In this episode, I talk with Forensic Pathologist Dr. Thomas Gilson of Cuyahoga County Ohio. We discuss the debate of Coroner v. Medical Examiner systems and what his thoughts and opinions are of the current status of death investigation in the United States. We also talk about the need for quality training for Medicolegal Death…

I this episode I have a conversation with Dr. Suzan Entwistle, DO, C-MDI about how she has combined her education and experience as a trauma surgeon and death investigation to help families get answers about how their loved one died. Many times families are left with more questions than answers and the “system” in many…

Looking to add an authentic edge to your crime fiction? Ride along with a real-life sergeant to give your story the accuracy your readers crave. Looking to add an authentic edge to your crime fiction? Ride along with me, a real-life sergeant to give your story the accuracy your readers crave.  My name is Patrick…

The term “burnout” is a relatively new term, first coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger, in his book, Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement. He originally defined burnout as, “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.” Burnout is a reaction to…

Mindset Shift for the Next Generation of Law Enforcement Leaders Tactical Reload offers a road map for police and MDI professionals eager to succeed as America transitions from unrest to a new age of social enlightenment. Through honest personal stories and interviews with top police chiefs and thought leaders, Wilson thoroughly explores the present crisis…

Amanda Beasler was a hard-working emergency management professional employed by the state of Wisconsin. Her dream was to be a Medicolegal Death Investigator and like many others could not get her foot in the door.  Although there is a loose connection between her “day job” and her dream job, she was not a boots on…

Due to the very nature of sudden and/or violent deaths, many things can and do go wrong in the first few hours after discovery.  Death scenes have a way of bringing together many individuals with various responsibilities and experience.  This unique group can consist of uniformed officers, detectives, crime scene investigators, forensic experts, coroner investigators,…

Postmortem fingerprint collection is a routine part of many forensic death investigations. Although the production of postmortem prints is usually straight forward, several obstacles and scenarios can make the collection difficult. A common challenge occurs when finger pads are mummified. Several current techniques allow for softening and rehydration of mummified finger pads; however, despite the…

On December 29, 1999, high school friends Lauria Jaylene Bible and Ashley Renae Freeman spent the evening together celebrating Freeman’s sixteenth birthday. Bible received permission from her parents to spend the night at Freeman’s home. Earlier that day, the girls had spent time at a local pizza restaurant with Kathy Freeman. At approximately 5:30 am on December 30, 1999, a passerby…

The term every scene every time is certainly not new and is not unique to me. This term is credited to Steven C. Clark, Ph.D. of Occupational Research and Assessment, Inc. The term was first used in a 1999 NIJ research study setting out guidelines for death scene investigation and has since been updated to…