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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Dr. Amie Harwick, a sex therapist and former fiancé of actor Drew Carey, is found unresponsive under a balcony in her Hollywood Hills home on the morning of February 15th, 2020. She is rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, passes away. The evidence at the crime scene and on Harwick’s body indicated signs of a struggle and her having been thrown from the balcony.
In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss blunt force trauma, the difference between falling/being thrown from a great height, how to tell in what order injuries occur, and why a nicotine syringe became a major factor in this case.
Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro
1:25 - Background and overview of the case
3:45 - Where do you start with a case like this?
5:10 - Amie Harwick being thrown from her balcony
7:30 - How do we know she was thrown off the balcony?
15:45 - Do the injuries differ depending on whether you are thrown from a great height or fall from one?
19:00 - Blunt force trauma
20:10 - How does the M.E. go about examining all the injuries?
25:50 - Is it possible that Amie was beaten and that caused the injuries to her liver, not the fall?
29:40 - How can you tell what order the injuries happened in?
32:00 - If Amie fell, and was not thrown, would her death still be considered blunt force trauma?
34:00 - Suspects in Amie’s case
34:55 - How investigators suspect the murder played out
36:40 - Finding a nicotine filled syringe and what that signifies
42:10 - Harwick’s ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, becomes the prime suspect
44:45 - Pursehouse has been charged with murder, first degree residential burglary, and special circumstance allegation of lying in wait.
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Eliza Fletcher, a 34-year old mother of Memphis, Tennessee went missing around 4am, September 2nd, 2022 while out for a morning run. CCTV footage shows her being forced into an SUV. An arrest has been made in connection to her disappearance.
Eliza Fletcher's remains have now been found and positively identified.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
First responders arrive at a “battle scene” in 77-year-old Barbara Steele's West Virginia home. Her body is beaten, eviscerated, and positioned on a makeshift altar by 28-year-old Joshua Drennen, who after leaving her residence, continues his string of assaults on unsuspecting civilians, until immobilized by a Charleston police officer.
In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the antique item used in the physical attacks and injuries sustained by Barbara Steele and two other individuals in the community.
Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro
2:46 - Description of an antique iron owned and utilized by 77-year-old Barbara Steele
6:47 - Police are alerted to a criminal act committed by Joshua Drennen inside Barbara Steele’s home
8:03 - Joe describes the crime scene, the assault on Barbara Steele’s vehicle, and her participation within the community.
10:45 - Jackie and Joe discuss the continued acts of violence by Joshua Drennen against a woman inside her parked vehicle
9:23 - An explanation of cubing injuries to a body from an explosion of safety glass and how investigators use that information to determine a body’s position within a vehicle
13:31 - Joshua Drennen’s continued acts of violence throughout the community
17:29 - Charleston Police Patrolman Terrence Casto stops the threat by Joshua Drennen
18:24 - Joe describes the violent crime scene and the horrendous blunt force trauma Barbara Steele’s body experienced
26:21 - Beyond the trauma to her face and head, the police noticed Barbara's body had been eviscerated, as well as sexually assaulted post-mortem
31:33 - Joe and Jackie discuss the way Barbara Steele’s body was positioned and items located near her after the attack
35:49 - Why Barbara Steele and the woman in the parking lot?
37:24 - Overview of Joshua Drennen’s trial and conviction
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Christian Obumseli, boyfriend of OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney is found by police in their Miami apartment fatally stabbed. The pair have been dating for approximately two years and have a reportedly “tumultuous” relationship. Courtney Clenney claims to have been acting out of self defense, but the physical evidence may seem to suggest something else. Courtney Clenney has since been charged with second degree murder.
In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the details of the stabbing, the physical evidence found at the crime scene, the injuries sustained by Christian Obumseli that led to his death, and how witness testimony will play into this ongoing case.
Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro
2:09 - Courtney Clenney’s OnlyFans account and relationship with Christian Obumseli
3:44 - Video and pictures of Courtney Clenney covered in blood
5:00 - Courtney Clenney and Christian Obumseli’s lavish lifestyle
7:32 - The 911 call and the physical evidence of the crime scene
12:02 - What are the police seeing at the crime scene?
18:58 - What it means for blood to “leech out”
22:03 - How the blood appeared on Courtney Clenney
25:36 - The timeline of the crime
29:05 - Injuries sustained by Christian Obumseli
35:34 - Knowing what we know now, is Courtney Clenney claim that she threw the knife while acting in self defense possible?
40:51 - If what Courtney Clenney claims happened is true, would the remaining blood patterns be different?
44:20 - How will the video evidence and witness statements of assault play into the case?
48:28 - How do you approach a “he said, she said” court case?
51:14 - Final thoughts and wrapping up the show
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Video surveillance captures the final images of 80-year-old Edna Suttles alive in a hotel parking lot in one of the most beautiful places in the United States, a tiny South Carolina town called Travelers Rest. Nearly a month after her disappearance, Edna's body is found buried across state lines in a wooded area of North Carolina. Investigators work tirelessly to piece together the events that lead to her death, and in the process, realize they’re dealing with a serial killer.
In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the details of Edna Suttles’ death and the unexpected discovery during the investigation. They talk about the similarities between the four confirmed victims, the behavior of serial killers, and the methods Daniel Printz used to murder his victims.
Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro
3:16 - Joseph Scott and Jackie discuss the details of Edna Suttles’ disappearance
4:20 - Discussion about Edna Suttles as South Carolina’s first female bail bondsman, and the heightened awareness that someone develops while working in that career
5:55 - Who reported Edna as a missing person?
7:12 - The discovery of Edna’s body and why the FBI was involved in this case
9:23 - The ominous findings by the medical examiner
11:52 - Surveillance video confirms Edna Suttles and Daniel Printz were in the same place and had some type of relationship
14:01 - The lethal cocktail that was given to Edna and how a body reacts when administered in those doses
15:22 - The unusual location on Daniel Printz’s property where he stored Edna’s belongings
18:34 - Using cadaver dogs to facilitate the discovery and recovery of remains
22:40 - The massive discovery by police at Daniel Printz’s home while investigating Edna’s death
25:56 - Connecting Daniel Printz to multiple murders through evidence found and commentary he made
28:42 - Analysis of serial killers’ behaviors and the unusual deviation Daniel Printz took in the murder of Nancy Rego
34:55 - Investigators learn of a fourth murder victim, Leigh Goodman
36:17 - Joe talks about Daniel Printz as a predator and the relationship between him and Leigh Goodman
39:04 - What sets these murders apart?
40:46 - Daniel Printz’s case is tried in the federal district court
42:27 - Where else has Daniel Printz been and who else has he impacted?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On February 14, 2018, a 19-year-old named Nikolas Cruz opens fire on students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, murdering 17 people and injuring 17 more. It is still the deadliest high school shooting in United States history, surpassing even the Columbine shooting, in 1999, which ended with 15 people dead. Nikolas Cruz arrives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School via an Uber, constructs his firearm, and then begins his assault on his former classmates.
In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the details of the shooting, the weapon used in the attack, how the crime scene remains untouched after all these years, the reasons behind preserving the high school in this way, and the significance of the date of the shooting.
Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro
0:45 - Joseph Scott and Jackie discuss the details of the shooting itself
7:45 - Did Cruz pull the fire alarm or could it have been triggered by smoke from the gun?
9:23 - Explanation of the layout of the building, crime scene, and how investigators would go about analyzing it
12:23 - The evolution of crime scene investigations
14:56 - The duration of the shooting and how hurricane proof glass ended up saving lives
19:01 - Nikolas Cruz’s background and how he blended in with students to escape the scene
20:29 - Cruz’s arrest and recovery of the weapon
21:30 - Joe talks about the weapon used in the attack
22:51 - The fear that teachers and students experienced seeing and hearing the gunshots
24:44 - Joe explains the Big Black Gun Theory
27:18 - Joe and Jackie discuss the crime scene remaining untouched since the shooting
28:50 - As evidence is collected, it’s sealed - how do you seal an entire building?
31:05 - Why would you want to leave a crime scene untouched for this long?
33:14 - Joe talks about the importance of chain of custody in forensics
35:34 - The reasons for preserving the high school in its condition
39:22 - Joe talks about the significance of this occurring on Valentine’s Day
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For more than ten years, the family of Ellen Greenberg has been looking for answers and justice. The 27-year-old first grade teacher and bride-to-be was found stabbed behind the locked door of her apartment. In fact, she was stabbed 20 times, including wounds to her back and head. The original finding by the medical examiner determined homicide. So, why does the final ruling say Ellen Greenberg committed suicide? Listen to former death scene investigator Joseph Scott Morgan's analysis, then join him as he and Nancy Grace recreate the crime scene and hear from Ellen Greenberg's parents in Teacher Death Mystery: A Nancy Grace Investigation, streaming now on Fox Nation.
Was it suicide, or did something more sinister happen to Ellen Greenberg?
Follow the push for justice with Teacher Death Mystery: A Nancy Grace Investigation, and Behind the Locked Door with Joseph Scott Morgan.
STREAMING NOW: Teacher Death Mystery: A Nancy Grace Investigation
Follow this case on Facebook at "Justice for Ellen."
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Avid big game hunter, Bianca Rudolph, is found unresponsive in a cabin in Zambia with a gunshot wound to her chest. Her husband of 34 years, Dr. Larry Rudolph, the only other person in the cabin at the time, claims to have been showering when he heard the gunshot. He claims accidental discharge, but investigators disagree.
In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the likelihood of Bianca Rudolph accidentally shooting herself, the complications of working a crime scene in the wilderness of Africa, the odd behaviors displayed by her husband at the time of her death, and the tip that lead authorities to an in-depth investigation, and eventual guilty verdict of her husband, Dr. Larry Rudolph.
Show Notes:
0:15 - Introducing the death of Dr. Larry Rudolph’s wife of 34 years, Bianca Rudolph
2:14 - While packing up following a two-week hunting trip in Zambia, Dr. Rudolph claims his wife accidentally shot herself
6:56 - Is it physically possible to shoot yourself while packing away a shotgun?
8:48 - Explanation of the type of gun that killed Bianca, and ruling out possible suicide
12:05 - Joe explains the injury sustained to Bianca’s body from multiple 30-caliber-sized projectiles
16:29 - Looking for evidence of powder distribution on Bianca’s body and clothing
19:32 - Smooth bore weapons vs rifled weapons
21:37 - Working a crime scene in the wilderness of one of the world’s largest game preserves and how bodies are back to the US from Africa
25:24 - Dr. Rudolph’s push to have Bianca’s body cremated within three days of her death and the steps taken by the consular chief in Zambia to document her injuries
27:49 - The tip that leads to an in-depth FBI investigation
29:57 - Events that lead authorities to conclude Bianca’s death was no accident
34:09 - Odd behavior displayed by Dr. Larry Rudolph in the moments after he heard the gunshot
38:21 - Joseph Scott describes what happens when a round passes through an intermediate target and the amount of blood that he would be expected to be present in that situation.
40:39 - When the body is assaulted by such an event, does it fall in a specific manner?
42:47 - Resolution in the case against Dr. Larry Rudolph
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Talented and beloved musician, Scott Sessions, is found brutally murdered in an ambush attack, his throat slashed to near decapitation. Shortly afterward, his lover, who lured him to the moment of his death, Heather Frank, is also found dead with gunshot wounds to her chest. Investigators find Heather Frank wrapped in the same burnt plastic as they found Scott Sessions. The suspect? Heather Frank’s boyfriend, Kevin Eastman.
In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the horrific murders of Scott Sessions and Heather Frank. They delve into the mechanics of murder by an edged weapon to the throat, the pathology of an enraged killer, rendering a body by fire, and the connective evidence found at both crime scenes.
Show Notes:
1:00 - Introducing the deaths of Scott Sessions and Heather Frank
3:39 - The connection between Scott Sessions, Heather Frank, and Kevin Eastman
4:55 - The visibility of a toxic, abusive relationship on a body
6:54 - Anatomy of bruises and how professionals grade them in abuse cases
13:08 - What happened to Scott Sessions
14:54 - The mechanics of slitting a throat with an edged weapon
17:05 - Volume of blood within the body, types and locations of injuries that cause blood loss, and the forensic importance of a victim’s blood that has pooled outside of the body
22:14 - The horrific injuries Scott Sessions sustained
27:30 - Pathology of a killer who is full of anger and rage
29:18 - The death of Heather Frank
31:59- Why did Heather have to die?
34:36 - The failed attempt to render down Scott’s body by fire and the common evidence found on both victims
39:07 - Looking for connectivity/tieback in forensics: evidence found at both crime scenes
41:57 - The discovery of Scott Sessions and Heather Frank’s bodies
43:57 - The conviction of Kevin Eastman
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Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow’s bodies are discovered on June 9, 2020, on the property of Chad Daybell in Rexburg, Idaho. After months of missing person investigations, complicated circumstances surrounding their disappearance, and a string of suspicious deaths, police have charged Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell in the horrific murders of Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow.
In this episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard discuss the complex case against Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell in the murders of Tylee Ryan and J.J Vallow. They also discuss the striking differences between the ways in which Tylee and J.J 's bodies were treated post-mortem, complications of processing the crime scene, and the request to allow for forensic DNA testing on the evidence collected by the state of Idaho.
Show Notes:
1:00 - Introducing the deaths of Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon “J.J.” Vallow
1:54 - Sections 1: A brief history of the confusing events that led to finding the remains of Tylee and J.J. buried on the property of Chad Daybell
5:29 - The mysterious death of Tammy Daybell
8:03 - Cause of death: natural causes, a seemingly inaccurate determination for a physically active woman who was in good health
10:32 - Searching for physical evidence of the cause of death in an exhumed embalmed body
12:00 - How authorities located the remains of Tylee and J.J.
15:41 - The striking differences between the treatment of Tylee and J.J.'s bodies
18:32 - Section 2: Processing the crime scene
20:57 - Examining the evidence on the tape and plastic bag encasing J.J. Vallow
22:17 - The problem with cutting open a bag containing remains at the crime scene
24:07- Recovery of Tylee’s remains
28:24 - Individualization of evidence: examining every bone fragment of a dismembered body
30:16 - Section three: Forensic DNA testing on the evidence recovered at Daybell’s property by the state’s crime scene unit
33:40 - Specific evidence found at the crime scene
39:30 - Consumptive testing: setting a dangerous precedent by allowing third-party observers
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