NCJ Number
180489
Date Published
1998
Length
335 pages
Annotation
A police sergeant in Texas investigated covert practices of a forensic pathologist who kept blood samples in his refrigerator and sent headless bodies to be buried in the wrong graves; after the police sergeant publicized his findings, he was arrested on fabricated felony charges and had to defend his professional integrity.
Abstract
Uncovering a series of bizarre and illegal practices, the police sergeant went public. He realized that people who decide to become whistleblowers run the risk of losing their jobs and may be characterized as a liar or incompetent, but he did not expect to be indicted by a grand jury on charges for which he had to defend his professional integrity and fight for his private life. When the police sergeant went public, he confronted a powerful criminal district attorney for whom the forensic pathologist often testified as a star witness. Two other individuals who later spoke out against the forensic pathologist were also indicted. The three individuals and their families were subjected to physical and mental stress as they fought back against false accusations. With the aid of prominent attorneys, they were able to file a lawsuit against the forensic pathologist and other high-ranking public officials under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The police sergeant details the experience in the book. 13 photographs