The Autopsy Episode - A Life Among the Dead

Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan

When Joseph Scott Morgan was on his first date with his wife Kim she asked him what he did for a living. When he responded by telling her that he worked for the Medical Examiner, essentially the coroner, examining dead bodies and performing autopsies, she looked at him with a puzzled expression…

We all have aspects of our lives that are unusual, whether it’s our family, our habits, or our jobs. But when we do these things every day, they become so normal to us that we don’t even question them anymore.

In this special episode of Body Bags, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan and Jackie Howard go into depth on the touchstone of forensic death investigation: autopsies. They discuss what an autopsy is, who can order one, the different kinds, and how Joe ended up in this unique profession.

Show Notes:

0:00 - Intro

2:07 - What is an autopsy?

4:10 - Who determines when an autopsy is done? Why would you not do one?

7:40 - Can an autopsy be done even if the family doesn’t want it?

9:58 - Gloria Satterfield’s cause of death

12:45 - Are there different kinds of autopsies?

17:55 - Joe’s experience in the autopsy room

18:56 - What is a full autopsy and how long does it take?

26:50 - Can certain autopsies be prioritized?

30:22 - Is an autopsy considered surgery?

34:05 - How did Joseph Scott end up working in a morgue?

38:50 - Seeing bodies in all different kinds of states

41:40 - How does Joe’s family deal with his line of work?

43:45 - Joe’s take on his career

45:21 - Wrap up

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