Since President John F. Kennedy's 1963 murder in Dallas, medical examiner and lawyer Dr. Cyril Wecht was initially inclined to accept the official theory that one person alone was responsible for the crime. But as Wecht delved into the evidence with boundless curiosity and unprecedented access, he came to understand that America had, instead, suffered a coup d'etat at the hands of rogue elements within our own government. Nobody else has Wecht's up-close and personal experience in uncovering the facts behind this assassination-and now he is sharing it with the world. Co-authored by investigative journalist Dawna Kaufmann, this comprehensive book reveals Wecht's analyses of the case's forensic and medical evidence. With his keen eye and sharp tongue, Wecht wields his scalpel on JFK's dubious autopsy report, the inept Warren Commission Report, the mishandling of crucial materials, all of the key players, and the media malpractice that has allowed the truth to remain hidden for nearly six decades.

Forensic science has undergone dramatic progress in recent years, including in the areas of DNA collection and analysis and the reconstruction of crime scenes. However, too few professionals are equipped with the knowledge necessary to fully apply the potential of science in civil, criminal, and family legal matters. Featuring contributions from renowned experts in the forensic, scientific, and legal professions, Forensic Science and Law: Investigative Applications in Criminal, Civil, and Family Justice communicates the wide range of methods and approaches used for achieving justice in these circumstances. A solid grounding in the underlying principles of our legal system provides a context for understanding how these methods are applied. The book brings together the words and thoughts of diverse professionals whose common goal is to uncover the truth. About the editors... Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D., is actively involved as a medical-legal and forensic science consultant, author, and lecturer. Currently coroner of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania, he is certified by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic, clinical, and forensic pathology and is a Fellow of the College of American Pathologists and the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. Dr. Wecht is a Clinical Professor at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Graduate School of Public Health, an Adjunct Professor at Duquesne University Schools of Law, Pharmacy and Health Services, and a Distinguished Professor at Carlow University. He is a past president of both the American College of Legal Medicine and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Dr. Wecht is the author of more than 500 professional publications and has appeared as a guest on numerous national television and radio talk shows. John T. Rago, J.D., is Assistant Professor of Law at Duquesne University School of Law and the Director of both The Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law and the Law School's Post-conviction DNA Project. He teaches criminal law and procedure to law students and graduate courses on wrongful convictions, foundations in American law and constitutional criminal procedure to students in the university's Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences. Professor Rago also serves as an appointed member to the Innocence Project's Policy Group of the Cardozo School of Law in New York. He is admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

From crime scene to morgue to courtroom, and finally the court of public opinion, this riveting narrative is essential reading for true-crime enthusiasts.
If you think the media has told you everything there is to know about Michael Jackson and Casey Anthony, think again This engrossing, almost cinematic page-turner, offers never-before-published information on the mysterious deaths of Michael Jackson and Caylee Anthony, plus five other ripped-from-the-headlines criminal cases. Based on the authors' long investigative experience, these two insiders offer revealing insights into the following high-profile cases:
-"Casey Anthony" An assessment of the Trial of this Century, during which a Florida mother stood accused of killing her young daughter, Caylee. At stake were issues that included accuracy of air sampling and cadaver dogs, post-mortem hair banding, chloroform, duct tape identification, computer clues, and deep family secrets.
-"Michael Jackson" The authors provide never-disclosed data on the autopsies of Jackson's body and a microscopic view of the singer's life and career, plus analysis of the cardiologist charged with his death: Was Dr. Conrad Murphy recklessly negligent or a fall guy for a hopelessly addicted celebrity?
-"Drew Peterson" Heroic Illinois SWAT team cop or wife killer? Did his third wife slip and fall in the bathtub, or was she beaten and drowned? The controversy over her death led to an exhumation and the filing of homicide charges against him, but can prosecutors prove their case? And what happened to his fourth wife, who remains missing?
-"Rolling Stone Brian Jones" Was the rock musician's death an accident or something more sinister? And was he impaired by drugs or alcohol when he died? After more than forty years, there is finally an answer.
In addition, the authors examine the tragic death of twelve-year-old Gabrielle Bechen, whose rape-murder changed her community; Col. Philip Shue, whose demise was a battle of suicide versus homicide until Dr. Wecht solved the case; and Carol Ann Gotbaum, a respected Manhattan mother who died in police custody in Phoenix.

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? Tammy Wynette died suddenly at a relatively young age, and yet no autopsy was performed? Was someone trying to hide the real cause of death? Did Sam Sheppard (later dubbed "The Fugitive" based on a television series) 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. 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 crack seemingly unsolvable crimes. Writing in the first-person Dr. Wecht leads you into the heart of the investigation, focusing each chapter on a single engrossing drama. He reveals the most startling evidence that shows why JonBenet Ramsey's killer most likely came from within her home, why O.J. Simpson probably had an accomplice in the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, shocking revelations about Robert Berdella's grisly torture and sex-abuse crimes against young men, and many intriguing facts about other infamous cases. If you find the fictional plots of such dramas as C.S.I. exciting, you will be amazed by the true stories told by Dr. Wecht, with the help of two top-flight veteran reporters, Greg Saitz and Mark Curriden, 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. From the Trade Paperback edition.

This book is an in-depth exploration of four fascinating true crime cases from the files of Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D. Coauthored by crime writer Dawna Kaufmann, it explores both the technical and the human sides of murder-and includes new and shocking revelations for each case. Presented first is the puzzling death of a wealthy self-help guru at the hands of "The Harlem Kevorkian" and the case's latest legal ramifications. Next is the abduction of a little girl, held captive within shouting distance of her loved ones, and her killer's bizarre trial. The third case is the story of a relative who refused to give up on solving the vicious murder of a popular dentist when law enforcement tried to cover up the crime. Last is an unimaginable tale of two heroic grandparents who worked to save a baby from the depths of evil.

For six decades, Pittsburgh-based forensic scientist Cyril Wecht has been an outspoken authority when horrible things happen to everyday people-murders, childhood deaths, tragic accidents and police brutality. His expertise and testimony have been called upon in high-profile cases, including the deaths of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Elvis Presley, JonBenet Ramsey, Laci Peterson and others. As a criminal defendant, in 1979, he was acquitted on charges of personally profiting from his office as Allegheny County Coroner; a federal public corruption charge was dismissed in 2008. Both cases, his attorneys argued, were politically motivated. Wecht's memoir describes his work on famous cases, his life in the public eye and his legal battles with determined and powerful authorities, from his hometown DA to a U.S. Attorney and the FBI.

Established in 1969, Cyril Wecht's Legal Medicine series has, in the words of a review of the 1982 volume, helped validate and develop the field which it reports. Legal Medicine's format assembles articles by experts dealing with a range of topics in the field of legal medicine and forensic science. The contributors provide balanced coverage of timely and practical issues.

Legal Medicine explores the legal issues that arise from government policy influencing medical practice, advances in medical technology, and new disease patterns. Articles by renowned experts cover timely and practical issues as well as academic and philosophical themes. This new volume contains incisive analyses of such topics as the medical and legal considerations in the treatment of AIDS patients, the use of lasers, the Bhopal tragedy, and the use of implantable cardiovascular devices.

In the words of one reviewer Cyril Wecht's Legal Medicine has helped validate and develop the field which it reports. This field is the wide ranging area of medical jurisprudence. This current volume contains a variety of articles written by experts dealing with timely and relevant medical-legal subjects. Legal Medicine contains essays on such topics as blood alcohol concentrations, use of polygraph machines, artificial insemination, and antitrust laws and the physician.

Each year, too many law enforcement officers die in the line of duty and too many people are killed by the police. Yet, can any of these deaths be avoided? To answer this we must investigate the nature and causes of these deaths in an unbiased and objective manner to highlight and expose weaknesses in policy that can be amended through more rigorous, enlightened, and culture-sensitive training. Examining hypothetical cases drawn from the most prevalent and typical officer-involved deaths in recent years, Investigation and Prevention of Officer-Involved Deaths reviews the circumstances, relevant discussions, and critical issues for each case type wherein law enforcement officers have had to respond outside of their usual and trained experience and where the final outcome was the death of either the suspect, an innocent bystander, or the officer. With a focus on crime scene investigation and the collection and preservation of the relevant forensic evidence, the book outlines appropriate crime scene procedures for each situation and lists potential categories of forensic evidence to be searched for, collected, and submitted to the forensic laboratory for analysis. The authors discuss postmortem protocols, including autopsy reports, toxicological analyses, and other appropriate investigative findings. They then examine policy and training protocols for each, look at the use and potential benefit of less-lethal weapons, and pose the critical question of "what would you do if you were the police officer." Through the serious study of each of the categories presented in this book, police officers and other groups of law enforcement officials can more fully comprehend and appreciate the societal significance of such cases. The more aware, sensitive, and well-educated are officers of the law, the more dignified, humane, and safe are the communities they are sworn to serve.