Crime Stories with Nancy Grace19 Okt 2025

Mayhem in The Morgue: Fame, Fourth Graders, and Darth Vader

Follow Mayhem in the Morgue on all podcast platforms: https://link.podtrac.com/MayhemMorgue

What happens when a classroom of fourth graders learns that their guest speaker once autopsied a Star Wars actor? In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns recounts his career day presentations, the bizarre questions kids love to ask, and the one time he was derailed by a child named Monty. From explaining forensic pathology to grade schoolers to calming a room full of kids convinced that Darth Vader actually killed someone, this story shows that sometimes the toughest crowd is not in a courtroom, but a classroom.

Highlights

(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
(0:15) Career days and the mission to spread forensic pathology
(1:00) How to make autopsy talk school friendly
(2:15) Spielberg, Jaws, and the art of showing just enough
(4:00) The bizarre questions kids ask
(5:00) "Who is the most famous person you have autopsied?”
(5:30) The Star Wars actor autopsy story
(6:45) Chaos breaks out in the classroom
(8:00) Monty vs. logic, round one
(8:15) “Darth Vader gave him cancer,” Monty strikes again
(9:00) Teacher to the rescue
(9:45) Lessons learned about grade schoolers

About the Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns

Dr. Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He las 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 unparalleled insight 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, ranging from courtroom drama to deaths that even seasoned pathologists struggle to explain.

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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