Michael Byrnes, the father of Patrick Byrnes ’19,  recently served as a guest speaker for Holy Ghost Prep’s forensics science students.  Special agent Byrnes is a graduate of Villanova University with a B.S. in chemistry, and a graduate of University of Florida with a M.S. in forensic toxicology.

Byrnes talked to the forensics science class about his studies, his career path, and some of his fascinating experiences in the FBI.

After graduating from Villanova, he began his career as a chemist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Pennsylvania.  Byrnes continued his work in chemistry at a biotech company in the Philadelphia where he participated in a number of research projects during his tenure and has been published in a number of domestic and international scientific journals, as well as methodology textbooks.

In 1996, Mr. Byrnes began his career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During his almost 22 years with the FBI, he has served in the Boston, New York, and Philadelphia field offices.  He has worked white collar economic crimes, organized crime and has been involved with the FBI’s Evidence Response Team (crime scene team) for his entire career.  

For almost nine years, Special agent Byrnes was in charge of running the FBI New York City Evidence Response Team. His work investigating and processing crime scenes has repeatedly taken him to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Some of the more high-profile investigations he’s worked on include the 9-11 attacks, the Boston Marathon bombing, New York Times Square bombing attempt, Benghazi (Libya) attack on Ambassador Christopher Stevens, and the Westgate Mall terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya.