In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns continues his discussion of overkill, explaining the five categories recognized in forensic literature: expressive, instrumental, sexual, psychotic, and culturally motivated overkill. He shares two of his own cases, including a Chicago stabbing case that later sent him to the crime scene of a homicide he had already autopsied and a Texas case involving sexual overkill, necrophilia, and schizophrenia. Dr. Crowns closes by considering how the University of Idaho murders may fit within the overkill framework and what Bryan Kohberger’s reported behavior may suggest about his possible motive.

Missed Part One?

Mayhem in the Morgue |Overkill: Part One

Highlights

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

(0:15) Dr. Crowns recaps Overkill: Part One and introduces the five categories of overkill

(1:00) Expressive overkill: impulsive, emotionally charged attacks and their key characteristics

(1:45) Instrumental overkill: calculated violence driven by financial gain, revenge, or escalation

(2:30) Sexual overkill: sadistic or paraphilic arousal, ritualistic elements, and targeted wounds

(3:00) Psychotic overkill: disorganized attacks, delusional ideation, and cognitive fragmentation

(3:30) Culturally motivated overkill: honor murders, dominance, punishment, and purification

(4:00) The link between overkill and mental illness and why no single disorder prevails

(5:00) Dr. Crowns’ Chicago case: a 175-stab-wound homicide and the crime scene he visited a week later

(11:45) Dr. Crown’s Texas case: sexual overkill, necrophilia, and a roommate with schizophrenia

(14:45) Dr. Crowns considers Bryan Kohberger’s reported behavior and the unanswered question of motive

About the Host: 

Dr. Kendall Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has 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 sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often-misunderstood 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 and follow Mayhem in the Morgue on TikTok at @mayheminthemorgue. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and be sure to follow Mayhem in the Morgue wherever you get your podcasts.

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