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.

Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of decomposition, autopsy findings, and homicidal investigation. If you’re sensitive to these topics, this episode may not be for you.

 

A floating trash can on the Chicago River leads to a grisly discovery. Inside, duct tape, chains and tarps conceal a body. Nicknamed “the submarine,” the case exposed just how strange body disposal attempts can be. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns recounts the investigation from his days at the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office where a body dumped in the river resurfaced in unforgettable fashion.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:15) Inside the massive Cook County morgue cooler, built for mass disaster victims
• (3:30) The dreaded trash can cases
• (4:45) The “submarine”: a duct-taped trash can pulled from the Chicago River
• (6:45) Opening the can: tarps, chains, slime, and a smell like “unwashed elephant anus”
• (8:30) After a disastrous attempt to drain the contents, the body emerges
• (10:45) Autopsy findings: blunt force trauma, cocaine use, and possible asphyxia

 

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, ranging from courtroom drama to deaths that even seasoned pathologists struggle to explain.

 

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 practices and morgue mishaps. If you’re sensitive to these topics, this episode may not be for you.

A $50-a-case job, a scalpel, and almost no training.  In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns looks back on his early days as an autopsy technician. From botched haircuts and awkward funeral home encounters to wheeling a body across a sunny hospital parking lot, these road trip mishaps show how even mistakes can shape a medical examiner’s career.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:15) Landing a $50-a-case job as an autopsy technician in the 1980s
• (1:15) Training on the fly with little more than a scalpel and a saw
• (2:00) A less-than-friendly resident, endless “running the intestines,” and a bag of hair for the funeral home
• (4:30) Moving a body to the “mysterious white building” across the parking lot in broad daylight
• (9:15) A windowless van, a collapsing gurney, and a body on the pavement

 

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 and the accidental death of an individual involving animal trauma. If you're sensitive to detailed accounts of injury and investigation, please proceed with caution.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns unpacks the strange case of a 75-year-old man found dead beside a horse trailer. What began as a question of accident or homicide quickly turned into a hoof-print analysis and a chaotic field investigation with the donkey named Arnold.

From pattern matching injuries to near misses in the pasture, this case shows that sometimes the truth really is in the hoof print.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:15) A ranch hand goes missing and turns up dead
• (1:00) Strange pattern injuries and internal damage
• (1:45) Accident or homicide? The investigation begins
• (2:15) The case of the aggressive bull
• (3:45) The horse has an alibi, the donkey does not
• (4:45) Hoof print as evidence?
• (5:45) Cows, fog, and Arnold enters the scene
• (7:15) Donkey wrangling gets dangerous
• (8:45) A forensic near-miss and a smeared print
• (10:15) Match confirmed. Arnold did it
• (11:00) Innocent bull, roaming donkey, and one accidental death

 

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, ranging from courtroom drama to deaths that even seasoned pathologists struggle to explain.

 

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.

What happens when a classroom of fourth graders learns that their guest speaker once autopsied a Star Wars actor? In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns recounts his career day presentations, the bizarre questions kids love to ask, and the one time he was derailed by a child named Monty. From explaining forensic pathology to grade schoolers to calming a room full of kids convinced that Darth Vader actually killed someone, this story shows that sometimes the toughest crowd is not in a courtroom, but a classroom.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:15) Career days and the mission to spread forensic pathology
• (1:00) How to make autopsy talk school friendly
• (2:15) Spielberg, Jaws, and the art of showing just enough
• (4:00) The bizarre questions kids ask
• (5:00) "Who is the most famous person you have autopsied?”
• (5:30) The Star Wars actor autopsy story
• (6:45) Chaos breaks out in the classroom
• (8:00) Monty vs. logic, round one
• (8:15) “Darth Vader gave him cancer,” Monty strikes again
• (9:00) Teacher to the rescue
• (9:45) Lessons learned about grade schoolers

 

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, ranging from courtroom drama to deaths that even seasoned pathologists struggle to explain.

 

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, decomposition, and animal predation. If you’re sensitive to these topics, this episode may not be for you.

A fisherman’s disappearance, his empty boat, and circling alligators lead to a grim discovery. In a separate case, a family Labrador retriever trots home with her latest find, a human head. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns investigates two extraordinary cases of scientific identification, showing that forensic science can reveal the truth in the strangest circumstances.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:15) An introduction to scientific identification and how it helps solve difficult cases
• (2:15) Stomach contents, swamp water, and the first clues of what really happened
• (5:00) A second case: Carly the Labrador retriever brings home a human head
• (6:15) Mummified remains are tested, and DNA reveals the victim’s connection to the U.S. Marshals’ Most Wanted list
• (8:15) A press conference overshadowed by an unexpected star: the dog

 

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, ranging from courtroom drama to deaths that even seasoned pathologists struggle to explain.

 

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 fatal injuries and autopsy findings related to a fireworks-related death. If you’re sensitive to detailed accounts of trauma, please proceed with caution.

 

What happens when alcohol, bravado, and high-powered explosives mix? In this explosive episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns breaks down a July 4th case that began with fireworks and ended in fatal blunt force trauma. What seemed like a freak accident soon turned into a full-blown forensic experiment, complete with shattered ribs, broken equipment, and one very disgruntled physicist.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (0:15) The fatal trifecta: alcohol, meth, or women?
• (1:00) Fireworks 101 — and why they don’t belong on your chest
• (2:00) A party turns tragic
• (2:30) Autopsy reveal devastating internal injuries
• (3:30) The physicist with a luggage scale
• (4:30) Broken scales slow-mo failures and scientific dead ends
• (5:00) Enter Bonnie: the PhD student with the right tools
• (6:15) Blistered thumbs and the final answer — 90mph to the chest
• (7:00) The final cause: intoxication, bravado, and a deadly decision

 

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, ranging from courtroom drama to deaths that even seasoned pathologists struggle to explain.

 

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.

Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue, an unfiltered, often absurd look inside the world of forensic pathology. In this episode, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns recounts the day a routine courtroom testimony over a strangulation case turned into a showdown with a defense attorney, a sticky note, and a very impatient judge. What began as standard expert witness work spiraled toward a contempt charge, a trip to the judge’s chambers, and one critical phone call that kept Dr. Crowns out of county lockup.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
• (1:00) The strangulation case
• (3:00) A sticky note becomes a legal weapon
• (4:00) The defense attorney’s tactics
• (4:30) Choosing between a boss’s wrath and a night in jail
• (6:00) One phone call in the judge’s chambers

 

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, performing thousands of autopsies and testifying 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 cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. With gallows humor and unflinching detail, Dr. Crowns shares investigations that range from decomposing feet with no bodies to deaths even seasoned pathologists struggle to explain.

 

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.