If you ever suspect a chemical or toxin exposure, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for immediate assistance.

Content Warning: This episode contains information about the deaths of individuals. If you’re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you.

In this third installment of Exposure, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns explains the chemical hazards that accompany autopsy work. From formaldehyde used in specimen preservation to tear gas and pepper spray residues that cling to clothing and skin, each substance carries the potential for secondary exposure. He recounts several cases that demonstrate how these agents behave once they reach the morgue, including a fatal standoff involving riot-controlled chemicals and a man who coated himself with insecticide in an attempt to kill mosquitoes. These stories illustrate how chemical contamination can extend beyond the deceased.



If you missed the first two episodes in this series, listen to Mayhem in the Morgue | Exposure (Part 1) and Exposure (Part 2): "TB or Not TB, That Is the Question."



Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns

• (0:30) Common chemical exposures in the morgue and how they occur

• (1:15) Formaldehyde management, long-term irritation, and what happens when an allergy develops mid-career

• (3:00) Chemical hazards linked to meth labs, riot control, and suicide scenes

• (3:45) Tear gas and pepper spray: how they're made, used, and why they're so difficult to clean from skin and clothing

• (6:45) A standoff ends in tear gas contamination and a challenging autopsy

• (8:45) Decontamination becomes an exercise in improvisation, with fans, Dawn dish soap, and a forgotten cookout grill• (11:45) “The Nuclear Option”: a man uses insecticide to fight mosquitoes

• (14:30) Accidental splash, rising symptoms, and malathion exposure

• (18:30) Poison control, the antidote, and the dinner Dr. Crowns never forgot

• (24:15) Reflections on safety, recovery, and the lasting legend of “Splashy” the technician



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.



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.



If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.

If you ever suspect a chemical or toxin exposure, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for immediate assistance.
Content Warning: This episode contains information about the deaths of individuals. If&nbsp;you&rsquo;re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you.
In this third installment of Exposure, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns explains&nbsp;the chemical hazards that accompany autopsy work. From formaldehyde used in&nbsp;specimen preservation to tear gas and pepper spray residues that cling to clothing and&nbsp;skin, each substance carries the potential for secondary exposure. He recounts several&nbsp;cases that demonstrate how these agents behave once they reach the morgue, including a&nbsp;fatal standoff involving riot-controlled chemicals and a man who coated himself with&nbsp;insecticide in an attempt to kill mosquitoes. These stories illustrate how chemical&nbsp;contamination can extend beyond the deceased. 
If you missed the first two episodes in this series, listen to Mayhem in the Morgue |&nbsp;Exposure (Part 1) and Exposure (Part 2): "TB or Not TB, That Is the Question." 
Highlights
&bull; (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns
&bull; (0:30) Common chemical exposures in the morgue and how they occur
&bull; (1:15) Formaldehyde management, long-term irritation, and what happens when an&nbsp;allergy develops mid-career
&bull; (3:00) Chemical hazards linked to meth labs, riot control, and suicide scenes
&bull; (3:45) Tear gas and pepper spray: how they're made, used, and why they're so&nbsp;difficult to clean from skin and clothing
&bull; (6:45) A standoff ends in tear gas contamination and a challenging autopsy
&bull; (8:45) Decontamination becomes an exercise in improvisation, with fans, Dawn&nbsp;dish soap, and a forgotten cookout grill&bull; (11:45) &ldquo;The Nuclear Option&rdquo;: a man uses insecticide to fight mosquitoes
&bull; (14:30) Accidental splash, rising symptoms, and malathion exposure
&bull; (18:30) Poison control, the antidote, and the dinner Dr. Crowns never forgot
&bull; (24:15) Reflections on safety, recovery, and the lasting legend of &ldquo;Splashy&rdquo; the&nbsp;technician 
About the Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns
Dr. Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally&nbsp;recognized forensic pathologist. He las led death investigations in Travis County, Fort&nbsp;Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies&nbsp;and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to&nbsp;Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings unparalleled insight into the strange,&nbsp;grisly, and sometimes absurd realities of forensic pathology. 
About the Show
Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable&nbsp;world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each&nbsp;episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom.&nbsp;Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations. 
Connect and Learn More
Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on Linkedin. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories&nbsp;with Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts. 
If you liked this episode, don&rsquo;t keep it to yourself&mdash;follow the show, share it with a friend,&nbsp;and leave us a review.

It's chaos, blood and body parts. Join Dr. Kendall Crowns each week as he discusses stories and cases from his over 35-year journey of death from the tornado alley of Kansas, the bloody Memphis shoreline of the muddy Mississippi river, the ultra-violence of Chicago, and finally the Methamphetamine fueled insanity of Texas -- encompassing his days as an autopsy tech, medical student, resident/fellow and finally as a medical examiner. Stories range from humorous to horrifying and cover a wide variety of topics from week to week. You will never know what you will hear, be it courtroom drama, decapitations, gangland shootings, feet with no body, or chihuahuas feasting on the flesh of decomposing bodies. The cases will never end. It will always be different and there is never a dull moment. So, tune in each week and climb aboard, your nightmares will never be the same

It's chaos, blood and body parts. Join Dr. Kendall Crowns each week as he discusses stories and cases from his over 35-year journey of death from the tornado alley of Kansas, the bloody Memphis shoreline of the muddy Mississippi river, the ultra-violence of Chicago, and finally the Methamphetamine fueled insanity of Texas -- encompassing his days as an autopsy tech, medical student, resident/fellow and finally as a medical examiner. Stories range from humorous to horrifying and cover a wide variety of topics from week to week. You will never know what you will hear, be it courtroom drama, decapitations, gangland shootings, feet with no body, or chihuahuas feasting on the flesh of decomposing bodies. The cases will never end. It will always be different and there is never a dull moment. So, tune in each week and climb aboard, your nightmares will never be the same

Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns

Mayhem in the Morgue | Exposure (Part 3): The Nuclear Option

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2a2499cb-988b-4cc3-b088-b3ae01117787/transcript