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Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner
From TV’s CSI to bestsellers by Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, interest in forensics is at an all-time high. Now one of our most respected forensic pathologists gives a behind-the-scenes look at eleven of his most notorious cases, cracked by scientific analysis and Sherlock Holmesian deduction.
As chief medical examiner of Rockland County, New York, for almost thirty-five years, Dr. Frederick Zugibe literally wrote the book on the subject—his widely used textbook is considered the definitive text. Over the years he has pioneered countless innovations, including the invention of a formula to soften mummified fingers—enabling fingerprinting, and thus identification, of a long-deceased victim. He has appeared as an expert hundreds of times in the media and in the courtroom—and not once has a jury failed to accept his testimony over opposing expert witnesses. And now, in Dissecting Death , he has opened the door to the world of forensic pathology in all its gruesome and fascinating mystery.
Dr. Zugibe takes us through the process all good pathologists follow, using eleven of his most challenging cases. With him, we visit the often grisly—though sometimes shockingly banal—crime scene. We inspect the body, palpate the wounds, search for clues in the hair and skin. We employ ultraviolet light, strange measuring devices, optical instruments. We see how a forensic pathologist determines the hour of death, the type of weapon used, the killer’s escape route. And then we enter the lab, the world of high-tech criminal DNA testing, fingerprinting, gunshot patterns, dental patterns, X-rays.
But not every case ends in a conviction, and in a closing chapter Dr. Zugibe examines some recent high-profile cases in which blunders led to killers going free, either because the wrong party was brought to trial or because the evidence presented didn’t do the trick—including Jon-Benet Ramsey’s murder and, of course, the O.J. Simpson trial.
As chief medical examiner of Rockland County, New York, for almost thirty-five years, Dr. Frederick Zugibe literally wrote the book on the subject—his widely used textbook is considered the definitive text. Over the years he has pioneered countless innovations, including the invention of a formula to soften mummified fingers—enabling fingerprinting, and thus identification, of a long-deceased victim. He has appeared as an expert hundreds of times in the media and in the courtroom—and not once has a jury failed to accept his testimony over opposing expert witnesses. And now, in Dissecting Death , he has opened the door to the world of forensic pathology in all its gruesome and fascinating mystery.
Dr. Zugibe takes us through the process all good pathologists follow, using eleven of his most challenging cases. With him, we visit the often grisly—though sometimes shockingly banal—crime scene. We inspect the body, palpate the wounds, search for clues in the hair and skin. We employ ultraviolet light, strange measuring devices, optical instruments. We see how a forensic pathologist determines the hour of death, the type of weapon used, the killer’s escape route. And then we enter the lab, the world of high-tech criminal DNA testing, fingerprinting, gunshot patterns, dental patterns, X-rays.
But not every case ends in a conviction, and in a closing chapter Dr. Zugibe examines some recent high-profile cases in which blunders led to killers going free, either because the wrong party was brought to trial or because the evidence presented didn’t do the trick—including Jon-Benet Ramsey’s murder and, of course, the O.J. Simpson trial.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 19, 2025
This was an engrossing book because of the cases, many of which are famous, but it isn’t aging very well. Maybe because I read a lot of forensic mysteries or have seen too many cop shows but I felt that a lot of the science was unnecessarily explained. For a book published in 2005 it felt, at times, that it was written decades earlier and for an audience that had no grasp of the ins and outs of forensic pathology. Still an interesting read and the cases presented were intriguing not only for the science but also for some of their connections to other events and our lives today.
December 8, 2014
This book was a hit and miss for me. There were certain passages that kind of made me choke, like so:
"In compensation for this crown of thorns, all authority at the site also belongs to me, the medical examiner. Under this banner of dominion, I must reign with the right of kings, giving irreversible orders, making all decisions as to when and how the body should be handled, and cracking the whip with just enough snap to make certain that every worker and every agency operates at maximum effectiveness."
Think much of yourself? Ego a bit big?
There were also a couple of pictures that had no story to go with them, I think. Now, this could totally be that I missed something or forgot something. But chronologically, the pictures went with the stories, and then there were these two pictures at the end with no stories. So that was kind of odd. But, again, I might have missed the mention of them.
Another odd thing to me was that the book felt as if it were written a long time ago. The copyright is 2005, but it felt at times as though the writing came from the 1980s.
And, part of the book was written in present tense, even though the author was referring to past events, and the other part was written in past tense.
Overall, if you're into this sort of book, it's a decent read. The cases are interesting, and the science is presented in an easy-to-understand way.
Book Description:
As chief medical examiner of Rockland County, New York, for almost thirty-five years, Dr. Frederick Zugibe literally wrote the book on the subject—his widely used textbook is considered the definitive text. Over the years he has pioneered countless innovations, including the invention of a formula to soften mummified fingers—enabling fingerprinting, and thus identification, of a long-deceased victim. He has appeared as an expert hundreds of times in the media and in the courtroom—and not once has a jury failed to accept his testimony over opposing expert witnesses. And now, in Dissecting Death, he has opened the door to the world of forensic pathology in all its gruesome and fascinating mystery.
Dr. Zugibe takes us through the process all good pathologists follow, using eleven of his most challenging cases. With him, we visit the often grisly—though sometimes shockingly banal—crime scene. We inspect the body, palpate the wounds, search for clues in the hair and skin. We employ ultraviolet light, strange measuring devices, optical instruments. We see how a forensic pathologist determines the hour of death, the type of weapon used, the killer’s escape route. And then we enter the lab, the world of high-tech criminal detection: DNA testing, fingerprinting, gunshot patterns, dental patterns, X-rays.
But not every case ends in a conviction, and in a closing chapter Dr. Zugibe examines some recent high-profile cases in which blunders led to killers going free, either because the wrong party was brought to trial or because the evidence presented didn’t do the trick—including Jon-Benet Ramsey’s murder and, of course, the O.J. Simpson trial.
"In compensation for this crown of thorns, all authority at the site also belongs to me, the medical examiner. Under this banner of dominion, I must reign with the right of kings, giving irreversible orders, making all decisions as to when and how the body should be handled, and cracking the whip with just enough snap to make certain that every worker and every agency operates at maximum effectiveness."
Think much of yourself? Ego a bit big?
There were also a couple of pictures that had no story to go with them, I think. Now, this could totally be that I missed something or forgot something. But chronologically, the pictures went with the stories, and then there were these two pictures at the end with no stories. So that was kind of odd. But, again, I might have missed the mention of them.
Another odd thing to me was that the book felt as if it were written a long time ago. The copyright is 2005, but it felt at times as though the writing came from the 1980s.
And, part of the book was written in present tense, even though the author was referring to past events, and the other part was written in past tense.
Overall, if you're into this sort of book, it's a decent read. The cases are interesting, and the science is presented in an easy-to-understand way.
Book Description:
As chief medical examiner of Rockland County, New York, for almost thirty-five years, Dr. Frederick Zugibe literally wrote the book on the subject—his widely used textbook is considered the definitive text. Over the years he has pioneered countless innovations, including the invention of a formula to soften mummified fingers—enabling fingerprinting, and thus identification, of a long-deceased victim. He has appeared as an expert hundreds of times in the media and in the courtroom—and not once has a jury failed to accept his testimony over opposing expert witnesses. And now, in Dissecting Death, he has opened the door to the world of forensic pathology in all its gruesome and fascinating mystery.
Dr. Zugibe takes us through the process all good pathologists follow, using eleven of his most challenging cases. With him, we visit the often grisly—though sometimes shockingly banal—crime scene. We inspect the body, palpate the wounds, search for clues in the hair and skin. We employ ultraviolet light, strange measuring devices, optical instruments. We see how a forensic pathologist determines the hour of death, the type of weapon used, the killer’s escape route. And then we enter the lab, the world of high-tech criminal detection: DNA testing, fingerprinting, gunshot patterns, dental patterns, X-rays.
But not every case ends in a conviction, and in a closing chapter Dr. Zugibe examines some recent high-profile cases in which blunders led to killers going free, either because the wrong party was brought to trial or because the evidence presented didn’t do the trick—including Jon-Benet Ramsey’s murder and, of course, the O.J. Simpson trial.
December 17, 2016
This was a good read on a number of very interesting crimes handled by the author in his practice as an upstate New York forensic pathologist. He tosses in a few cases at the end that he didn't handle personally, but comments on at varying levels of exasperation. He's a good, readable author, even though he's one of those guys who never says "fast" when he can say "at a high rate of acceleration." All the cases are interesting in some way -- not just in his opinion, for some arcane reason that would only catch the attention of a forensic pathologist -- and he makes the science easy to understand, even though it felt like a bit of a throat-punch when he said that a competent specialist in his field needs to explain his facts to juries as if they were a classroom full of fifth-graders. I recommend this one.
July 17, 2007
Originially, I read this book for a Dying and Death course I took in college; I couldn't put it down. Dr. Zugibe presents ten cases and explains the way medical examiners apply scientific methods to identify the body, cause of death, and the person responsible for the death. It contains a lot of factual information that students and those interested in the field can learn from.
November 28, 2012
I really enjoyed this book! It made me want to research some of the cases myself on my own time and learn more about them (like the little girl, Joan's, case) There was just the right balance of technical terms and laymen's terms to make this book able to read without being too lofty.
June 10, 2015
This was by far the best Forensic book I have ever read!. The 10 cases that the M.E discussed were so interesting. One of the things that made this an awesome read was that anyone who is not familiar with the forensic field or on what Medical Examiners do can still follow along. The M.E goes into vivid details on the procedures done at the Medical Examiner's office and the reasoning behind some of their steps. I learned a lot of new intriguing facts while reading "Dissecting Death". One was regarding the case in New York where a man was arrested after spraying random people on the street with Cyanide spray. I didn't even know that existed! The other case that was very peculiar was the German model found charred while wearing a sexual mask. The cases that were the hardest to read about were the ones that involved children. I also loved that the M.E gave his expertise on the O.J Simpson case and the Jon Benet case which still intrigues me. I also agree with him that the Jon Benet case may never be solved because so much evidence was tampered with early on into the investigation.
If you are into forensics or the inter-workings of what happens when M.E's arrive at crime scenes then this is one book you have to read!
If you are into forensics or the inter-workings of what happens when M.E's arrive at crime scenes then this is one book you have to read!
January 3, 2017
I have a great weakness for books written by forensics professionals. And there are a lot of them. It's as though every medical examiner or forensic anthropologist reaches retirement age and thinks "hey, folks sure do like that CSI show. I bet they'd like to hear from me." And then they hire a ghost writer and get to work. Some aren't bad, although every good book of this genre that I've read came out before John Douglas's Mindhunter book. They were written by people with something to say, with little expectation of the big paycheck. I recommend "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" or "Bone Voyage" if you would like to learn about what forensic anthropologists do when they aren't flirting with their cute co-workers or being shot at.
Dissecting Death, written by the medical examiner of a county in New York State, was really dreadful. Dr. Zugibe is brilliant, and humbly tells the reader so, several times in fact. He is respected and admired and often called a "real-life Quincy", he continues with his characteristic modesty. After all that, there's not much room for real information and after talking about the (pivotal) role he played in many high profile cases, none at all. I knew what had happened to the first body while he was still chatting about his own cleverness. Also, the writing. I have adopted a new rule of thumb; if the phrase "gruesome frolics" shows up on the first page, the book in question should be closed immediately.
Dissecting Death, written by the medical examiner of a county in New York State, was really dreadful. Dr. Zugibe is brilliant, and humbly tells the reader so, several times in fact. He is respected and admired and often called a "real-life Quincy", he continues with his characteristic modesty. After all that, there's not much room for real information and after talking about the (pivotal) role he played in many high profile cases, none at all. I knew what had happened to the first body while he was still chatting about his own cleverness. Also, the writing. I have adopted a new rule of thumb; if the phrase "gruesome frolics" shows up on the first page, the book in question should be closed immediately.
June 12, 2018
Interesting Tidbits
This was a good read. I suspect that when it was first published it was far more informative than now. The public has had a lot of time to ponder forensics in the over a dozen years. Still, I enjoyed reading it.
The reasons I only gave it four stars are two. Although grammar has relaxed considerably, I dislike hearing "more important" instead of "more importantly" especially more than once. My second issue with the book is simply that the doctor's high opinion of himself is obvious a little more than necessary. He is a talented and highly trained professional and one would assume that self-confidence would be necessary to have achieved that. Yet a little more humility would have improved my reading experience.
This was a good read. I suspect that when it was first published it was far more informative than now. The public has had a lot of time to ponder forensics in the over a dozen years. Still, I enjoyed reading it.
The reasons I only gave it four stars are two. Although grammar has relaxed considerably, I dislike hearing "more important" instead of "more importantly" especially more than once. My second issue with the book is simply that the doctor's high opinion of himself is obvious a little more than necessary. He is a talented and highly trained professional and one would assume that self-confidence would be necessary to have achieved that. Yet a little more humility would have improved my reading experience.
February 8, 2021
I loved this book and found it so fascinating. It was also written in an understandable and easy way that you could actually picture what was happening during the forensic investigations. It did not have a bit of dryness to it and I really appreciated that because then I was able to pay full attention to what I was reading and become involved with what was happening and the different processes.
I like this kind of subject matter and the unravelling of forensic puzzles. I like how one piece leads to another and another and find the whole thing quite fascinating . I would say if you like this kind of thing then read this book on actual cases that Dr Zugibe shares.
I like this kind of subject matter and the unravelling of forensic puzzles. I like how one piece leads to another and another and find the whole thing quite fascinating . I would say if you like this kind of thing then read this book on actual cases that Dr Zugibe shares.
March 11, 2022
Much of this book details the forensic techniques and tools used by medical examiners. I generally skimmed through those parts. Dr. Zugibe was the Rockland County, New York Chief Medical Examiner for 35 years. I lived there, and was involved in emergency services, so many of the cases were familiar to me, and I enjoyed reading about them.
The last chapter discusses cases that Dr. Zugibe wasn’t involved in, but thinks were mishandled. His perspectives on the Jon-Benet Ramsey’s murder and the O.J. Simpson trial were very interesting.
If you are interested in forensics, may be of interest. Not sure of its appeal for general readers.
The last chapter discusses cases that Dr. Zugibe wasn’t involved in, but thinks were mishandled. His perspectives on the Jon-Benet Ramsey’s murder and the O.J. Simpson trial were very interesting.
If you are interested in forensics, may be of interest. Not sure of its appeal for general readers.
May 27, 2024
This was somewhat interesting...until Dr. Zugibe started tossing around half-baked theories regarding Jon Benet Ramsey. Yes, the police conducted a shockingly negligent "investigation", but Dr. Zugibe should at least read up about the case before commenting. He appears to know less about the case than your average true crime reader but insists on spewing his uninformed rants anyway. Several stars deducted.
June 19, 2018
Interesting
This was interesting, but I still couldn't "connect" with the book. Obviously written with medical expertise but still at times it seemed to bog down. I found myself wanting to skip through certain parts. This is something I picked up while reading several other books at the same time. I was unable to give it my total attention.
This was interesting, but I still couldn't "connect" with the book. Obviously written with medical expertise but still at times it seemed to bog down. I found myself wanting to skip through certain parts. This is something I picked up while reading several other books at the same time. I was unable to give it my total attention.
July 17, 2018
I’ve been stuck in fiction for so long that I actually had a tough time getting through this book. At one point I glazed over all the details and stick to the stories of the crimes. Let’s just say I don’t need to know the ins and outs of ballistics and blood types. Again, I’m not trying to read a text book or take a test afterwards.
January 10, 2019
Interesting book. I was especially taken with the author's innovations in the forensic field (devising a way to get fingerprints off a dead hand dried into corpse-jerky for instance.) Don't read if you have a weak stomach. Some of the descriptions are really gross, but if you're interested in pathology and can can maintain a little scientific distance, you'll find them fascinating.
August 4, 2021
Or I’d curiosity assuaged
I am not alone in being fascinated with true crime books and television. This book provides interesting discussions of cases and how clues about murders were extracted from studies of the bodies and the crime sites. The good doctor/author kept the technical discussions at just the right level for the interested but unskilled reader.
I am not alone in being fascinated with true crime books and television. This book provides interesting discussions of cases and how clues about murders were extracted from studies of the bodies and the crime sites. The good doctor/author kept the technical discussions at just the right level for the interested but unskilled reader.
June 9, 2018
True Crime
An interesting book. The author describes the basis of foensics oin a way that anyone can understand. It is helpful in understanding crime or on reading about it. Any true crime reader would be interested in reading this book
An interesting book. The author describes the basis of foensics oin a way that anyone can understand. It is helpful in understanding crime or on reading about it. Any true crime reader would be interested in reading this book
July 2, 2018
The topic was interesting, and I enjoyed reading about the forensic work involved with solving crimes. I didn’t care for the author’s smug attitude though. It’s clear he thinks highly of himself, though many of the techniques he writes about are pretty commonplace. This made the book feel dated.
July 9, 2018
This book reads like episodes from the TV show Bones. Homicide discovered, medical examiner documents and dissects, facts uncovered, suspect determined and captured. Only this is real life. Fascinating stuff.
May 28, 2020
What a great read. I will admit I skipped the chapters that involved a child’s death, I just can’t do those. It is an intriguing mix of real stories and behind-the-scene knowledge of how crimes are really investigated! Highly recommend.
June 20, 2023
Anyone who has even the slightest interest in forensics should read this. Each chapter consists of a different case and highlights a different aspect of forensics that was used to help solve it. I learned so much
March 20, 2024
Found this at the thrift store and wow I’m so glad I did. There’s some pretty wild stories in here, I definitely cringed a few times at how gory it was. If you love true crime and the morbid details, you’ll love this book.
August 9, 2017
If you are interested in forensic science, I think you will find the cases in this book intriguing.
June 24, 2018
Interesting. Really gave some details into the way deaths are investigated from the pathology point of view.
October 10, 2018
Interesting if you like the subject matter, but otherwise unremarkable. This book is a lot like others written on the subject. However, it is still enjoyable if you're into true crime.
December 6, 2018
Interesting
I used this book for information as to how forensic scientists conducted an investigation. The cases used as a foundation were insightful and interesting.
I used this book for information as to how forensic scientists conducted an investigation. The cases used as a foundation were insightful and interesting.
March 4, 2019
Absolutely loved the book, although it is a bit of a challenging read as some technical words are used and never explained. But over all I really enjoyed the book and the stories in it.
October 4, 2019
I'm a true crime reader and watcher and I did enjoy this book. It was intriguing to know what goes on behind the scenes. I did know some stuff 😉 but did learn a lot too.
Read
February 9, 2020Great book. Interesting cases. Esp. segments regarding scene reconstruction to solve certain cases.
January 18, 2022
Revealing
I enjoyed this book. You really van learn things from a dead body and even be able to solve a crime.
I enjoyed this book. You really van learn things from a dead body and even be able to solve a crime.
October 5, 2022
A scientifically accurate CSI. I loved it. I'd gladly read more!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews