Mortal Evidence

A lifeless newborn baby is found discarded in a motel Dumpster. Authorities quickly arrest the infant's teenage parents, charging them with murder. Did Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson, in fact, murder their own baby? Tammy Wynette died suddenly at a relatively young age, and yet no autopsy was performed? Was someone trying to hide the real cause of death? Did Sam Sheppard (later dubbed The Fugitive based on a television series) really kill his wife? And if not, who committed the murder? Things are not always as they appear, as world-renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht shows in this riveting behind-the-scenes look at nine famous cases. In the nationally known baby case involving Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson, Dr. Wecht reviews the evidence and comes to a startling conclusion. In fascinating detail, he demonstrates how the tools of forensic pathology often uncover murky, long-hidden secrets that crack seemingly unsolvable crimes. Writing in the first-person Dr. Wecht leads you into the heart of the investigation, focusing each chapter on a single engrossing drama. He reveals the most startling evidence that shows why JonBenet Ramsey's killer most likely came from within her home, why O.J. Simpson probably had an accomplice in the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, shocking revelations about Robert Berdella's grisly torture and sex-abuse crimes against young men, and many intriguing facts about other infamous cases. If you find the fictional plots of such dramas as C.S.I. exciting, you will be amazed by the true stories told by Dr. Wecht, with the help of two top-flight veteran reporters, Greg Saitz and Mark Curriden, in this amazing real-life thriller. As this intriguing page-turner proves, the science of forensic pathology has changed the face of detective work forever. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Author: Ring Lardner
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 12/01/1997
Pages: 322
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.44lbs
Size: 9.46h x 6.04w x 1.03d
ISBN: 9781591021346


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 10/01/2003

About the Author
Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D. (Pittsburgh, PA), one of the world's leading pathologists, is the author of Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?, Grave Secrets, Cause of Death, and hundreds of professional publications. He has served as president of both the American College of Legal Medicine and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and has appeared on numerous nationally syndicated television programs including NBC's Dateline, Larry King Live, 20/20, Burden of Proof, and many others.
Greg Saitz (Parsippany, NJ), for many years a crime and court reporter for The (Newark) Star Ledger, now works on the business desk.
Mark Curriden (Dallas, TX) is the lawyer-media strategist for Vinson & Elkins, LLP, and the former legal writer for The Dallas Morning News and The Atlanta Constitution. >.