Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns looks back at some of the most memorable moments from his decades as an expert witness, including courtroom exchanges like being asked "How do you walk?” and “Have you ever shot someone?” during cross-examination, along with a lengthy debate over whether an evidence envelope was yellow-tan, manila, or goldenrod. He also revisits two pro se murder trials: one involving a defendant who killed a man with a mountain bike and another involving a doomsday prepper who murdered his companion days before the world was supposed to end. As Dr. Crowns puts it, testifying is interesting for the science, the unusual questions attorneys ask, and, when a defendant chooses to represent themselves, “it’s always a circus.
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Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:30) Why forensic pathologists testify to the science, not for either side in a criminal case
(1:30) Unexpected courtroom questions, including “Doctor, how do you walk?” and “Have you ever been shot?”
(5:15) The courtroom debate over whether an evidence envelope was yellow-tan, manila, or goldenrod
(8:30) How forensic pathologists distinguish entrance wounds from exit wounds
(11:00) Sleeping jurors, double juries, and the surprise of discovering a courtroom translator
(14:15) How medical examiners confirm someone is dead before beginning an autopsy
(16:15) Self-represented defendants, Ted Bundy, and the challenges of pro se trials
(18:30) A doomsday prepper’s murder trial, “double tap” questions, and a courtroom manifesto

About the Host

Dr. Kendall Crowns is the chief medical examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often-misunderstood realities of forensic pathology.

About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.

Connect and Learn More
Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on LinkedIn and follow Mayhem in the Morgue on TikTok at @mayheminthemorgue. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and be sure to follow Mayhem in the Morgue wherever you get your podcasts.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns explains what happens after a body arrives in the morgue, including the external examination, internal dissection, toxicology testing, and final report. He also discusses the care taken to preserve evidence, minimize unnecessary incisions, and prepare the body for release to the funeral home. Dr. Crowns also shares some of the more surprising things he's encountered in the morgue, including hazardous body bags, hundreds of feet of intestines, and Herman, the crawfish who became a morgue mascot.

Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:30) Medical versus forensic autopsies and the specialized training required to perform them
(2:00) What can arrive inside a body bag, including weapons, debris, and unexpected personal belongings
(3:30) How X-rays can reveal bullets, fractures, and hidden dangers before the autopsy begins
(5:30) Confirming identity, preserving trace evidence, and completing the external examination
(7:45) The Y-shaped incision and the hazards created by CPR and decomposition
(10:00) Why toxicology samples are collected from different areas of the body
(11:45) The Virchow, Rokitansky, and Letulle techniques for examining the organs
(16:00) The wide range of gastric contents found at autopsy, including an unexpected crawfish named Herman
(19:00) Pill paste, intact medications, and the clues that may indicate an intentional overdose
(20:15) Running the bowels, becoming "Bowel Boy," and removing the brain
(24:15) Microscopic testing, retained organs, and what happens before the body is released to the funeral home

About the Host
Dr. Kendall Crowns is the chief medical examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often misunderstood realities of forensic pathology.

About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners into the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.

Connect and Learn More
You can learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on LinkedIn and follow Mayhem in the Morgue on TikTok at @mayheminthemorgue. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and be sure to follow Mayhem in the Morgue wherever you get your podcasts.

If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself. Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 50th episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns discusses the forensic realities of fatal helicopter crashes. Drawing from one of his own autopsy cases involving a rancher killed in an ultralight helicopter accident and the reported death of musician Oliver Tree, he explains how aviation fatalities are investigated, the devastating injuries caused by midair collisions, ground impact, and post-crash fires, and how medical examiners determine whether someone died before, during, or after a fire. He also examines the postmortem changes caused by extreme heat and why dental records and DNA often become the only reliable methods of identification.

Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:15) Why helicopter crashes create unique forensic challenges compared to automobile accidents
(1:45) A rancher’s fatal ultralight helicopter crash and the pilot error that caused it
(3:15) The FAA CAMI toxicology kit and the additional testing required after aviation fatalities
(7:00) The reported helicopter death of Oliver Tree and the mechanics of a deadly midair collision
(10:00) How post-crash fires cause fatal burns and how burn severity is classified
(13:30) The rule of nines and how doctors determine whether someone died before or during a fire
(15:15) What charring, pugilistic posture, thermal fractures, and heat-induced epidural hematomas reveal during an autopsy
(19:30) Why teeth and DNA often become the only reliable methods of identifying severely burned victims
(21:00) Celebrating 50 episodes of Mayhem in the Morgue with thanks to listeners and production team

About the Host
Dr. Kendall Crowns is the chief medical examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in courthundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often-misunderstood realities of forensic pathology.

About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.

Connect and Learn More
Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on LinkedIn and follow Mayhem in the Morgue on TikTok at @mayheminthemorgue. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and be sure to follow Mayhem in the Morgue wherever you get your podcasts.
If you like this episode, don’t keep it to yourself; follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines the rare phenomenon known as the Lazarus effect, or autoresuscitation, where signs of life return after a person has been declared dead. He starts with the case that’s been making headlines: 18-month-old Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, pronounced dead after a drowning, then found alive hours later in a hospital morgue. Dr. Crowns explains how death is actually determined, what might cause circulation to kick back in after resuscitation has already stopped, and the safeguards hospitals use to prevent a person from being declared dead prematurely. He also shares other reported cases of people showing signs of life at funeral homes and explains how he knows the person on his autopsy table is, in fact, actually dead.

Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(00:30) The case of 18-month-old Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, who was found alive in a hospital morgue
(1:15) Childhood drowning risks and why crowded gatherings around swimming pools can become dangerous
(2:45) What happens to the body during drowning and the five stages that can lead to death
(6:15) Vincent’s resuscitation, declaration of death, and the signs of life reportedly noticed by his family and first responders
(7:15) What agonal breathing looks like and why it can be mistaken for signs of recovery
(8:30) A medical examiner transporter discovers Vincent alive more than five hours after he was pronounced dead
(9:45) The Lazarus effect, or autoresuscitation, and where the term comes from
(10:45) Other reported cases of people showing signs of life after being declared dead
(12:45) How medical professionals determine death and the additional criteria used to establish brain death
(15:15) What the Lazarus effect looks like when it occurs
(16:00) The theories behind why circulation can sometimes return after CPR has stopped
(17:15) Why patients should be monitored after CPR ends before death is declared
(18:00) How Dr. Crowns knows someone is dead before beginning an autopsy
(19:15) Dr. Crowns’ grandmother, a family fear of being buried alive, and a needle that may have been involved in confirming a death

About the Host
Dr. Kendall Crowns is the chief medical examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often-misunderstood realities of forensic pathology.

About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.

Connect and Learn More
Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on LinkedIn and follow Mayhem in the Morgue on TikTok at @mayheminthemorgue. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and be sure to follow Mayhem in the Morgue wherever you get your podcasts.
If you like this episode, don’t keep it to yourself; follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns concludes his two-part series on prescription drug misuse by examining the death of Michael Jackson, whose fatal overdose centered on the anesthetic propofol. He explains why the drug is not a sleep aid, how fast it can turn fatal without proper monitoring, and what makes it dangerous when administered outside an appropriately equipped medical setting. Using Jackson’s autopsy report, Dr. Crowns discusses what investigators found in the bedroom, what toxicology revealed, and why the medical examiner ruled his death a homicide instead of an accidental overdose.
Missed Part One?
Mayhem in the Morgue | Got Milk? Part One

Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:15) Continuing the prescription drug misuse series with Michael Jackson’s case
(2:45) What propofol is, why it is called “milk of amnesia,” and how it differs from common sedatives
(4:15) Dr. Crowns’ first encounter with propofol during an autopsy
(5:00) Why propofol requires constant monitoring and has little margin for error
(7:30) Why propofol abuse is rare outside healthcare but more common among anesthesiology professionals
(9:00) Michael Jackson’s repeated use of propofol and the medications administered before his death
(12:30) Jackson’s bedroom scene and the medications, supplies, and other details investigators documented
(16:15) The autopsy findings that pointed to fatal respiratory depression
(18:30) Toxicology results, cause of death, and why propofol combined with benzodiazepines proved fatal
(20:00) Why Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide instead of an accident
(21:45) Dr. Murray’s conviction, sentence, and his return to medicine overseas
(22:00) Physician responsibility, standards of care, and the lesson behind Michael Jackson’s death

About the Host:
Dr. Kendall Crowns is the chief medical examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often-misunderstood realities of forensic pathology.

About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.

Connect and Learn More
Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on LinkedIn and follow Mayhem in the Morgue on TikTok at @mayheminthemorgue. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and be sure to follow Mayhem in the Morgue wherever you get your podcasts.
If you like this episode, don’t keep it to yourself; follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.