Wonderful Overview of Cases and Introduction to Concepts

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	• Mortal Evidence: The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases Cyril H. Wecht, Greg Saitz, ... Prometheus Books, 2007 - 324 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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A Must For Lovers of CSI

I just love CSI and I think forensics are absolutely fascinating. This book has an amazing attention to detail. It's a book that really gets you thinking. Wecht truly reveals some gripping discoveries in these cases. A worthwhile read.

Revisiting high interest cases.

Sometimes we read in great depth the details surrounding high interest crime cases and they become overwhelming because of so many opinions, both in reporting and in conjecture. It takes a book such as The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases to put each of these cases in proper perspective. I actually finished the book in one evening. Couldn't put it down!

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What Seemed Obvious Was Completely Wrong

Cyril Wecht MD, JD has performed more than 14,000 autopsies and overviewed another 35,000 examinations in his more than 40 years of experience. Wecht studied the autopsy records of JFK and concluded that the single-bullet theory just couldn't be true (p.13). The forensic evidence says that Sirhan was not the killer of Sen. Robert Kennedy. Wecht was involved in eight of the nine cases in this book, except Jon-Benet Ramsey (p.15). Wecht is a commentator for CNN and other television networks. Some of these cases are well-known.

Chapter 1 tells about the "Teenage Baby Killers" who faced a first-degree murder charge. These cases happen more often than people imagine. Post partum depression is a legal defense in many countries (p.22). Wecht explains why the infant was stillborn (pp. 35-36). Chapter 2 considers the unsolved murder of Jon-Benet Ramsey based on his review of the medical facts. A supermarket tabloid sent him pictures of the body (p.47). Page 71 has the comments from the profilers. Wecht's conclusions are on page 80. Chapter 3 tells of sex, drugs, and money in Las Vegas. [Was this used for a story by the TV drama "CSI"?] Pulmonary edema is common for a drug overdose death. The interaction from multiple drugs can result in a fatal dose (p.112). [Were Murphy and Tabish convicted by their life-style?]

Chapter 4 deals with the famous prosecution of Dr. Sam Sheppard for the murder of his wife Marilyn. Their son published a book in 1995, and tried to get his deceased father proven innocent (p.122). This crime scene was not secured (p.124); the coroner assumed Dr. Sam did it. The pervasive and unfair publicity told of his guilt before the trial. F. Lee Bailey gained national fame in 1964 when he got Dr. Sheppard a new trial. Chapter 5 has the story about the killing of members of a religious sect in 1982 Miracle Valley Arizona. Forensic evidence can determine what happened, and exclude other claims. The events leading to the killing are on pages 160-161. Were Cochise County officials trying to run off the members of the Christ Miracle Church (pp. 165-166)? The lesson learned here could have prevented the Waco Texas massacre of 1993 (p.154). Chapter 6 wonders if Tammy Wynette died of natural causes or as a result of her pain-killers. An immediate autopsy could have provided an answer (p.194).

Chapter 7 discusses the Trials of OJ. Wecht believes the verdicts of both trials were right (p.197)! Was this a "great trash novel come to life" (p.199)? Was the continuing coverage just a way to fill up cable broadcasting? Wecht was a friend and colleague of the defense lawyers and expert witnesses. [Was this case famous because so many knew the answers but not the facts?] The timeline for the murders is on pages 222-223. Note that the limo driver did not see or hear any car arrive between 10:22 and 11pm. F. Lee Bailey's cross examination was "most brilliant and devastating" (p.235). Dr. Cyril Wecht now believes the police fabricated the evidence against O. J. Simpson (p.237). [Could Wecht's involvement with TV show business have prevented him from realizing this earlier?] Chapter 8 tells of a Kansas City serial killer who preyed on drug-addicted drifters. None of his victim's bodies were ever found, except for a couple of skulls, the photographs, and Berdella's diary. An insurance company would be liable if these deaths were accidental (p.243)! They settled out of court (p.270). Chapter 9 tells about Robert Curley's poisoning with thallium, which was overlooked in testing for heavy metals (p.272). Poisoning is one of the most difficult crimes to detect (p.277). The hair of the victim was analyzed as a timeline to the poisoning (p.279-280). Who benefited from his death? His wife, who alone had the access during the time he was poisoned (p.285). She wanted the insurance money (p.290).

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Wonderful Overview of Cases and Introduction to Concepts

Dr. Wecht has spent years in various positions within the criminal justice system. During his time he has worked on such celebrated cases as the Chappaquiddick case, which involved Send. Edward Kennedy and more recently on the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

The book follows the investigation and details of the forensics used in nine cases, some of which are new and others which have faded a bit into history. He discusses the obvious cases that seemingly every forensic expert has an opinion on, namely JonBenet Ramsey and O.J. Simpson. But he also goes back farther into time and brings to light things about the Sam Sheppard case. His case was the inspiration for The Fugitive TV show and movie. Dr. Wecht also was asked to look into the death of Tammy Wynette, one of country music's favorite stars and this case gets a treatment as well.

Throughout every case, Dr. Wecht not only gives us some details about the forensics involved, but he also stops and takes the time explain what some of the medical terms used actually mean, in layman's terms. What this gives us is a Cliff's Notes type of medical dictionary that we can take with us as we read more cases, so that we increase our understanding of the terms used in autopsy reports and other medical evaluations.

His reports are clear and concise, with no wasted words. This is not to say he does not fully the cover the material, he just does not drone on about things that do not pertain to the case. I also like his style of writing. he uses a host of medical terms, but never does it seem that he is trying to overwhelm or prove his intelligence. He is, I believe, trying to give us the jargon used in his line of work so that some of the mystery is removed from the legal documents when read in the future.

To me, this book serves two purposes. It offers a glimpse inside some of the most interesting investigations in the past 30 years. But it also serves as a mini-dictionary of forensic terms, so that you can take the knowledge with you into more reading and investigation. I highly recommend this book and look foward to hearing more from Dr. Wecht.

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reviews: page 1, 2

A lifeless newborn baby is found discarded in a motel dumpster. Authorities quickly arrest the infant's teenage parents, charging them with murder. Did Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson, in fact, murder their own baby? When Tammy Wynette died suddenly at a relatively young age, why was no autopsy performed? Was someone trying to hide the real cause of death? Did Sam Sheppard (who later served as the basis for the television series "The Fugutive") really kill his wife? And if not, who committed the murder?

Things are not always as they appear, as world-renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht shows in this riveting behind-the-scenes look at nine famous cases. Drawing on police reports, depositions, trial testimony, and autopsy reports--as well as his four decades of experience--in MORTAL EVIDENCE Dr. Wecht, with the assistance of coauthors Greg Saitz and Mark Curriden, raises important issues and offers fresh perspectives on each case. In the nationally known baby case involving Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson, Dr. Wecht reviews the evidence and comes to a startling conclusion. In fascinating detail, he demonstrates how the tools of forensic pathology often uncover murky, long-hidden secrets that track seemingly unsolvable crimes.

Writing in the first-person, Dr. Wecht leads readers into the heart of the investigation, focusing each chapter on a single engrossing drama. He reveals the most startling evidence that shows why, in his professional judgment, JonBenet Ramsey's killer most likely came from within her home. Dr. Wecht also offers insight into the O.J. Simpson trial and the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, and shocking revelations about Robert Berdella's conviction for grisly torture and sex-abuse crimes against young men. Other cases covered include the drug-related death of casino magnate Ted Binion; the 1982 showdown between religious sect members and police in Miracle Valley, Arizona; and Robert Curley's death by long-term, methodical thallium poisoning.

Whether you find the fictional plots of such dramas as "C.S.I." and crime scene documentaries exciting or you are just fascinated by true crime investigation, you'll be amazed by the true stories Dr. Wecht has to tell in this amazing real-life thriller. As this intriguing page-turner proves, the science of forensic pathology has changed the face of detective work forever.

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