A Baffling Ligature: The Complexity Behind Joysee Cartagena’s Death

At 3:42 a.m. on February 17, 1970, Green Beret Doctor Jeffrey MacDonald makes an emergency phone call from his base housing at 544 Castle Drive at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The dispatcher hears the faint message, a call for help, "Stabbing! Hurry!" Inside the residence, MacDonald's wife, Colette, 26, and five months pregnant, lies dead on the floor of the master bedroom, their daughters, Kimberley, 5, and Kristen, 2, are found dead in their respective beds. Jeffrey MacDonald suffered minor injuries, compared to his wife and daughters. MacDonald claims 4 hippies, 3 men and a woman, came into his home, killed his family and knocked him unconscious. MacDonald says the woman with long blond hair was wearing a white floppy hat and holding a candle while chanting "Acid is groovy, kill the pigs." The case has been turned into books, movies, articles, and lawsuits. MacDonald was convicted for the murder of his wife and daughters and sentenced to life in prison. Jeffrey MacDonald claims he was wrongly convicted and has never wavered from his claims that hippies murdered his wife and daughters. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the case and the injuries suffered by Colette, Kimberley, Kristen, and Jeffrey Macdonald, and compare the forensic facts to the story told by the one person who survived. Transcribe Highlights 00:00:01.45 Introduction 00:00:17.91 Killer on the loose in LA 00:03:06.24 Jeffrey MacDonald story 00:05:26.19 Victim recounting traumatic event 00:09:10.74 MacDonald tells his version of events 00:14:09.09 Four Hippies get on military base housing 00:19:10.31 Tearing down location of homicide 00:24:07.38 Officers explaining crime scene 00:29:36.21 Motive doesn't matter at a crime scene 00:33:55.42 MacDonald was the ONLY threat, he survives 00:38:43.83 Wounds on Colette 00:43:09.00 Comparing injuries suffered by girls and MacDonald 00:48:13.19 Injuries suffered by Kimberly, 5-years-old 00:52:21.98 Conclusion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

19 Kesä 52min

A lot of information has come out about the victims in Moscow, Idaho, and the condition of their bodies as well as location and injuries. Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabutt made many public comments in the first days of the investigation that in retrospect might have been misguided, at best. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the case, the evidence, and what was stated as fact early in the investigation that doesn't match up with current facts. Joe Scott Morgan explains the forensics of death, Livor Mortis, Rigor Mortis, as well as PMI, Post Mortem Interval, and how the delay in reporting the bodies could be problematic for the prosecution in the upcoming trial of Brian Kohberger. Transcribe Highlights00:00.19 Introduction 01:48.68 Decomposition - PMI 03:32.16 Elderly people are cold when it is hot 07:00.30 Rigor Mortis, Livor Mortis 11:48.60 Environmentally dependent 15:33.11 Stiffening of jaw 19:56.67 Latah County Coroner said Idaho students killed in their sleep 23:19.82 Strength of Rigor Mortis 28:22.59 Using digital turkey thermometer to get body temp from liver 32:54.33 Assuming room temperature 38:11.60 Latah County Coroner told family member about injuries 43:00.35 Removing stomach and collecting contents 49:49.70 Gastric content 53:08.10 Post Mortem lividity 58:25.86 Conclusion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18 Kesä 57min

A Fertility Clinic Bomber's Manifesto Mentions Staged Suicide Murder 1,200 Miles Away. Lars Nelson calls 911 to report the suicide of his girlfriend, Sophie Tinney. He gives the 911 operator a lot of information and is standing outside to talk to police. When officers arrive they notice that 27-year-old Sophie Tinney is dead from what appears to be a gunshot wound. But they aren't sure it is a suicide. It appears she has three bullet wounds to her head. 1200 miles south of Fox Hollow Island Washington is Palm Springs, California, home to a fertility clinic where 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus, tries to "live stream" his bombing of the clinic. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack talk about the staged suicide death of Sophie Tinney, her boyfriend, Lars Nelson, as well as Guy Edward Bartkus who left a manifesto behind that mentions the death of Sophie Tinney. The time has come to answer the question; what or who is an "Anti-Natalist"?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

17 Kesä 44min

Millions of tourist flock to Paris every year to visit the Louvre or see the Eiffel Tower up close. While tourists take photos on the city streets, under their feet, lining the walls of nearly two hundred miles of tunnels lie the skeletons of 6 MILLION people. Joseph Scott Morgan recounts his recent visit to the tunnels under the "City of Light" and explains how the area became the final resting place for millions of people. And in a shocking turn, the Professor finds a skull that appears to have a gunshot wound to the head! Transcribe Highlights 00:01.76 Introduction02:26.06 Handrail phobia05:00.55 Church and alter made from bones09:48.76 Touring Notre Dame15:19.56 A mantel made of stone19:30.53 Bones stacked according to type25:11.72 WW2 - Nazi's in one place, French resistance in another30:08.31 Looking for trauma on the bones35:44.67 Skull showed trauma 38:17.26 Conclusion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Kesä 38min

Joseph Scott Morgan puts on his teachers cap and explains Decompositional changes and what really happens in the first minutes, hours, and days after death and tells the story of a rookie cop doing a simple welfare check calls for backup after finding a victim dead in his tv chair. The still wet behind the ears cop thinks the victim was killed with a hatchet, but all of the blood and body fluid appearing on the victims' shirt is not from a hatchet, the man had a heart attack. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack talk about the disintegration of body tissues after death, known as decomposition as well as the two processes of Decomposition and how important these processes will be in the upcoming trial of Bryan Kohberger for the murders of four college students in Idaho. Transcript Highlights00:03.14 Introduction 01:34.93 Professor Morgan is ready to teach 04:44.28 Reason for understanding decomposition 09:51.60 Can't always see it, but you can smell it 14:43.12 People dying on toilets 19:01.43 Disintegration, breaking down what is organic 24:31.13 Autolysis and Putrefaction 29:35.64 Body decomposing 34:59.98 Rigor mortis leaves, body becomes flaccid 40:12.40 Toes and fingers dry out 44:32.69 Natural Death looks like a murder 45:35.23 Conclusion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 Kesä 45min

The death of Ellen Greenberg was initially ruled a homicide, but without warning or explanation, Doctor Marlon Osbourne changed the ruling to suicide. Ellen's parents have spent the last 14 years trying to have it changed back to homicide, or undetermined. The Greenberg's have two civil suits about the case, one headed for the state supreme court later this year, but on the first day of jury selection for the other case, a settlement is reached. Doctor Marlon Osbourne, who conducted the autopsy on Ellen Greenberg as the former assistant medical examiner with the ME's office, signed a sworn verification statement in which he says he now believes Ellen's manner of death should be designated as something other than suicide. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the case and breakdown how this change impacts the case today and in the future. Transcribe Highlights 00:00:00 Introduction 03:29.50 Dr. Osbourne changes ruling from homicide to suicide 07:23.79 The life of Ellen Greenberg 12:21.71 location of injuries 17:19.04 Joe talks about autopsy 22:22.18 Greenberg had active day, no issues 27:36.97 Classification of "manner of death" 32:45.96 Giving a statement to police 37:06.32 Steps in death investigation 42:48.71 ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Kesä 41min

Part Two of "Manner, Cause, Mechanism of Death", the death rulings of John O'Keefe, Virginia Giuffre, Dana Plato, Heidi Planck and others including one where a burglar is sent to prison for murdering someone who wasn't shot, stabbed, strangled, or even touched by the suspect who was robbing the place, and who will possibly spend the rest of his life in prison. The Karen Read Case is also discussed as to the Manner, Cause, and Mechanism of death of John O'Keefe. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack talk about cases when no body is found but evidence found at the scene is "incompatible with life" and how this is used in an investigation.Joseph Scott Morgan goes deep into death investigation and what really matters, breaking down the four questions of Death Investigation: How? What? When? Why? Transcribe Highlights 00:02.88 Introduction 00:56.30 Cause and Effect, Mechanism 05:00.66 Suicide Ruling in overdose death of Dana Plato 09:55.12 Needle still in the arm of overdose victims 15:58.79 Manner of death 19:02.38 Coroner decides to rule overdose deaths as homicides 23:59.02 Elderly Man Dies from heart attack meeting robber in Kitchen - Robber sent to prison 28:03.94 Heidi Planck missing, evidence found is incompatible with life 34:15.80 John O'Keefe Manner of death 39:05.80 Brain expands with no place inside skull to go 41:56.73 ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Kesä 41min

The judge in the Bryan Kohberger trial is still searching for the person or persons who leaked info to Dateline that was used in NBC’s 2-hour special on the Idaho Student Murders, “The Terrible Night on King Road” revealing new details and never before seen video that may be key evidence in the state’s case. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack talk about the latest news in the case and JSM breaks down some issues with how forensic evidence was moved from the scene, how the entire crime scene was treated in the days following the murders, as well as what the coroner did or did not do that could create problems at trial. No matter what happens in court or in the media, there are still four young adults who were murdered, and they must be remembered. They deserve justice. Remember the Victims: Ethan Chapin, 20 Xana Kernodle, 20 Kaylee Goncalves, 21 Madison Mogen, 21 Transcribe Highlights 00:13.15 Introduction - Part 2 - Kohberger Case 01:46.38 Judge is displeased with the leak in the case 05:04.66 Risk at trial, slipshod manner the way the trial claimed 09:40.54 Implies some kind of trace element left behind on 14:00.17 Evidence: a mattress was driven down the road in the back of a truck19:54.71 Kohberger lawyer previously represented mother of victim, Xana Kernodle24:04.54 Judge is completely aware 29:01.53 Does the defense have a suspect other than Kohberger?33:43.00 Timeline is going to be very important39:14.10 Not all testimony will be available to public, some will not be streamed 43:47.94 Whoever did this quadruple murder is/was a monster44:11.81 ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Kesä 43min