Who needs to hear this today?
On the Forensics Found podcast so far, my guests have been death investigators, detectives, and forensic anthropologists - people I’m familiar working with daily in my job. If you haven’t given it a list yet, head over to my website or listen in wherever you get your podcasting needs met. It’s been so fun sharing case stories, histories, and tips from folks like me who have seen and done it all.
On Thursday, my podcast guests do a job I thought I knew a lot about too, but turns out there was a ton I learned in our discussion! My guests are Autopsy Technicians - the unsung heroes of the morgue.
In the offices I’ve worked, autopsy technicians were taken for granted, paid less, and worked hard. They get to the case when the decedents are removed from the scene, away from family and the harsh elements. They strip them down and clean them up for the forensic pathologists to examine them in a sterile environment under bright lights. Without autopsy techs, the forensic pathologists would have to do their own evisceration, photographs, weighing, and clean up. I mean, lets be real, this just wouldn’t happen. The morgue wouldn’t run without autopsy technicians.
In the bigger urban office, our techs ran a tight ship and handled everything as soon as the decedent entered the facility. The investigators rolled them in and that was the last we saw of the case (unless we asked or went in during autopsy because of curiosity)! I went to lunch and yoga with our techs; they shared the best case stories!
In the smaller rural office, I worked side by side with our one tech. When we had time, he taught me how to eviscerate quickly, drawing fluids, taking xrays, getting proper photographs, labeling and securing evidence, and cleaning up all without getting in the doctor’s way (or near their scalpels!). In turn for my interest in his job, he came on scene with me when I knew I might need extra help making a removal (they grow them big over here) or answered the phone so I could sleep when I ran all night. He introduced me to all of the funeral directors, told me all of the funny stories, and helped me vent when I was stressed out.
I hope you enjoy my interview with autopsy technicians Raven and Erika, who helped develop The National Association of Forensic Autopsy Technicians. If you are an employee of a coroner or medical examiner office, criminal justice or law enforcement agency, first responder, or other death care job and sometimes you don’t feel like an important part of the staff - listen up! You are! There are tons of folks out there with the same job who probably feel the same. Look for a community of folks and if you can’t find one, create one! Join me in my communities too, in social media spaces (IG: @Forensics_Found) or my closed, private, paid space (forensicsfound.thinkific.com).
I appreciate each and every one of you!
Cheers,
Kat
Katharine Pope, MA, D-ABMDI
Forensics Found
www.forensicsfound.com
forensicsfound.thinkific.com
IG @forensics_found
IG @Responders_lastcall
