Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of autopsy practices and morgue mishaps. If you’re sensitive to these topics, this episode may not be for you.

A $50-a-case job, a scalpel, and almost no training. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns looks back on his early days as an autopsy technician. From botched haircuts and awkward funeral home encounters to wheeling a body across a sunny hospital parking lot, these road trip mishaps show how even mistakes can shape a medical examiner’s career.

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:15) Landing a $50-a-case job as an autopsy technician in the 1980s
• (1:15) Training on the fly with little more than a scalpel and a saw
• (2:00) A less-than-friendly resident, endless “running the intestines,” and a bag of hair for the funeral home
• (4:30) Moving a body to the “mysterious white building” across the parking lot in broad daylight
• (9:15) A windowless van, a collapsing gurney, and a body on the pavement

About the Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns

Dr. Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He las 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 unparalleled insight into the strange, grisly, and sometimes absurd 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, catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts.

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