Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

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.
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Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert
Here's Sydney Silvagni with some of our top stories this week.
Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”
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Shots ran out as Charlie Kirk sat on stage at a Utah Valley University event. The conservative activist reportedly hit near his neck and killed. According to reports, the shot was fired from the roof of a campus building about 200 yards away. Social Video posts show Kirk in a familiar pose, speaking into a handheld microphone, sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” The single shot booms and Kirk reaches up with his right hand. Blood gush from underneath.
Now the accused shooter, Tyler Robinson’s defense team has called for the entire Utah County prosecutor’s office to be recused. The defense’s claims a potential conflict of interest as a lead prosecutor’s child was at the event where Kirk was assassinated. That, according to the defense, tainted the office’s decisions. A judge has ruled the teen's attendance “did not materially influence” prosecutors’ actions.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
Franz Borghardt - Criminal Defense Attorney, Founder of Borghardt Law Firm, Former Prosecutor, and Adjust Professor at Louisiana State University Teaching Criminal Litigation; Instagram and Facebook: BorghardtLawFirm
Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker: When to work on a relationship and when to walk away,” and featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive
Koa Lorimor - Former Army Sniper
Chris McDonough - Director at the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective (worked over 300 homicides in 25-year career), Trained the First Native American Homicide Task Force; Host of YouTube Channel, "The Interview Room"
Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author of "Blood Beneath My Feet," and Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;" X @JoScottForensic
Victoria Churchill - U.S. Political Reporter for DailyMail.com; Instagram & Facebook: VictoriaSnitsarChurchill,
Dan Murphy - Former NYPD Detective-Sergeant, Co-Host of "Gold Shields" Podcast, Author: “Workplace Safety: Establishing an Effective Violence Prevention Program"
Sydney Sumner - 'Crime Stories'  Investigative Reporter
Dave Mack -'Crime Stories'  Investigative Reporter
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Josh Duggar hires a new attorney as he tries for a fourth bid at freedom. Attorney Beau B. Brindley is arguing Duggar’s original trial was unfair. At an appeal hearing last month, Duggar appeared virtually, regarding an appeal that prosecutors argue was filed after the deadline. The court is deciding whether this appeal can proceed. The current motion alleges prosecutorial misconduct, misleading forensic evidence, and claims that evidence was withheld. His previous attempts to vacate the conviction, including appeals to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, have been denied.
The former reality television star was arrested by federal agents on child pornography charges, “knowingly received child pornography.”
He also “knowingly possessed child pornography” during the same months by using the Internet to “download child sexual abuse material.” Duggar entered a rehabilitation center in 2015 after he confessed to inappropriately touching his younger sisters when he was a teenager.
Duggar was also accused of creating a private, paid Ashley Madison account, a social site made for people wanting to cheat on their significant other. Attorneys for Duggar claim he was not responsible for the data on his computer, that he was hacked.

Joining Nancy Grace Today:
Sara G. West, M.D., Forensic Psychiatrist, Specializing in Sexually Deviant Behavior, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, forensicpsychiatryMD.com
Glenn Bard - Retired Pennsylvania State Trooper First Class, Computer Crime Investigations, U.S. Veteran of Operation Desert Storm, PATCtech Digital Forensics patc tech dot com
Jackie Howard - Crime Stories investigative reporter.

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Alex Murdaugh's murder conviction has been unanimously overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court. A new trial has been ordered for the disgraced attorney privously convicted for the murders of his wife and son. The ruling was based on jury tampering accusations against court clerk Becky Hill, of improperly influencing jurors, depriving Murdaugh of a fair trial. The court also noted that the original trial judge erred by allowing extensive testimony on Murdaugh's financial crimes.
The two consecutive life sentences against Murdaugh have been vacated. Prosecutors now intend to retry the murder case by January 2027. Murdaugh will remain in prison, as he is still serving roughly 67 years for numerous financial crimes and fraud, to which he plead guilty.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
Amie Williams - juror in Alex Murdaugh's murder trial / Author of "The Long Road to Justice: Unraveling Alex Murdaugh's Tangled Web"
John Mobley - Trial attorney, John Mobley Law Firm, https://johnmobley.com/
Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Host of a new podcast "On The Couch with Dr. Bethany Marshall," Author: "Deal Breaker,” featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock, www.drbethanymarshall.com , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive
Dr. Michelle DuPre - forensic pathologist and former medical examiner, former detective: Lexington County Sheriff's Department, Author: “Money, Mischief, and Murder: The Murdaugh Dynasty...the Rest of the Story," "Homicide Investigation Field Guide" & "Child Abuse Investigation Field Guide", rorensic consultant, DMichelleDupreMD.com
Jennifer Wood - Journalist and Director of research at FITSNews.com, Twitter: @IndyJenn_,
Dave Mack- Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'
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