay vigilant, work hard, and go the extra mile.
