On Dec. 2, Kansas Bureau of Investigation Forensics Specialist Holly Latham spoke to students about her occupation during PRIDE Time.

Latham lives in Great Bend and has been employed as a Forensic Scientist since 1999. She has been with the KBI for 20 years.

Latham has received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology from Kansas State University and a Master’s Degree in Justice Studies from Fort Hays State University.

“I talked about how I do latent prints and blood stain pattern analysis, but I am also on the crime scene team,” Latham said. “So, I do go out to crime scenes pretty much all over the state of Kansas.”

Latham also talked about how she assists local law enforcement with crimes that occurs.

“We assist local law enforcement, whether it is Police Department or Sheriff’s Office,” Latham said. “If they have a crime that occurs, and they don’t feel comfortable working it, or they have a conflict of interest, we will get called in to assist them.”

They will also come in and help with officer-involved shootings, homicides and other major crimes.

“My day is never the same,” Latham said. “I usually go to work at eight, and I go home at five. That’s about maybe 50 to 75 percent of the time. The other part of the time I’m either out working crime scenes, out at crime scenes, I teach, I speak like here, we go to court and testify, I train other scientists, so I really don’t have typical day. I might wake up thinking that I’m going to work that day and expect to work a normal desk job that day. The phone might ring, and within five minutes, I’m putting on my crime scene gear, and I’m heading out the door for some remote part of Kansas.”

20maustin@usd489.com