Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence.

It is not intended for all audiences.

Listener discretion is advised.

Hello and welcome to Sword and Scale episode 53,

a show that reveals that the worst monsters are real.

Music Forced monsters are real. For 52 episodes, we've covered some of the most horrible acts of violence that a human being is able to inflict on another. We told you about criminal violence from the standpoint

of the perpetrator and the victim and the victim's families.

We've covered the psychology behind different crimes. But one topic we haven't covered here

through all this time is what happens to the human body after death. This process is morbidly

fascinating and grotesquely disgusting, depending on the strength of your stomach. But the clues left behind

during an autopsy often tell the story of exactly how someone met their ultimate end. It's like a book

left behind in bruises, scrapes, and sometimes worse. In today's show, we're going to talk about

the process of human decomposition and what it takes to be a

forensic pathologist and why death is nothing like what you see on television.

This week, we had the pleasure to speak to a husband and wife team that authored a great book that I highly recommend.

Hello.

This is Dr. Melanick.

My name is Dr. Judy Melanick.

I'm a forensic pathologist, and I perform autopsies currently for the Alameda County Sheriff Coroner's Office. I'm also a

forensic consultant and CEO of Pathology Expert Incorporated, a consulting practice. She also co-wrote a book

with her husband, T.J. Mitchell. It's called Working Stiff, Two Years, 262 bodies, and the making of a

medical examiner. This book goes into graphic detail

...