Including the Scott Peterson and Chandra Levy CasesA certifiable genius, Wecht has earned degrees both in medicine and the law, but his great passion...is the ever illusive commodity, justice.... [I]f it's an objective opinion you desire, predicated on facts gleaned from forensic science, then Dr. Cyril Wecht is your man. If it's the truth you want in a murder case, he'll give you his conclusions without regard to politics or profit, in fact he often works pro bono. If I'm ever unjustly accused, he's the first one I'm going to call.- IntellectualConservative.comYoung people drawn to the broad fields of criminal justice, medicine, or science will be fascinated by the forensic findings presented here. The thought-provoking cases span 40 years of renowned pathologist Wecht's career....[T]his chatty yet analytical book is written to appeal to laypersons, and it does. Its whodunit aspect is magnetic.- School Library JournalDr. Wecht's evalutions of the evidence in the Gander Airplane Crash, which claimed the lives of 248 American soldiers, and in the police custody death of Jonny Gammage, as well as in the deaths of Laci Peterson and Chandra Levy, raise very troubling questions about compromised investigations that the country's leading forensic pathologist-attorney-coroner uniquely addresses.- Michael Baden, M.D., Former Chief Medical Examiner, New York City and co-author with Linda Kenney of the thriller Remains SilentDr. Wecht is a world renowned pathologist. Reading this book is like being on one adventure after another. For those interested in true crime, you must read this book!- Dr. Henry C. Lee, Author of Cracking Cases and Cracking More Cases and professor of forensic science at the University of New HavenWas Scott Peterson convicted of murdering Laci Peterson based upon circumstantial evidence alone? Did Washington intern Chandra Levy know her killer?In Tales from the Morgue, Dr. Cyril Wecht, one of the most sought-after forensic pathologists in the world, shares his insights and scientific expertise on nine cases that he has officially investigated - high-profile cases as well as other lesser-known but highly intriguing mysteries. Dr. Wecht takes the reader inside some of the nation's most bizarre and intriguing medico-legal investigations and shows how forensic scientists help to solve crimes - and why they sometimes fail in their efforts. His vast experience and his willingness to take on the establishment if necessary and provide proof that runs counter to popular opinion make this book a page-turner.Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D., one of the world's leading pathologists, is the author of Mortal Evidence, Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?, Grave Secrets, Cause of Death, and hundreds of professional publications. He has served as president of both the American College of Legal Medicine and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and has appeared on numerous nationally syndicated television programs including NBC's Dateline, Larry King Live, 20/20, Burden of Proof, and many others.Mark Curriden is the senior communications counsel for Vinson & Elkins, LLP; the former legal writer for The Dallas Morning News and The Atlanta Constitution; and a co-author of Mortal Evidence.Angela Powell, former columnist and children's book reviewer for The Dallas Morning News, is now a freelance publicist.

Over the last 22 years in the New York Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Schmuter performed thousands of autopsies and testified in courts hundreds of times. Many of these cases present interest for a general reader, especially given the attention to this profession in the last decade in movies, TV shows and fiction books. The first chapter of this book is dedicated to the evolution of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner over the last 20 years, its transformation to one of the largest and best in the world. This tale is presented throughout the prism of the authors individual experiences and closely intertwined with her professional life. It lays the foundation for the following 25 chapters of challenging cases from the authors personal experience. Many of them include captivating stories of homicide investigation with court testimonies. The truth, however, is that the crime related deaths cover fewer than 15% of all cases performed by medical examiners. This book brings up and creates public awareness of many important issues beyond the traditional topic of homicides, among them drug intoxication death, child negligence and abuse, sudden death of young people, misdiagnosis, prophylactics of sudden infant death.

From a skeleton, a skull, a mere fragment of burnt thighbone, prominent forensic anthropologist Dr. William Maples can deduce the age, gender, and ethnicity of a murder victim, the manner in which the person was dispatched, and, ultimately, the identity of the killer. In Dead Men Do Tell Tales, Dr. Maples revisits his strangest, most interesting, and most horrific investigations, from the baffling cases of conquistador Francisco Pizarro and Vietnam MIAs to the mysterious deaths of President Zachary Taylor and the family of Czar Nicholas II.

A shocking and deeply reported account of the persistent plague of institutional racism and junk forensic science in our criminal justice system, and its devastating effect on innocent lives After two three-year-old girls were raped and murdered in rural Mississippi, law enforcement pursued and convicted two innocent men: Kennedy Brewer and Levon Brooks. Together they spent a combined thirty years in prison before finally being exonerated in 2008. Meanwhile, the real killer remained free. The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist recounts the story of how the criminal justice system allowed this to happen, and of how two men, Dr. Steven Hayne and Dr. Michael West, built successful careers on the back of that structure. For nearly two decades, Hayne, a medical examiner, performed the vast majority of Mississippi's autopsies, while his friend Dr. West, a local dentist, pitched himself as a forensic jack-of-all-trades. Together they became the go-to experts for prosecutors and helped put countless Mississippians in prison. But then some of those convictions began to fall apart. Here, Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington tell the haunting story of how the courts and Mississippi's death investigation system -- a relic of the Jim Crow era -- failed to deliver justice for its citizens. The authors argue that bad forensics, structural racism, and institutional failures are at fault, raising sobering questions about our ability and willingness to address these crucial issues.

A captivating blend of history, women in science, and true crime, 18 Tiny Deaths tells the story of how one woman changed the face of forensics forever. Frances Glessner Lee, born a socialite to a wealthy and influential Chicago family in the 1870s, was never meant to have a career, let alone one steeped in death and depravity. Yet she developed a fascination with the investigation of violent crimes, and made it her life's work. Best known for creating the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, a series of dollhouses that appear charming—until you notice the macabre little details: an overturned chair, or a blood-spattered comforter. And then, of course, there are the bodies—splayed out on the floor, draped over chairs—clothed in garments that Lee lovingly knit with sewing pins. 18 Tiny Deaths, by official biographer Bruce Goldfarb, delves into Lee's journey from grandmother without a college degree to leading the scientific investigation of unexpected death out of the dark confines of centuries-old techniques and into the light of the modern day. Lee developed a system that used the Nutshells dioramas to train law enforcement officers to investigate violent crimes, and her methods are still used today. The story of a woman whose ambition and accomplishments far exceeded the expectations of her time, 18 Tiny Deaths follows the transformation of a young, wealthy socialite into the mother of modern forensics... "Eye-opening biography of Frances Glessner Lee, who brought American medical forensics into the scientific age...genuinely compelling."—Kirkus Reviews "A captivating portrait of a feminist hero and forensic pioneer." —Booklist

Daniel M. Avery has been fascinated with the human body ever since he was young, so it was natural that he should grow up to become a successful doctor. As a funeral director, he had his first opportunity to learn about anatomy, disease processes, and trauma. He even witnessed the medical examiner performing autopsies in the morgue. Once he became a doctor, his adventures were more interestingalthough there are decisions he regrets. For instance, he would have never called the university to tow away an illegally parked recreation vehicle if he had known it belonged to the dean of the medical school. In spite of the seriousness of the medical profession, he enjoyed his share of light moments as well. When a female resident delivered a baby and got blood all over her, she asked if she could borrow a pair of underwear. We wear different sizes, and I only have one pair, Dr. Avery replied. All physicians have at one time or another wished they had written down the highlights of their careers. Dr. Avery does so with no regrets, examining the challenges, adventures, and funny moments that have defined his life as an Alabama doctor in Tales of a Country Obstetrician.

Principles of Forensic Pathology: From Investigation to Certification offers a conceptual framework and foundational approach to a forensic practice grounded by evidence-based and mechanistic thinking. This book uses a systematic approach to address, explain, and guide the reader through diverse topics relevant to forensic pathologists and medicolegal death investigators. Nineteen chapters provide a comprehensive overview of the field of forensic pathology and discusses central topics such as scene investigation, the pathophysiology of death, death certification, the forensic autopsy, forensic imaging, pediatric forensic pathology, the importance of context, and approaches to frequently encountered medicolegal death circumstances, with mental checklists and suggestions for a consistent and considered approach. Written by forensic professionals, this book is a practical, yet comprehensive compendium for practicing forensic pathologists, coroners, medicolegal death investigators, forensic pathology fellows, pathology residents, medical students interested in forensic pathology, lawyers, and law enforcement professionals. - Presents a primary text that is ideal for daily forensic practice - Discusses how to properly investigate and certify death in a consistent and defensible way - Emphasizes best practices in the field, providing an approach that is in line with today's forensic pathologist