Myth and Reality in Forensic Pathology
Kelly C. Lear-Kaul Forensic Pathologist
Arapahoe County Coroner's Office
Centennial, CO
Click on each slide thumbnail image for an enlarged view
Take home points:
Misconceptions perpetuated by popular culture can be
harmful to the families of the decedents by fostering unrealistic expectations, and can actually damage
the credibility of a Medical Examiner/Coroner Office when the gullibility of the general public is used
to gain political leverage
Errors of fact and of proportion are propagated in
entertainment programs, but most inaccuracies are a combination of the two (it makes for better
television, after all)
Categories of misinformation:
Policies and procedures
Bad science
Timing
Technology and tools
The "CSI Effect" is something we commonly deal with in
FP, with questions and misunderstandings coming from family members, constituents of our jurisdiction,
juries, lawyers, and even law enforcement
Family members have unrealistic expectations and increased
suspicions
Juries vulnerable to traps when lawyers meld fact and fiction
to benefit clients
Prosecutors and law enforcement expect definitive and specific
answers
