Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of death, decomposition, and violence. If you’re sensitive to these topics, this episode may not be for you. i

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns revisits a case from his years at the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office in Chicago. He recounts a death investigation that began as a routine toxicology review and led him into the crumbling towers of Cabrini-Green. When an apparent overdose raised suspicions of carbon monoxide poisoning, Dr. Crowns joined his chief and co-fellow deep inside a housing project marked by gang control, decaying high rises, and the eerie legacy that inspired Candyman.

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns

• (0:15) Inside Chicago's Cook County Medical Examiner's Office and Chicago's scale of urban death investigation

• (2:00) A 30-year-old man found dead in his apartment: no injuries, no drugs in sight

• (4:15) How carbon monoxide poisons the body and produces its “cherry red” signature

• (8:00) The chief's rule: always test for CO to prevent future deaths

• (9:45) The M80 ride to Cabrini-Green and its violent reputation

• (16:45) The reality of “elevator pirates” and life inside the decaying towers

• (18:00) Entering the apartment: crowded room, cigarette smoke, and confusion

• (22:45) The basement inspection and the sewage-soaked search for a CO leak

• (25:00) The chief's conclusion: secondhand smoke and cocaine toxicity

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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