Forensic Pathology News
Dr. Young will post links to news articles that interest him about
forensic pathology, medical examiners, coroners and death
investigation in this section.
Pathology in the News
- Scala-Barnett sworn in as new Lucas County coroner
- The appointment of Dr. Diane Scala-Barnett as Lucas County coroner was approved this week by the central committee of the Lucas County Democratic Party. She was sworn in by Judge Michelle Wagner of Toledo Municipal Court.
- Mother sentenced in shaken baby case speaks out in exclusive jailhouse interview
- Dr. Young: It is amazing that after so many decades of shaken baby nonsense reporters are claiming it to be the "leading cause of child abuse deaths in the US."
- Deputy chief medical examiner: Dehydration death 'at the hands of another'
- Dr. Wieslawa Tlomak, Milwaukee County's deputy chief medical examiner, later testified that Thomas died of dehydration. "Since the water was turned off in his cell and he didn't have access to water, I determined it was death at the hands of another," Tlomak testified. "I determined the manner of death was a homicide." But during questioning from Ramsey-Guy's lawyer, she noted medical checks on Thomas between April 16 and April 24 didn't document any symptoms of dehydration such as dry lips or dry mucus membranes. "I didn't see any of that in the records," Tlomak said. [Dr. Tlomak, you don't know what you don't know. You should leave the ultimate issue of why he died to the jury.]
- Trial set for Austintown man accused of killing daughter
- Sherlock Effect: Though Sumpter told police the girl fell while he was tossing her in the air playfully and that her death was an accident, the girl’s autopsy by the medical examiner’s office indicated otherwise, prosecutors said.
- Ishizaki: Farewell to Guam's longtime medical examiner, Dr. Aurelio Espinola
- "I want to take this opportunity to honor and thank Dr. Aurelio Espinola for 25 years of service as chief medical examiner. He will retire at the end of the month."
- Lump sum payout will leave no money for new medical examiner, staff
- News from Guam: A lump sum payout of $215,000 for the island's chief medical examiner's unused leave and other benefits will mean a new medical examiner and the existing staff can't be paid.
- Chief Medical Examiner testifies in Hupperterz trial
- Sherlock Effect: "When the doctor was asked if that scenario could have been the cause of her death, he said Burleigh's death was consistent with strangulation because of petechiae seen in Burleigh's eyes, a hemorrhaging of eye blood vessels. The doctor also pointed to a checkered pattern of pooled blood on Burleigh's back, which he says happens hours after a victim is killed, to that of a floor mat in the kitchen - a different location from where the defense claims she died."
- Trial begins for Robert Donte Graham, Lakeland man accused of killing his 4-month-old son
- BARTOW — Prosecutors in this week’s trial of Robert Donte Graham told jurors Tuesday that shortly before midnight Dec. 28, 2014, Graham deliberately slammed his 4-month-old son, Princeton, onto a bed four times and shook him while holding him upside down. [This is invented; not witnessed. The confession is based on a presumption of foul play. This is the Sherlock Effect.]
- Toppen bound over for trial on child abuse, murder charges
- Clinton Burroughs said Toppen called him just after 2 p.m. and told him that Scarlett was unresponsive and foaming at the mouth. Toppen called 911 and paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after that. Forensic pathologist Dr. David Start conducted an autopsy Nov. 20. He found the cause of the girl’s death to be craniocerebral trauma, or a head injury. He ruled the death a homicide. [Dr. Young: Sherlock Effect. An infant suddenly becoming unresponsive can lead to findings that look like the shaken baby syndrome.]
- In homicide trial of man claiming self-defense, medical examiner says victim first shot from behind
- But [Dr.] Rogalska said she couldn’t determine what position Faber’s body was in when he was shot or the movements of Faber and his alleged killer, only where the bullets entered and exited. [Dr. Young: Good job! Thank you for not behaving like Sherlock Holmes!]
- Dealing With The Dead: A Look Inside Garfield County’s Coroner’s Office
- He sends bodies to Dr. Dean Havlik, a forensic pathologist in Grand Junction. According to Havlik, first and foremost, the autopsy needs to address the question of murder. “The main reason we do the autopsy, the number one reason, is trying to rule in or rule out a homicide,” he said. [Dr. Young: NO!!! "Thinking dirty" like this doesn't work! An autopsy is one tool in the investigation of "what happened" and "who, if anyone, is responsible for what happened." One can't "rule in" or "rule out" anything with an autopsy. Claiming that one can is flawed Sherlock-Holmes-style reasoning.]
- Bad forensic science is putting innocent people in prison
- The Sherlock Effect is putting innocent people in prison: it is "bad forensic science." The problem is not with forensic science techniques that work well when used properly but are now heavily criticized in the media. The media and well-meaning but mistaken scientists blame the wrong thing.
Pathology Links
- ACCPE means Affirming the Consequent for Complex Past Events. It is The Sherlock Effect.
- Whenever an expert states the past events that occurred on the basis of looking only at the physical evidence without reference to eyewitness statements, he or she is Affirming the Consequent for Complex Past Events. This is not only logically invalid and unsound, it never works in practice, Sherlock Holmes, CSI and Bones notwithstanding. Whenever ACCPE is listed in my comments to a news article, recognize one more tragic example of how this fallacy can destroy lives. ACCPE can also be understood as "backward reasoning,""effect-to-cause reasoning," or "abductive inference."
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences
- ForensicScienceDegree.org
- For further information on forensic science.
- National Association of Medical Examiners