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.