Stay ConnectedJoin Joseph Scott Morgan every week as he explores a world that not many have had a chance to visit, the realm of death. Jo Scott will lead listeners on a journey through the blood soaked death scenes of America and then into the autopsy room to fully understand the science behind each case. Jo Scott is one America’s leading experts on applied forensics and is regularly featured on ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’, ‘The Piketon Massacre’, Court TV and more.
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When Joseph Scott Morgan was on his first date with his wife Kim she asked him what he did for a living. When he responded by telling her that he worked for the Medical Examiner, essentially the coroner, examining dead bodies and performing autopsies, she looked at him with a puzzled expression…We all have aspects of our lives that are unusual, whether it’s our family, our habits, or our jobs. But when we do these things every day, they become so normal to us that we don’t even question them anymore. In this special episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard go into depth on the touchstone of forensic death investigation: autopsies. They discuss what an autopsy is, who can order one, the different kinds, and how Joe ended up in this unique profession.
Show Notes
:0:00 - Intro
2:07 - What is an autopsy?
4:10 - Who determines when an autopsy is done? Why would you not do one?
7:40 - Can an autopsy be done even if the family doesn’t want it?
9:58 - Gloria Satterfield’s cause of death
12:45 - Are there different kinds of autopsies?
17:55 - Joe’s experience in the autopsy room
18:56 - What is a full autopsy and how long does it take?
26:50 - Can certain autopsies be prioritized?
30:22 - Is an autopsy considered surgery?
34:05 - How did Joseph Scott end up working in a morgue?
38:50 - Seeing bodies in all different kinds of states
41:40 - How does Joe’s family deal with his line of work?
43:45 - Joe’s take on his career
45:21 - Wrap up
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The body of Melody Hoffman is discovered on a cold February morning. The person who finds her body calls 911 and describes her beautiful skin, she has all kinds of marks on her back, "like slashes" and her hands are curled in a way they shouldn't have been. She has been left in the freezing cold with nothing on but her underwear. Joseph Scott Morgan will explain how it is possible that the 20-year-p; has slashes across her back and has lost a lot of blood, but that isn't what killed her. Dave Mack digs into the different relationships that led to the murder of a 20-year-old woman who just wanted a boyfriend to care about her.
Transcript Highlights
00:01.16 Introduction
04:29.89 Melody Hoffman is missing
09:45.20 Melody might have been pregnant
14:30.41 Buy killing supplies
19:19.24 Picture on phone of Melody beaten, crying, tape over mouth
25:49.51 Murder happened February 18th, very cold
30:46.08 Does weather impact dead body
35:26.44 How much abuse had boyfriend put her through
39:39.14 Melody was strangled to death
47:58.86 Why was body left where it would be found
Conclusion
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17-year-old Esther Gonzalez is walking from her parents house to her sister's house, and she never arrives. The next day her body is found in a snowpack on the side of the road. She has been raped and bludgeoned to death. The man who finds the body, Randy Williamson, talks to police and is described as argumentative. He ends up taking a polygraph and passes. With the only person of interest eliminated, the case goes cold. Joseph Scott Morgan explains what happens to a body over time and how the evidence gathered by detectives in 1979, made it possible to solve a cold case 44-years later. To learn about the incredible work being done by Othram labs take a look at www.othram.com. Othram: A revolution in Cold Case Resolution.
Transcript Highlight
00:01.65 Introduction
02:58.10 Geography of California
05:00.02 Snow and Surf on the same day
09:56.34 No surveillance cameras, easy dumping ground
15:01.25 Body of Esther found in snowbank
20:00.88 Why was "the finder" arguing with police?
25:18.98 Esther Gonzalez was raped and bludgeoned to death
30:00.11 The "finder" passes a polygraph test
35:44.63 Hairs that co-mingle
40:09.99 Detectives never gave up, kept investigating
44:59.73 Othram got a match to Randy Williamson.
He was the killer. He died in 2014.
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Dead bodies and romance.....in Horry County South Carolina, Meagan Jackson is a contractor for the county delivering dead bodies to the morgue of the funeral home. She and her longtime boyfriend Gregory Rice have broken up and they are negotiating custody and support for their four children. Deputy Coroner Christopher Dontell is married to a school teacher and they have two children. The deputy Coroner and the woman bringing dead bodies to the morgue strike up a romance. When Gregory Rice goes missing and turns up dead, suspicion falls on his ex, Meagan and her new boyfriend, the very married Deputy Coroner, Christopher Dontell. Joseph Scott Morgan will explain what happens in the world of death investigation and how people can grow close to their coworkers under extreme circumstances. Joseph Scott Morgan will also take a close look at Meagan Jackson and Chris Dontell - did she think Dontell, because of his occupation, would know better how to get rid of a dead body? Dave Mack will help untangle the web of lies as Joseph Scott Morgan explains why Dontell has changed his plea and what will happen when he testifies against the woman who was carrying his child when her ex-boyfriend is found dead.
Transcribe Highlights
00:00.50 Introduction
03:29.84 South Carolina has rich Coroner history
05:12.67 Elected Coroner in Horry County
10:03.41 Explaining "Livery" service
14:52.41 Deputy Coroner having affair with woman who delivers bodies
20:11.42 An affair the includes death and getting rid of body
24:25.02 Special training, would a deputy coroner have a better idea how to get rid of a body
29:57.62 Questions of a death investigator
35:05.65 Digital evidence puts suspect at the scene of where body is found
41:08.05 Conclusion - Deputy Coroner cuts a deal and will testify for the state
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We revisit the Murdaugh trial in which South Carolina lawyer, Alex Murdaugh, is currently facing trial for the murder of his wife Maggie, and his son Paul. As the trial continues, we are learning more information about the nature of the crimes and how exactly they played out.In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and special guest co-host Dave Mack discuss the specifics of both Paul and Maggie’s injuries, why the prosecution uses diagrams vs. photographs when showing evidence in court, whether Paul had any defensive wounds, and much more.
Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro1:18 - Background and overview of the case
2:35 - Using diagrams in court vs. photographs
6:05 - Paul Murdaugh’s injuries
11:15 - The second shot to Paul Murdaugh’s head
14:50 - Paul’s face left intact
19:25 - Were there any type of defensive wounds on Paul?
20:30 - Maggie Murdaugh’s injuries
23:30 - Stippling around Maggie’s wounds
26:00 - Shot to the abdomen
29:00 - Was this overkill?
31:00 - Wrap up and outro
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November 22, 1963: John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was shot and killed during a presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas.The President is taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
By law, Dallas County Coroner Dr. Earl Rose had jurisdiction over the case and should have performed the autopsy. However, against Dr. Earl Rose's protestations, the body of President Kennedy was wrapped in a sheet, placed in a casket with a broken handle, and flown over 1,300 miles away to Washington DC, where 2 naval doctors, who had never conducted a forensic autopsy performed the autopsy on John F. Kennedy.
Join Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack as they take a close look at the autopsy that was so bad, 60years later questions are still being asked.
Time Code Highlights
00:00:10 Introduction
00:01:21 The ripple effect of the assassination of JFk
00:04:31 The moments following the shooting of JFK in Dealey Plaza
00:06:02 Talk about how autopsy "Standard Procedures" were not followed
00:06:51 Texas state law and jurisdiction over investigation and autopsy
00:07:58 Board Certified Forensic Pathologist Doctor Earl Rose was chief medical examiner for Dallas, Texas at the time and was at Parkland Memorial Hospital
00:09:22 JFK body taken from Dallas to Washington DC for autopsy
00:10:59 Secret Service preparing for President trips.
00:11:36 JFK physical condition after being shot.
00:12:52 Injuries to JFK, at least 2 gunshot wounds.
00:13:31 Tracheotomy that was performed to establish an airway
00:15:04 Dr. Earl Rose and how his experience was dismissed
00:16:23 Dr. Earl Rose KNEW he was looking at a Murder Investigation.
00:17:47 Discussion Dallas County had jurisdiction over the body.
00:19:03 Talk about autopsy of JFK should have taken place in Dallas
00:20:08 Previous Presidential assassination, Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley and their autopsies.
00:22:10 Dr. Earl Rose did the autopsy for Oswald, Officer Tippit, and Jack Ruby.
00:23:36 JFK body being taken to Washington DC
00:25:16 Comparing Bethesda Naval Hospital to Walter Reed Hospital
00:26:04 doctors chosen to perform JFK autopsy
00:28:42 why doctors turned bullet wound into tracheostomy
00:29:55 Presidents body wrapped in sheets. Head wrapped in gauze
00:31:09 JFK clothing, tie changed the trajectory of round.
00:32:58 Other clothing worn during the assassination
00:33:44 "magic bullet" going through JFK and Governor Connally,
00:35:08 Secret Service agents washed interior of Presidential limo.
00:36:03 Talk about crime scenes - bone fragments found and turned in later
00:37:02 Description of President's head, skull came apart in doctors hands.
00:38:04 Discussion of Assessment
00:40:02 Talk about x-rays that were done on body
00:41:58 Description of the Bethesda autopsy suite
00:43:51 Ballistics expert Dr. Pierre Fink, forensic pathologist, came to Bethesda
00:44:53 JFK brain was removed before Dr. Fink arrived
00:46:05 Description of "Brain Loafing".
00:47:22 The autopsy of JFK was not a complete autopsy
00:49:21 Discussion of "family wishes" as it applies to the murder of the president.
00:50:48 Compare autopsy of John F. Kennedy and Robert F Kennedy
00:52:36 Discussion about other pathologists available to do autopsy on JFK
00:55:09 No way to know if other injuries suffered by JFK could have been lethal
00:56:04 Commentary - no excuse for what happened with autopsy of JFK
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In the summer of 1989, a construction crew working in the basement of a building at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta stumbled across thousands of human bones. The acquisition and disposal of the remains has been kept secret.
It happens again in 1994, a crew discovered an old well containing human remains while constructing a new medical sciences building on the campus of the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) at Virginia Commonwealth University. The well is called the Limb Pit.
It happened one more time at Harvard in 1999. During renovations at Harvard’s Holden Chapel in 1999, a worker operating a mini bulldozer stumbled across human remains when his machine broke through a wall into an old well.
Joseph Scott Morgan explains how it's possible to find human bones that have been hacked, cut with a saw, chisel, or knife, and then hidden so the law can't find them.....and it isn't a crime.
Transcript Highlight
00:00.01 Introduction
04:35.58 Resurrection - Grave Robbing 09:40.88 Studying medicine, finding bones
14:08.17 Doctors who have never dissected a body
19:18.35 Bones used by medical schools
23:17.45 Medical college paying grave robbers
28:16.99 Getting rid of bones without getting caught 32:11.18 Doctors had no opportunity to study the human body
38:59.35 The Limb Pit - Chris Baker MCV
40:17.79 Harvard had name for club that dug up bodies
44:00.58 Mass burial of bones, no names
47:27.15 Conclusion
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The Piketon Massacre happened when 8 members of the Rhoden family were wiped out in one night at four different locations. Billy Wagner, the patriarch of the Wagner family, and the accused leader of the murderous rampage, is finally going to trial next month. With 8 murders and four crime scenes, Joseph Scott Morgan has a lot to explain. He will take you inside the trailers and talk about how forensic evidence was damaged by law enforcement. As in all cases a person is innocent until proven guilty and Billy Wagner continues to plead not guilty to all 22 charges including eight counts of aggravated murder from the execution-style slayings of his son’s ex-girlfriend and seven of her family members in April 2016.
Transcript Highlights
00:02.98 Introduction
02:12.91 The Piketon Massacre
05:32.43 Who Could have pulled off killing 8 people in one night
10:04.49 Killer lays baby next to dead mothers' breast so he wouldn't go hungry
15:02.77 Billy Wagner trial coming up next year
19:53.21 Wagner's in Alaska,, woman escapes in fear
25:02.16 Baby Sophia was not in trailer, she was with grandmother
30:08.95 Billy Wagner had moved away from family
35:09.77 So many oddities in the Piketon Massacre
40:13.85 How will Billy Wagner be defended
42:33:26.Conclusion
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Joseph Scott Morgan has covered the Missing Kansas Moms story on Body Bags since it began. He continued that coverage with the autopsy report of Jillian Kelley a few weeks ago, and now Joseph Scott Morgan breaks down the 16-page autopsy report of Veronica Butler that begins with the Circumstances of death, then moves into the Assault with a knife, including THIRTY (30) Sharp Force Injuries, defensive wounds, and much more.
Transcript Highlights
00:04.93 Introduction
02:19.20 Life of Veronica Butler ending at age 27
04:27.17 Recovery from addiction issues
09:09.39 Requests to review autopsy reports
14:27.64 Defining "full thickness"
21:53.93 6 defensive injuries on Veronica's right hand
27:58.81 Autopsy report as a life road map
33:31.71 Appears someone was trying to cut her throat
38:09.54 Hemorrhages communicating, happened while alive
41:51.46 Why is Obesity mentioned in report
45:05.53 Conclusion
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One year ago, Joseph Scott Morgan explained the death of Reeva Steenkamp at the hands of the "Bladerunner", Oscar Pistorius. One month after the episode dropped, Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on parole in January of 2024. We thought it would be a good time to review the case and see what Pistorius has been doing since his release from prison. Based on his conditions of parole, Pistorius is not allowed to do interviews, but his lawyer, Julian Knight, told People he spent the first four months out of prison getting settled into a quiet life in Pretoria where he is living with his Uncle, Arnold Pistorius. The home is a 24-room Mansion, a fortified compound located with armed guards, electronic defenses, and attack dogs.Although he is not required to wear an electronic monitor, a parole officer checks on him at random hours of the day or night. He is not allowed to drink alcohol or do drugs. He cannot be on social media and is forbidden from contacting the Steenkamp family. A Tabloid headline about Pistorius screamed: From Olympics to Prison to Janitor - and that is somewhat accurate as he is doing some janitorial work. According to his parole paperwork, Pistorius has listed his volunteer work at NG Kerk Waterkloof, the Dutch Reformed Church attended by his uncle. He does light maintenance and janitorial work and quietly attends services. Parishioners told The New York Post that he is serious and doesn’t interact with others.
Transcript Highlights
00:00.96 Introduction
01:00.02 Update on Pistorius out of prison
06:17.82 Explaining the tibia
12:04.25 Pistorius and Steenkamp dated 90 days
19:17.30 Shooting through a door
24:41.68 Shot through hip - loud scream
28:18.94 Pistorius one of the most famous people in the world
32:39.17 Steenkamp bled to death
34:04.17 Pistorius Update
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