Content Warning: This episode discusses the deaths of individuals. If you’re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns reflects on how celebration and death often share the same season. From Christmas music echoing through the medical examiner's office to a door-decorating contest that nearly led to suspension, he recalls the unusual ways morgue culture adapts to the holidays. Dr. Crowns also recounts a corporate holiday party that ended in homicide, explains the science behind neck injuries, and remembers the “death watch” he and his father kept while delivering newspapers to those who died alone during the most festive time of the year.

Highlights

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

• (0:45) Christmas music in the morgue and a memory that tested family tolerance

• (3:45) Door-decorating competitions from residency and the Rudolph controversy

• (7:30) Holiday parties, the rumored poisoning case, and the politics of the potluck table

• (11:00) The dangers of open bars at holiday office parties and a rivalry gone wrong

• (14:00) Understanding subarachnoid hemorrhages, vertebral artery tears, and blunt-force trauma

• (17:45) Decomposition and the reality of those who die unnoticed, leading to the “death watch” lessons learned on a paper route

• (22:15) Closing reflections: the importance of checking in on others during the holiday season

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.

If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines the fallibility of non-scientific identification and the consequences when it fails. The case of “Crackhead Carl,” remembered by a single tree, and the story of identical twins mistaken in death both reveal how clothing, jewelry, and circumstance can mislead even the most seasoned investigators. With his characteristic precision and dry wit, Dr. Crowns illustrates why science, not assumption, defines the truth.

Highlights

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

• (0:30) Non-scientific methods of identification: clothing, jewelry, and location as early clues

• (1:15) Why dentures, facial features, and decomposition make visual ID unreliable

• (3:00) Before digital databases: when family contact and fingerprints were the only available tools

• (3:45) “Crackhead Carl” and a small-town identification built on assumption

• (5:30) The twin mistaken for dead after his brother’s heroin overdose

• (11:30) The family’s reaction and the unsettling phone call that followed

• (13:00) A second twin story: the living sister stands before Dr. Crowns with the same face he autopsied the day before

• (16:00) The birthmark that confirmed identity and closed the case

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, FortWorth, 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.

If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of infectious disease, autopsy procedures, and workplace exposure. If you’re sensitive to these topics, this episode may not be for you.

In the morgue, danger doesn’t end when the heart stops beating. In this second installment of Exposure, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns recounts two life-threatening encounters with invisible hazards that linger within the morgue. From a chance exposure to meningococcal meningitis that turned a friendly chat into a medical emergency, to a tuberculosis case that nearly landed him on a delinquent-patient arrest list, Dr. Crowns reveals the real-world risks faced by medical examiners who work at the edge of science and safety. Part science lesson, part cautionary tale, this episode exposes the ongoing threat of infectious disease and the discipline required to work among it.

If you missed the first episode in this series, listen to Mayhem in the Morgue | Exposure (Part 1)

Highlights

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

• (0:30) Recap of Exposure (Part 1) and an introduction to autopsy hazards

• (1:30) Case 1: Meningococcus: a deadly bacterium and a moment of exposure

• (3:45) The friend, the mask, and the realization that came too late

• (6:00) Preventive treatment and a lasting reminder to always wear PPE

• (6:45) Case 2: Tuberculosis: an ancient pathogen meets modern medicine

• (8:00) The resident-year autopsy that led to lifelong TB exposure

• (13:15) Public health protocols, medications, and unexpected consequences

• (21:00) A near-arrest for missing a medication pickup after his daughter's birth

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 Storieswith Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts.

If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with afriend, and leave us a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This episode discusses the deaths of individuals and animal scavenging. If you’re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you.

It started with a song lyric: “She was a winner that became a doggie’s dinner.” But behind that darkly humorous line lies a story stranger (and sadder) than the myth it inspired. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns investigates the real story behind the tragic death of silent film star Marie Prevost, separating rumor from forensic reality. Through real cases and forensic insight, Dr. Crowns shows how devotion, biology, and the harsh realities of animal scavenging can collide in the aftermath of death.

Highlights

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

• (0:30) A song lyric leads Dr. Crowns down an unexpected rabbit hole

• (1:00) The real story of Marie Prevost, her silent film fame, heartbreak, and decline

• (2:15) The 1937 discovery, the truth behind the rumor, and how the book Hollywood Babylon distorted the facts

• (4:30) From myth to morgue: the forensic reality of postmortem pet scavenging

• (6:00) How hunger, instinct, and biology drive behavior in dogs, cats, and even rodents

• (7:45) The Chihuahua pack case and the nightmare scene investigators walked into

• (9:15) When pet hoarding turns horrific: 20 cats, one body, and the survival instinct at work

• (11:15) Displacement behavior and the Memphis case involving a loyal dog, a group of raccoons, and the forensic clue that revealed the truth

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.

If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This episode discusses the deaths of individuals. If you’re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you.

 

A leg on the shore, a hand with no body, and a pair of feet in yellow socks. Every fragment tells a story, and every story leads somewhere unexpected. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns investigates the unsettling cases where only parts arrive in the medical examiner’s office, and the truth must be reconstructed piece by piece.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:30) When the medical examiner’s office receives only parts of a body: heads, hands, and torsos
• (1:45) The case of the unclaimed pinky finger
• (3:30) A leg washes up on the shore of Lake Michigan, exposing the reality of what happens when bodies meet ship propellers
• (6:30) A pair of traumatically amputated legs discovered on the roadside in blood-stained yellow socks
• (7:45) Matching the legs to a hit-and-run victim discovered twelve miles from the point of impact

 

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.

 

📣 If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of autopsy findings, field investigations, and animal-related trauma. If you’re sensitive to these topics, this episode may not be for you.

What begins as a curious question about a patterned injury turns into a full-scale ranch investigation involving a horse, a farrier, a sheriff, and one very angry Chihuahua named Pepe. In this sequel to Hoof Prints (Part1), Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns returns to the scene to discover what truly happened that night. The question, as always, remains the same: was is methamphetamine, alcohol, or women that caused a man to do the thing that led to his death? One perfect hoof print reveals the answer.

 

🎧 Haven’t heard Part 1 yet? Listen to Mayhem in the Morgue | Hoof Prints (Part1)

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:30) Recap of the first hoof prints case and how this investigation began
• (1:15) A night of partying turns deadly on a Texas ranch
• (2:45) A patterned head injury raises the question: rock or hoof?
• (3:45) The farrier and the sheriff join Dr. Crowns to test the theory
• (5:30) Printing a horse’s hoof and a surprise appearance by Pepe, the angry Chihuahua
• (9:15) The perfect impression that confirms the cause of death
• (10:30) Final reflections from the field and lessons learned from the pasture

 

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.

 

📣 If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of autopsies, workplace injuries, and bodily hazards. If you’re sensitive to these topics, this episode may not be for you.

They say the dead can't hurt you. Anyone who's worked in a morgue knows better. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns begins Exposure, a two-part look at the hidden hazards of working among the dead. From bees buzzing out of body bags to bullets, snakes, and sparking pacemakers, these true stories prove that even in death, the threat of harm is still alive.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:45) The dead are still dangerous: hazards that arrive with the body
• (1:15) Bees, scorpions and other stinging surprises
• (3:15) A garter snake slithers out of a body bag
• (4:45) When lice from a deceased patient cause an office-wide infestation
• (7:40) The six main autopsy hazards: mechanical, sharp force, electrical, chemical, radiation, and infection
• (10:00) Back injuries and gurney accidents caused by the morbidly obese
• (12:15) Slippery floors, crush injuries, and repetitive strain
• (13:00) Sharp force dangers: knives, scalpels, broken glass, and needles
• (15:00) Decomposition fluid, broken bones, and close calls
• (17:15) Electrical hazards and sparking pacemakers
• (18:00) Radiation exposure and the early days of fluoroscopy
• (19:30) Closing reflections: the dead are always dangerous

 

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.

 

📣 If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This episode contains disturbing descriptions of the death of an individual. If you’re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you.

In the stillness of dawn at the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, a baby’s cry echoes through the halls, breaking the silence of the morgue. In this special Halloween episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns shares eerie encounters from his forensic pathology career that defy explanation. From the spectral Lady in Red who visits dying patients to a gruesome Halloween murder displayed on a suburban porch, these stories teeter on the edge of science and the supernatural.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:30) The morgue on Halloween: no ghosts, no portals, just an ordinary workday
• (2:30) Sounds of a baby crying in the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office and a haunting coincidence
• (4:45) Linda Turner’s story: a dying patient’s wise advice for a young Dr. Crowns
• (12:45) Lady in Red, a spectral figure said to visit dying hospital patients
• (18:00) The Halloween homicide: a son, his mother, and a gruesome porch display
• (27:00) A Halloween “scary story” assignment takes an unexpected turn when the teacher learns it’s real

 

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.

 

📣 If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of autopsies, bodily fluids, and morgue mishaps. If you’re sensitive to these topics, this episode may not be for you.

 

In ninth grade, Kendall Crowns spent a day at the local morgue, arranged through his father’s friendship with a medical examiner. One autopsy was enough to set his course for life. Decades later, he has seen how morgue tours have a way of separating strong stomachs from the squeamish. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns explores the fainting fits, sudden bouts of vomit, and the unforgettable lessons learned when visitors get the vapors.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:15) Kendall Crowns’ first autopsy at age 14
• (4:00) The case that set a career in motion: witnessing a Russian roulette victim’s autopsy
• (7:15) The FBI agent who knocked himself unconscious on a morgue door
• (7:30) Why morgue tours often end in fainting or vomiting, and how to spot the signs
• (9:30) A boasting cadet crumbles after a cyst explodes
• (11:30) The resident who fainted, recovered, and went on to become a chief medical examiner

 

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.

 

📣 If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.