Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns picks up where Part One left off, returning to the Traci Todd case, where dental work found in a damaged skull helped identify the victim and a confession later clarified her cause of death was strangulation. He then continues through the four categories of dismemberment, from defensive and offensive mutilation to aggressive and necromantic cases. Dr. Crowns wraps up the episode by returning to the Celeste Rivas Hernandez case, pointing out the nearly two-week gap between her death and her eventual dismemberment and the lingering questions about what happened during that time.

Mentioned in the Episode:
Mayhem in the Morgue | Death and Dismemberment: Part 1
Mayhem in the Morgue | Ghost Stories
Mayhem in the Morgue | Mom Stuff
Mayhem in the Morgue | The Bully

Highlights:
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:30) Recap of the D4VD case, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and the four categories of dismemberment
(1:00) Returning to the Traci Todd case after a human skull is discovered in Beaubien Woods
(4:30) Identifying Traci Todd through previous dental work and what the recovered remains reveal
(5:30) Why Traci’s cause of death was difficult to determine and how Kevin Williams’ mistakes helped connect the case
(6:15) Defensive dismemberment, the Traci Todd case, and how cutting a body apart can conceal cause of death
(6:45) Offensive mutilation, mental illness and Dr. Crowns’ related case from “Ghost Stories”
(7:30) Aggressive mutilation, decapitation, and Dr. Crowns’ related case from “Mom Stuff"
(8:30) Necromantic mutilation, body-part retention, and the disturbing forensic conference presentation Dr. Crowns still remembers
(17:00) Returning to the Celeste Rivas Hernandez case and the timeline between death, dismemberment, and disposal

About the Host:
Dr. Kendall Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has 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 sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often-misunderstood 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 a review.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns analyzes the autopsy of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered and decomposing remains were discovered inside the “frunk” of a Tesla belonging to the artist D4VD. Dr. Crowns explains how medical examiners read decomposition, insect activity, saw marks, and trace evidence to determine what happened before and after death. He also introduces the four major types of dismemberment, using a gang-related homicide and the Traci Todd case to show how these crimes are categorized and what postmortem injuries can reveal.

Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:30) Dr. Crowns opens Death and Dismemberment, Part One with the Celeste Rivas Hernandez case
(3:00) Alleged purchases, disposal materials, and the timeline leading up to the discovery of Hernandez’s remains
(5:00) How decomposition changes the body and what insect activity can reveal during autopsy
(7:15) What the autopsy report says about Hernandez’s dismembered remains
(8:00) How chainsaws mark bone and leave behind significant DNA evidence
(10:00) Interpreting injuries from the report: blue plastic fragments, penetrating wounds, and signs of postmortem damage
(13:00) Toxicology findings and the official cause and manner of death
(14:00) The four categories of dismemberment and why defensive mutilation is the most common
(18:15) A gang-related homicide shows how postmortem dismemberment was used for transport
(22:00) The Traci Todd case, Kevin Williams, and the missing-person investigation that led to Beaubien Woods

About the Host:

Dr. Kendall Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has 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 NancyGrace, Dr. Crowns brings sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often-misunderstood 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 a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines how forensic pathology, DNA evidence, and meticulous evidence preservation can revive years-long cold cases, specifically focusing on the 1990 Lover’s Lane murder and the 1993 Brown’s Chicken massacre. Dr. Crowns details the physiological realities of neck trauma and the four stages of hemorrhagic shock, and explains how tools like the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) allow investigators to match decades old DNA to identify potential suspects. The episode closes with Dr. Crowns sharing lessons learned from testifying in court and the importance of using precise language.

Highlights
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:15) The Lover’s Lane murders, cold case questions, and Dr. Crowns’ follow-up to a recent Crime Stories with Nancy Grace discussion
(1:15) Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson are reported missing before searchers discover their bodies in the woods
(2:15) What incised wounds reveal about sharp force trauma to the neck
(3:00) Why injuries to the carotid arteries and jugular veins can lead to hemorrhagic shock and rapid death
(9:00) What Henry and Atkinson likely endured before losing consciousness
(10:15) A 2026 tip, CODIS, and the DNA match that may move the Lover’s Lane case toward trial
(12:00) How DNA and trace evidence are collected during autopsy and preserved for future testing
(14:45) The Brown’s Chicken massacre and how discarded food evidence led to preserved DNA samples
(21:30) Breakthrough in the case and the identification of the suspects
(22:45) Why substitute medical examiners sometimes testify in older cases and the importance of using precise language in court
(29:30) Smith v. Arizona, the confrontation clause, and legal changes affecting substitute testimony
(31:15) Closing thoughts on how modern forensic science continues to solve cold cases

About the Host:
Dr. Kendall Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, andKansas. 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 sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often misunderstood 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 a review.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines one of the rarest and most violent natural causes of death: lightning. Using a case involving two teenagers killed in a park, along with the only lightning-related autopsy he has personally performed, Dr. Crowns explains how lightning forms, the different ways it damages the body, and the statistics that show who is most at risk and when lightning strikes are most likely to occur.

Highlights:
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:45) Two teenagers are killed by lightning in a park, and Dr. Crowns reflects on growing up weather-aware in Kansas
(2:45) A substitute teacher replaces the fired teacher, and a lightning strike on his family’s house deepens Dr. Crowns’ fascination with lightning
(4:00) The aftermath of the fatal strike in the park and the severe injuries it caused
(5:45) How lightning forms and why lightning deaths are so rare
(8:45) Lightning strike statistics, who is most at risk, and when strikes are most likely to occur
(10:45) Activities most commonly linked to lightning fatalities
(12:00) Dr. Crowns’ only lightning-related autopsy
(14:00) The different ways lightning can injure or kill
(16:15) How lightning affects the nervous system, heart, lungs, eyes, and skin
(17:45) The autopsy findings that can help confirm a lightning death, including Lichtenberg figures

About the Host:
Dr. Kendall Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has 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 sharp medical insight and dark humor 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 a review.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines how an ordinary day outdoors can turn deadly after an encounter with bees, wasps, hornets, or fire ants. Using real forensic cases, he explains the four stages of anaphylaxis, the aggressive nature of killer bees, and how forensic pathologists determine whether an insect attack caused, contributed to, or merely complicated a person’s death.

Highlights:
(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:15) Why stinging insects can turn an ordinary summer day into a fatal emergency
(1:30) Dr. Crowns’ childhood story involving yellow jackets, his brother, and a very bad idea
(5:30) How stinging insects are classified and the anatomy of stingers
(6:15) The Schmidt sting pain index and the varying pain of insect stings
(9:00) Sting frequency, allergic reactions, and seasonal danger patterns
(11:00) Case one: a fatal bee swarm after a lawn mower disturbs a nest
(13:30) The difference between bees, wasps, hornets, and the threat of killer bees
(19:15) The four stages of anaphylaxis and autopsy findings that help confirm a fatal reaction
(24:00) Case two: a woman found covered in fire ants, and what really caused her death

About the Host:

Dr. Kendall Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has 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 sharp medical insight and dark humor 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 a review.


See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.