S8: Forensics II: The Science Behind the Deaths of Famous and Infamous People

My special guest tonight is Dr. Harry Milman, here to discuss his second installment of a series of books detailing the death of the famous and, this time, the infamous.  Get his book Forensics Ii: The Science Behind the Deaths of Famous and Infamous People on Amazon.

George Washington, the former first president of the United States, lay in his bed suffering from a high fever, a raw throat, and labored breathing. His three physicians milled around his bed, treating Washington with blisters of cantharides, tartar emetic, and bloodletting, removing nearly 40 percent of his total blood volume and causing excruciating pain. When Washington was finally relieved of his misery and died, the three doctors could not agree on what caused his death. Forensics II: The Science Behind the Deaths of Famous and Infamous People reads like a mystery novel, presenting biographical and scientific information that helps readers understand how medical examiners-coroners utilized forensic analysis to determine the causes and manners of death of thirty-six famous and infamous people, including Napoleon Bonaparte, a French military leader, and politician; Charles Whitman, the University of Texas tower shooter; Bruce Lee, an actor, and martial artist; Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana; Jim Jones, a key figure in the Jonestown massacre; Aretha Franklin, a singer-songwriter; Alexander Litvinenko, a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service; Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender; and many more. The book is based on a review of publicly available autopsy and toxicology reports, published lay articles, and the scientific literature. Of the deaths reviewed, 39 percent were due to natural causes, 19 percent were accidental, and 6 (17 percent) were suicides. The remaining deaths comprise three cases each of homicide and justifiable homicide by police, one case of court-mandated execution, and three cases in which the manner of death was undetermined.

About the Author

Harry A. Milman, Ph.D., is a consulting pharmacologist, toxicologist, and expert witness with over forty years of experience at the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Health, and the US Public Health Service. Dr. Milman has assisted in over three hundred civil, criminal, and high-profile legal cases and testified at trials and depositions. He authored over seventy scientific articles and has edited five science books, including the highly acclaimed Handbook of Carcinogen Testing. Often quoted in newspapers and magazines, Dr. Milman appeared as a toxicology expert on the History Channel, the Oxygen Channel, TV and radio news programs, and true-crime television shows. Dr. Milman is the author of FORENSICS: The Science Behind the Deaths of Famous People and two novels—A Death at Camp David, winner of the Best Mystery Novel in the 2018 Book Talk Radio Club Awards, and SOYUZ: The Final Flight, a fina

Do you frequently miss episodes of Mysterious Radio? Don't worry; here are some tips to ensure you never miss out again:

1. If you haven't already, follow or subscribe to the show to receive updates on new episodes. Even if you have already done this, it's a good idea to click the option again to ensure that you are still subscribed. This is especially important!

2. Turn on notifications for new episodes in your podcast app.

3. Make sure that your device allows notifications from your podcast app.

4. If your app has the option, swipe down to refresh the list of episodes.