Question of Murder

Question of Murder

No one has performed more autopsies in high-profile cases than Dr. Cyril Wecht. During the past four decades, he has dissected more than 16,000 bodies to determine how and why they died. He has testified in hundreds of trials and exhumed dozens of corpses. He's investigated the deaths of presidents and princes, coal miners and Hollywood stars. From the tragic homicides of Laci Peterson and Nicole Brown Simpson to the mysteries that surround the deaths of JonBenet Ramsey and Natalee Hollaway, CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, the New York Times, and others, call upon Dr. Wecht to provide his expert analysis.The expertise of one of the leading forensic pathologists in the world and accomplished true-crime journalist Dawna Kaufmann come together to present five fascinating cases in this riveting page-turner filled with many details available nowhere else:· Who or what killed Anna Nicole Smith? Who or what killed her young son, Daniel Smith? Was his death associated with Anna Nicole's own demise just months later? Dr. Wecht-who was hired to do an independent autopsy on the body of Daniel Smith-considers whether someone attempted to get one or both of them out of the way. · Who killed twelve-year-old Stephanie Crowe, who was found stabbed to death in the hallway of her home? Dr. Wecht's acumen helped straighten out a baffling whodunit that had left local law enforcement going down the wrong path.· Should David Westerfield be on death row for the murder of his seven-year-old neighbor, Danielle van Dam? What were the mistakes and victories in that dramatic trial?· During the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, did medical professionals at a distinguished New Orleans hospital purposely inject elderly patients with heart-stopping medications? What does the evidence say? "Fantastic forensic detail. Great mystery writing. The reader is pulled right into A Question of Murder ." -- Dr. Henry C. Lee , Chief Emeritus for Scientific Service for the state of Connecticut, and author of Forensic Files , Cracking Cases and Cracking More Cases "From the morgue as a forensic pathologist to the courtroom as an expert witness, Dr. Cyril Wecht gives the deceased a voice. This thrilling book explains the process he goes through to determine if a death is suspicious and needs to be dealt with by the criminal justice system." -- Dr. Michael M. Baden , former Chief Medical Examiner for New York City, and host of HBO's series, "Autopsy." "What a good combination: One of America's leading medical detectives paired with a very savvy crime reporter. Readers will enjoy A Question of Murder ." -- Robert K. Ressler, M.S. , an author and co-founder of the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. "You might think someone who wrote true-crime all day would look for lighter reading. That's often true, but I was completely fascinated with A Question of Murder and read it far into the wee hours. Cyril Wecht is among a handful of outstanding forensic pathologists--his memory and files are filled with details of infamous death investigations. Now he shares his stories. Dawna Kaufmann co-authors with a style and fluidity that makes the pages fly by. This book is for the intelligent true-crime devotee who searches for the secrets behind the secrets in the most incredible cases of our time. I thought I knew the hidden details, but I found I didn't. This will become a classic in the genre. Spellbinding." -- Ann Rule , the author of The Stranger Beside Me, Too Late to Say Goodbye , and 27 more true-crime books Cyril H. Wecht, MD, JD , one of the world’s leading forensic pathologists/lawyers, is the author or co-author of A Question of Murder, Tales from the Morgue, Mortal Evidence, Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?, Grave Secrets, Cause of Death , and hundreds of professional publications. He has served as president of both the American College of Legal Medicine and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and has appeared on numerous nationally syndicated television programs, including Dateline NBC, 48 Hours Mystery, 20/20, On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, Geraldo at Large, Issues with Jane Velez- Mitchell , and many others. Dawna Kaufmann is an accomplished true-crime journalist whose work has been heralded by law enforcement and the media. The co-author with Dr. Wecht of A Question of Murder , she has covered hundreds of high-profile homicide and missing-person cases for national magazines, including the National Enquirer, Star , and Globe , as well as countless other publications, and has contributed material to Criminalists: An Introduction to Forensic Science , the leading textbook on the subject for high schools and universities. In addition, she is an award-winning producer and writer, with a multitude of credits in television, including late-night and variety programming. A QUESTION OF MURDER By CYRIL H. WECHT DAWNA KAUFMANN Prometheus Books Copyright © 2008 Cyril H. Wecht, MD, JD, and Dawna Kaufmann All right reserve