meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
48 Hours

Terror at the Morgue

48 Hours

CBS News

True Crime, Tv & Film

4.17.8K Ratings

🗓️ 27 February 2026

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On June 1, 2002, Memphis police responded to an alleged attack outside a morgue. The victim was the medical examiner, Dr. O.C. Smith, who was found wrapped in barbed wire with a bomb strapped to his neck. Dr. Smith survived but was concerned his assailant might attack again. “48 Hours" Correspondent Troy Roberts reports.

This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 7/8/2006. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

I'm

0:02.0

Street,

0:03.0

Tom, you have any wanted to come in

0:05.0

that's

0:07.0

okay? I'm Lieutenant Jerry Blum with the Memphis Police Department.

0:26.6

I've been on the Memphis Police Department in 22 years.

0:31.6

What I saw that night at the medical examiner's office was like something I've never seen before. The worst thing was the barbed wire going in my mouth and around my head.

0:46.3

You're being attacked.

0:47.3

Right. He's able to pick me up and push me up against the security grate and shackle me.

0:55.0

He passes this object under my chin and tells me, push it, pull it, twist it, and you die.

1:06.0

Welcome to death row.

1:10.0

... Welcome to death row. One of the dispatchers told me that the medical examiner had a bomb around his neck at the forensic center.

1:23.6

Dr. Smith was in a crucifix position. His hands are above his shoulders.

1:29.3

It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in my life. And we're trying to keep him as calm as we possibly can.

1:36.3

And all you can do is control your mind to control the pain, control your body to not move the bomb.

1:47.0

And I grab a hold of this thing and I'm holding on for dear life now because I know it can't move.

1:52.0

We cut the wires and we were able to take the doctor and remove him from that alleyway.

1:59.0

I get angry that somebody wants to take Dr. Smith and put him through so much torture

2:05.6

and torment.

2:08.6

I'm very upset.

2:10.6

They need to find the person that did this.

2:14.6

It became a priority to find out who would do this to the medical examiner. He's still out there. And I don't know what his trigger point is. If he is still angry, then he can come after me again. Terror at the Morg. I'm New York. Memphis, Tennessee,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from CBS News, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of CBS News and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.