Body To Burial

This week we welcome husband and wife team Robyn Lacy and Ian Petty, they have a combined 20 years of experience as archaeologists, gravestone conservators, and cultural heritage technicians. They have worked across Canada and the United States, as well as on the Isle of Man, recording gravestones and cemeteries, conducting archaeological surveys, mapping sites, and evaluating heritage structures...

This week we welcome criminal defense lawyer Joel Schwartz. Many know Joel as the defense lawyer who defended Russ Faria, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife, Elizabeth “Betsy” Faria. Betsy’s friend, Pamela Hupp, was a crucial witness in helping put Russ behind bars. And Schwartz would work endlessly to see Russ released – and to disprove Pam’s claims. We speak with Joel about his w...

This week we welcome retired FBI forensic artist Lisa Bailey. Lisa is a highly skilled and professionally trained individual who works alongside crime-solving teams to create visual reconstructions of suspects and victims. And today, she guides us through creating these visual aids – the method commonly referred to as “Facial approximation” attempts to recreate a likeness of a person’s face from t...

This week we welcome Joe Adserias-Garriga Forensic Odontologist. Forensic odontology is the application of dental evidence to both criminal and civil law. This can include identifying sexual abuse; personal identification of the deceased when facial recognition is inconclusive; or in determining ages of unidentified victims.  Joe has four master’s degrees (forensic anthropology and genetics, legal...

This week we welcome Jacquelyn Wright, CSI. We are starting 2023 with a first-hand account of life as a crime scene investigator. We learn the ins and outs of processing a crime scene, collecting evidence, and locating all those critical pieces that assist in solving the mystery. Want more Body To Burial? Become a Patreon to get access to exclusive Patreon-only content and BTS. Visit our Patreon p...

This week we welcome Emily Bingham, Certified Grief Educator & Coach. After the loss of her husband in 2019 to Uveal Melanoma, she founded moveTHRU, which allowed her to create new meaning out of her tragedy by helping others heal from theirs. What is the primary goal of moveTHRU? To teach others that the human experience isn’t about living in perpetual happiness. And to understand that denyin...

This week we welcome Tracy Sargent. She brings over twenty-one years of experience working alongside her K9 companions as a search-and-rescue team. Tracy's four-legged partners are trained to find missing people after a natural or man-made disaster. Want more Body To Burial? Become a Patreon to get access to exclusive Patreon-only content and BTS. Visit our Patreon page here : Let’s Get Social...

This week we welcome Jose Vicente, Certified Polygraph Examiner. The Polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector, is a procedure that measures and records physiological markers, such as; breathing rate, pulse, blood pressure, and perspiration. You know, all those beautiful sensations you experience in a moment of stress, like when you see those blue lights light up behind you or whe...

This week we welcome Forensic Archaeologist Julie Evo. Julie explains how she combines the knowledge of osteology and human remains with archaeological techniques to help recover finds and provide vital evidence for an investigative team. Forensic archaeologists like Julie are employed to excavate and recover human remains, personal items, weapons, etc. as well as eliminate non-related objects. Th...

This week we welcome Forensic Pathologist, Judy Melinek M.D. Judy is an American forensic pathologist and the CEO of PathologyExpert. She is currently working as a contract pathologist in Wellington, New Zealand. She is the co-author with her husband, writer T.J. Mitchell, of the  New York Times– bestselling memoir  Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner , and t...

This week we welcome The Green Reaper, Elizabeth Fournier. Elizabeth is a green burial funeral director, educator, and advocate for sustainable burial options. One of those options is natural organic reduction (NOR) or human composting. NOR is a  more natural approach to the disposition of one’s body after death. This process returns the body’s nutrients back to the soil and produces only a tiny f...

This week we welcome Expert Jury Consultant Laurie Kuslansky, Ph. D. Laurie assists legal teams and helps them better understand the jurors they are likely to face, the hidden biases they may have, and the absolute best narrative to present to persuade a jury. She accomplishes this task through jury research, case assessment, developing a case theme, and evaluating and preparing witnesses. Laurie...

This week we welcome Kurt Kaner, Search & Recovery Diver. Kurt served in the Chicago Police Department Marine Unit for 17 years. Today he is bringing us to Lake Michigan, his workplace, and his office, where the water is often murky and can drop to a temperature of 34 degrees. Kurt gives us a first-hand account of the treacherous day-to-day operations of a search & recovery diver. Want mor...

This week we welcome Tiffany Roy, a Forensic DNA expert with over thirteen years of forensic biology experience in both public and private laboratories in the United States. She has processed thousands of DNA samples and thousands of cases over the course of her career. She has provided expert witness testimony in more than one hundred cases in state, federal and international courts. Selected Lin...

This week we welcome Melissa Meadow, a licensed funeral director with a mission to be transparent, honest, and open-minded guide to those who are seeking a meaningful end of life exit. Melissa has an intimate knowledge of all eco friendly disposition methods and today she walks us through the process of water cremation, also known as Alkaline Hydrolysis. Selected Links from the Episode https://www...

This week we welcome Joni E. Johnston, Psy. D. Joni is a clinical Forensic Psychologist who has worked in both criminal and civil work since 1991. She has worked in a maximum-security prison and for prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys. Join the conversation as Joni takes us into the human brain and explains the process of conducting competency assessments to stand trial, insanity evaluation...

This week we welcome Mitzi Wood Von-Mizener, Director of Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center and Natural Burial Preserve. Mitzi guides us through the tranquil and beautiful process that occurs when individuals choose a green burial for their final disposition method. In its most basic explanation, natural or green burials are a simple form of burial that does not include embalming, metal caskets, a...

This week we welcome Charles Riley, Digital Forensic Detective. Charles talks us through the three primary sources of digital evidence: internet-based, stand-alone computers or devices, and mobile devices. We deep dive into our digital footprints and just how much of it is recoverable. And answer the burning question, just how detailed is the recovered information? Put your device on do not distur...

This week we welcome Susan Kanack, Forensic Nurse Examiner. Forensic nurses are registered nurses who blend the holistic care of nursing of the body, mind, and spirit – to include principles from the law, medicine, and science. A forensic nurse provides comprehensive care to victims of violence while conducting a medical forensic exam, including evaluation for evidence collection; providing effect...

This week we welcome Nicole, the crime scene cleaner. Nicole spends 9-10 hours cleaning carpets, scrubbing walls, cleaning furniture, and airing out strong smells. Oh, and did we mention that also includes cleaning blood, body parts, and other foul bodily fluids. Hazmat up and listen in to a day in the life of a crime scene cleaner.  Want more Body To Burial? Visit www.bodytoburial.com for more in...

This week we welcome Julie McFadden, best known as Hospice Nurse Julie, on TikTok. Julie joins us to debunk several myths around hospice care and dying, from ‘The Rally,’ to seeing loved ones and even the typical signs/symptoms during the death journey. Selected Links from the Episode Connect with Julie: IG Tik Tok: Hospice Nurse Julie Want more Body To Burial? Visit www.bodytoburial.com for more...

This week we welcome Hillary Parsons, Forensic Anthropologist. Spend some time in the dirt with us as we explore the world of bones and just how much information they provide. Hillary explains how applying skeletal analysis from bones can provide context as to who the deceased is, how they died, and how long ago. And how this information aids law enforcement in establishing a profile of unidentifi...

This week we welcome Jessika Logan, Autopsy Technician. Jessika welcomes us into the morgue and the autopsy suite, where she guides us through the different types of autopsies that can be performed – and the step-by-step process of completing them. *This episode is graphic in nature and may not be suitable for all listeners.  Want more Body To Burial? Visit www.bodytoburial.com for more info about...

This week we welcome Ashley E. Bobek, Firearms Examiner. Ashley takes us into the lab to explore how firearms examiners assist investigators in solving criminal cases - through examining and identifying; firearms, weapons, cartridges, bullets, and other similar evidence left at crime scenes. Want more Body To Burial? Visit www.bodytoburial.com for more info about the show and Creator’s and Host’s,...

This week we welcome Dr. Krystal R. Hans, Ph. D., Forensic Entomologist and Assistant Professor of Forensic Entomology at Purdue University. That’s right; we are all talking bugs. And how Forensic Entomologist use their knowledge of how insects aid in bodily decomposition, which assists in determining the time and source of death. Selected Links from the Episode Connect with Krystal: Website | IG...