True Crime Stories
True Crime Stories and Public Health Laboratory CareersBy Nancy MaddoxWhen Ginger Baker was 15 years old, she came across a book of true crime stories written about a forensic toxicologist named Dr. Michael Peat. “Through his work, he was able to solve a case in which a husband murdered his wife,” said Baker. “His work inspired me to think about what I wanted to do in the future.” From then on, Baker was interested in laboratory science, going on to earn two degrees in biology. Today, she says her job at the New Mexico Department of Health Scientific Laboratory Division (NMDOH SLD) is a perfect fit: “It’s never boring. It’s never boring. It’s the opposite of boring.” Baker said, “My daughter once asked me, ‘Why are you always so frustrated at work?’ I said, ‘I’m not frustrated; I’m trying to solve a puzzle.’ “It was always important to me to serve the public, and I love laboratory work. I am happy and grateful. I’m doing something I find interesting and valuable. I don’t have that feeling of why am I doing this? I’ve never had that. To not have that feeling, to me, is the greatest thing.”
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