A crime scene investigator and blood pattern expert has lifted the lid on what the tough job is like – from seeing the “worst of humanity” to now keeping her home like a “fortress” in fear of intruders.
Amy Santoro has nearly two decades of experience under her belt, working in forensics and on crime scenes for some of the grisliest crimes.
The 39-year-old has worked on over 1,000 cases, some of which she says have stayed with her – to the point where she is highly safety conscious after all she has witnessed.
“My house is secured like a fortress and I tend to be hypervigilant,” Amy, from Kansas City, Missouri, told Need To Know.
“Throughout my career, I saw all the things that could go wrong.
“I saw how easily burglars could kick in a door and gain access to a house, so I have reinforced door jams and extra-long deadbolt locks.
“I saw how easily people could come into a house via a window, so all my windows are locked and I have security window tracks that prevent them from being opened.
“All the entry points to my house are alarmed, and I never leave a ground floor window open.
“I saw lots of burglary cases and peeping Tom situations where people could see straight through the house at night because the curtains were never drawn, so I always make sure to close my blinds at night when the lights are on inside.
“I wouldn’t say my work made me feel worried about my personal safety, but definitely aware.
“At the same time, I’ve seen so much death that I’m acutely aware that it’s inevitable.
“None of us get out alive.”
Amy, who now runs her own service called Santoro Forensic Consulting, focusing primarily on bloodstain pattern analysis and shooting reconstructions, got into the industry as a way to pair her two interests: science and crime novels.
She said: “It was around the time CSI first came out as a TV show and I was absolutely hooked.
“The best part of working in forensics is literally never doing the same thing twice.
“On any given day I could be traveling to visit a crime scene, teaching a bloodstain class, writing a report, or testifying in court.
“I never really know – each case is a unique new experience so each day is something new.”
Thanks to her line of work, Amy has been exposed to some horrifying scenes – and her friends and family are often shocked by what she deals with on a daily basis.
She said: “My dad still can’t quite handle when I talk about bodies that are badly injured or decomposing.
“I don’t think he ever thought his daughter who sang in the choir and didn’t like to get dirty would have a career that sometimes involved picking maggots off of dead bodies.
“I’ve been doing it for so long that it has become somewhat routine for me.”
A common question Amy faces is how she has faith in human kind, having seen all that she has.
She said: “I have absolutely seen the worst of humanity and I know first-hand that some people are just evil.
“I never cease to be amazed at how brutal humans can be to each other and themselves.
“Every time I think I’ve seen the worst of humanity, something worse happens.
“Most of it is stuff people wouldn’t want to think about, but I’ve gotten used to it at this point.
“But, more than that, I’ve seen how good people are.
“In every terrible situation, there are people who are willing to step up and help.
“I’ve really been able to see how communities come together and how families work to support each other.
“Overall, I think people are genuinely good.
“Unfortunately, that goodness can be exploited and victimized if someone wants to be a predator.”
Several of Amy’s cases have particularly stuck with her, including one involving a mass shooting in a car park.
She said: “For a while after that, I had a hard time leaving a building and going out to the parking lot.
“My heart would start to beat a little faster, and I was definitely scanning the area looking for people who seemed out of place.”
Another notable case was the shooting of a police officer in a petrol station.
Amy said: “I spent hours in the gas station that day looking for bullets and cartridge cases and collecting samples of blood.
“I vividly remember the smell of the racks of glazed donuts that were in the back waiting to go into the display case, and I remember the orangey red square floor tiles.
“When I go into one of those gas stations now, I see those floor tiles and smell those donuts and I flashback to that crime scene.
“Thankfully, I had a great support system and I’m able to deal with those emotions in a healthy way, but sometimes it can be a little jarring.
“I realise most people don’t have those experiences, and I just have an endless bank of awful mental pictures lingering in the corners of my brain.
“But at the same time, I remember lots of people who we helped, people who got some measure of closure because of the work I did, and I feel like that makes it worth it.
“I truly love what I do.”
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