Cyril Wecht

Background

Wecht was born to Jewish immigrant parents in Pittsburgh in 1931, but spent his early years in a tiny mining village in Dunkard Township, Pennsylvania, called Bobtown. His father, Nathan Wecht, was a Lithuanian-born storekeeper; his Ukrainian-born mother, Fannie Rubenstein, was a homemaker and helped out in the store. When Wecht was seven, Nathan moved the family first to McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and then to the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh, opening a neighborhood grocery store. He attended and graduated from the now closed Fifth Avenue High School in Pittsburgh.

Wecht had musical leanings and was concertmaster of the University of Pittsburgh Orchestra during his undergraduate years. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1952, an M.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1956, a Bachelor of Law from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1962, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. In 1959, he served in the United States Air Force at the Air Force Hospital, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, where he became a captain in the medical corps. He became a forensic pathologist. He served on the staff of St. Francis Hospital in Pittsburgh before becoming Deputy Coroner of Allegheny County in 1965. Four years later he was elected coroner. Wecht served as coroner from 1970 to 1980, and again from 1996 to 2006.

Forensics career

Cyril, obviously, is a national figure, international figure, in many ways so we're lucky to have someone of his stature here in Allegheny County.

Wecht became famous appearing on television and consulting on deaths with a high media profile. Some of the cases include; Robert F. Kennedy, Sharon Tate, Brian Jones, the Symbionese Liberation Army shootout, John F. Kennedy, the Legionnaires' Disease outbreak, Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, JonBenét Ramsey, Dr. Herman Tarnower (the Scarsdale diet guru), Danielle van Dam, Sunny von Bülow, the Branch Davidian incident, Vincent Foster, Laci Peterson, Daniel and Anna Nicole Smith, Jeffrey Epstein, and Rebecca Zahau. During his career, Wecht performed more than 17,000 autopsies. He was a clinical professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and an adjunct professor of law at Duquesne University.

In 2000, the Duquesne University School of Law established the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law. The Institute offers graduate degree and professional certificate programs in forensic science to a diverse group of students spanning the disciplines of law, nursing, law enforcement, pharmacy, the health sciences, business, the environmental sciences and psychology.

Cyril H. Wecht and Pathology Associates

From 1962, Wecht had a private practice. He served as a medical-legal and forensic pathology consultant in both civil and criminal cases.

Wecht was frequently an expert witness in legal cases; he testified at the 1997 criminal trial of police officers Milton Mulholland and Michael Albert in the killing of Jonny Gammage; the 2000 civil trial against the State of Ohio relating to the Sam Sheppard case, the 2011 criminal trial of Jeffrey Locker in the death of Jeffrey Locker, and the 2018 wrongful death trial arising from the death of Rebecca Zahau.

His forensic consultant engagements included:

• for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office in regard to the 1968 Robert F. Kennedy assassination, the 1969 Sharon Tate/LaBianca cases, and the 1974 Symbionese Liberation Army Deaths;
• for the Health Hospital, Panama Canal Zone as a member of the Special Expert Panel on American Legionnaires' Disease (Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Centers for Disease Control)
• for the ABC network television show 20/20 in regard to the John F. Kennedy assassination (1976) and the death of Elvis Presley (1979)
• U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations, Forensic Pathology Panel
• for the 1991 film JFK
• the expert on the Jeffrey Locker case.

JFK assassination

In 1965, Wecht presented a paper critiquing the Warren Commission to the meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. In 1972, Wecht was the first civilian ever given permission to examine the Kennedy assassination evidence. It was Wecht who first discovered that Kennedy's brain, and all related data in the killing, had gone missing.

In 1978, he testified before the House Select Committee on Assassinations as the lone dissenter on a nine-member forensic pathology panel re-examining the assassination of John F. Kennedy, which had concurred with the Warren Commission conclusions and single bullet theory. Out of the four official examinations into the Kennedy assassination, Wecht was the only forensic pathologist who disagreed with the conclusion that both the single bullet theory and Kennedy's head wounds are mutually consistent.

In 1988 he appeared in The Men Who Killed Kennedy. Wecht was a consultant to Oliver Stone for the 1991 film JFK. He was interviewed for the 2021 documentary JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass.

Investigation into the death of Daniel Smith

Wecht was hired by Callenders and Co, a Bahamian law firm, to do an independent autopsy on the body of Daniel Smith, the son of Anna Nicole Smith, who died while visiting his mother in the Bahamas. Wecht attested that Daniel Smith died as a result of the interaction of methadone, sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro).

Books

Wecht wrote many books, including:

• From Crime Scene to Courtroom (2011)
• Investigation of Police Related Deaths (2011)
• Forensic Science and Law (2006)
• Tales from the Morgue (2005)
• Forensic Aspects of Chemical and Biological Terrorism (2004)
• Mortal Evidence (2003)
• Into EVIDENCE: Truth, Lies and Unresolved Mysteries in the Murder of JFK
• November 22, 1963: A Reference Guide to the JFK Assassination
• Grave Secrets: A Leading Forensic Expert Reveals the Startling Truth about O.J. Simpson, David Koresh, Vincent Foster, and Other Sensational Cases
• Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?
• A Question of Murder
• Cause of Death (1993)
• Legal Medicine (1985)
• Exploring the Medical Malpractice Dilemma (1972)
• Preparing and Winning Medical Negligence Cases (2016)
• Forensic Pathology in Civil & Criminal Cases (2016)
• The Life and Deaths of Cyril Wecht: Memoirs of America's Most Controversial Forensic Pathologist (2020)
• The JFK Assassination Dissected: An Analysis by Forensic Pathologist Cyril Wecht (2021)
• Final Exams: True Crime Cases from Forensic Pathologist Cyril Wecht (2021)

Political career

Early years (1965–1985)

In 1965, Wecht became Deputy Coroner of Allegheny County. Four years later he was elected Coroner of Allegheny County. Wecht served as coroner from 1970 to 1980. His initial departure from the office of Coroner was not met without controversy. Wecht did not resign as Coroner until January 9, two days after his swearing-in as an Allegheny County Commissioner, as the law did not prohibit him from holding both the offices of Coroner and Commissioner.

Wecht resigned under pressure from a variety of sources, including his predecessor as Coroner, Dr. Ralph Stalter, a Republican, and the administration of Governor Dick Thornburgh, also a Republican. He initially recommended that Dr. Joshua Perper succeed him, and indeed Perper held the title of Acting Coroner until Thornburgh appointed Dr. Sanford Edburg to succeed Wecht. While Perper initially rejected the appointment as unconstitutional, the State Supreme Court upheld Thornburgh's right to appoint Edberg, who duly took over the office of Coroner on March 2, 1981.

In 1978, he was elected chairman of the Allegheny County Democratic Party. One year later, Wecht was elected to the Allegheny County Board of Commissioners. In 1982, he was the Democratic party's nominee to oppose freshman Republican Senator John Heinz in a bid for a second term; Heinz won the election with 59 percent of the vote.

Wecht and fellow Democratic County Commissioner Tom Foerster were frequently at odds, and battled for control of the Democratic Party in Allegheny County, which Wecht chaired. Although the Democratic Committee rejected Foerster and endorsed Wecht for re-election as commissioner in 1983, the committee paired him with Sheriff Gene Coon, with whom he also had a longstanding political feud.

Foerster teamed up with former Pittsburgh Mayor Pete Flaherty, and the two defeated Wecht and Coon in the primary election for the two Democratic nominations. Wecht then lost the chairmanship of the county's Democratic Party in 1984 to Foerster's hand-picked candidate, Scott Township Tax Collector Ed Stevens. Wecht then sought to become chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party that same year, but was defeated by Ed Mezvinsky, a former Congressman from Iowa.

Later years (1995–2006)

In 1995, Wecht, after 12 years out of public life, was again elected as Allegheny County's Coroner. In 1999, he ran for the newly created position of Allegheny County Chief Executive, defeating one-term minority County Commissioner Mike Dawida in the Democratic primary, but losing to prominent Republican businessman Jim Roddey in Roddey's first bid for elective public office.

While serving as the county's coroner, Wecht continued to operate a private forensic consulting business on the side known as Wecht Pathology Associates, which charges clients for examining cases, conducting autopsies, and testifying in civil and criminal trials. In his official capacity as county coroner, Wecht continued to squabble with DA Zappala, often over deaths that took place during encounters with police.

In the case that led to Wecht's federal prosecution (US vs. Wecht), Wecht ruled that Charles Dixon had been suffocated through positional asphyxiation during a 2002 encounter with police officers from Mount Oliver and Pittsburgh. When Wecht ruled the death of Dixon a homicide, DA Zappala refused to press charges against the officers. In response, Wecht, acting in his private capacity as an employee of Wecht Pathology Associates, wrote a medical opinion outlining the officers' alleged role in Dixon's death which was utilized by Dixon's family in a civil suit against the county.

In response to Wecht's testimony in the Dixon case, Zappala accused Wecht of violating the federal Hobbs Act, which prohibits public officials from using their offices for private gain. In early 2005, Zappala launched an investigation into whether Wecht had been using county resources to carry out private work — allegations similar to those Wecht had faced before. By spring of 2005, FBI agents were seizing documents in Wecht's private and county offices.

Wecht continued to serve as Coroner until the position was eliminated in 2006. County Executive Dan Onorato named him as the county's first appointed Medical Examiner in 2006. By January 2006, a federal grand jury had indicted Wecht on 84 criminal counts, prompting Wecht to step down from his county post per an agreement he made when the investigation became public in 2004 that if indicted he would resign as county coroner.

Court cases

Allegheny County criminal trial (1979–1981)

Wecht's tenure as Allegheny County Coroner was controversial. While he was responsible for significant upgrades in the professionalism and technology of the coroner's office during his service in that office from 1970 to 1980, making the Allegheny County Coroner's office one of the best in the nation, Wecht's political career proved controversial due to his opinionated nature and, (as he put it), his unwillingness to "run away from a fight."

In 1979 Wecht was accused of performing autopsies for other counties at the county morgue and depositing the fees from these autopsies in his private business's bank account. Wecht responded that the funds in question had been used solely to upgrade the office and staff.

After a long investigation, Wecht was indicted on multiple criminal counts that charged Wecht with personally profiting from work at the coroner's office. Wecht allegedly transacted approximately $400,000 of his private business work using county facilities and the county morgue. In spring 1981, the six-week-long criminal trial began. All charges were dismissed except for one, theft of services. Wecht was acquitted on the remaining charge.

The original judge at trial was censured by a judge's panel and some findings vacated due to judicial misconduct. Wecht's attorneys alleged that he was a victim of a political conspiracy.

Allegheny County civil trial

Although Wecht was acquitted in the criminal case, the County Controller levied a civil surcharge of $390,000 against him for mingling private and public work at the morgue. In 1983, a civil court ruled that Wecht owed the county $172,410. On appeal, the original award to the county was increased to $250,000. In 1992, the county and Wecht reached a settlement resulting in Wecht having to repay the county $200,000.

Federal criminal trial

On January 28, 2008, a federal trial against Wecht began, on charges of public corruption. Roughly two weeks prior to the trial, 43 of the 84 counts against Wecht were withdrawn; judge Arthur J. Schwab dismissed those charges with prejudice. Following trial the jury could not reach agreement on the remaining counts, and the judge declared a mistrial. The prosecution immediately announced that they planned to retry Wecht.

Concerns were raised about the motivation and conduct of the prosecution before and after the trial. Speculation arose that the prosecution of Wecht was politically motivated. Former U.S. Attorney General and Governor of Pennsylvania Dick Thornburgh, a Republican who had been a political opponent of Wecht's, agreed to serve as his defense lawyer; Thornburgh further testified before a United States House of Representatives panel investigating the U.S. Attorneys' Firing Scandal that Wecht was targeted politically.

U.S. Congressmen Mike Doyle (whose district includes Pittsburgh) and John Conyers questioned the prosecution's tactics in the aftermath of the first trial and instituted Congressional hearings on the matter.

Op-eds in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review called for dismissal of the proposed re-trial. On April 12, 2008, 33 prominent leaders in the Pittsburgh community sent a letter to the Attorney General Michael Mukasey and U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan requesting that the prosecution dismiss the indictment against Wecht. Shortly after the press release of this letter, Senator Arlen Specter publicly recommended against a retrial for Wecht. Former jurors stated to the press that they believed that the prosecution had been politically motivated.

On May 5, 2008, the Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) revealed that it initiated an investigation into the Wecht prosecution due to claims that the case was a "selective prosecution".

On May 14, 2009, a new trial judge in the retrial excluded most of the evidence against Wecht because it was seized under an illegal and improperly executed search warrant.

On June 2, 2009, Buchanan announced that her office would file a motion to dismiss all charges against Wecht.

Personal life

In October 1961, Wecht married Sigrid Ronsdal, a Norwegian immigrant. They had four children, including David Wecht, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

On May 16, 2020, Wecht promoted a less reactive and restrictive response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Death

Wecht died at his home in Pittsburgh on May 13, 2024, at the age of 93.

In popular media

Wecht was portrayed by Albert Brooks in the 2015 film Concussion. In the film, Wecht was a staunch supporter of Bennet Omalu's efforts to expose the link between concussions and football.

Selected publications

• Foreword to H. L. Hunt: Motive & Opportunity by John Curington and Michael Whitington. 23 House (2018). .

References

References

1. Lovering, Daniel. (December 30, 2005). "Famous coroner Wecht to be county's first medical examiner". [[Centre Daily Times]].
2. (January 21, 2006). "Wecht resigns, proclaims innocence". [[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]].
3. (January 2, 1970). "Wecht Sworn In As Coroner". [[The Pittsburgh Press]].
4. (January 3, 1984). "New Allegheny commissioners promise new era of cooperation". [[The Gettysburg Times]].
5. Uhl, Sherley. (June 1, 1978). "Wecht At Dem Helm, Rips Party Dissidents". The Pittsburgh Press.
6. Uhl, Sherley. (May 30, 1984). "Democrats pick chairman tonight". The Pittsburgh Press.
7. (January 20, 2006). "Wecht indicted, relinquishes medical examiner duties". [[The Pittsburgh Business Times]].
8. Belser, Ann. (December 23, 2006). "Allegheny County names new medical examiner". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
9. (April 10, 1994). "Perper named to Fla. post". [[The Observer-Reporter]].
10. "About Cyril H. Wecht". Cyril H. Wecht.
11. (December 1, 2017). "A native son: Cyril Wecht's first home – and his roots – are in Bobtown". [[Observer–Reporter]].
12. Risen, Clay. (May 17, 2024). "Cyril H. Wecht, 93, Dies; Coroner Cast Doubt on Kennedy Assassination - A widely respected forensic expert and frequent TV presence, he was also a powerful figure in Pennsylvania Democratic politics.". [[The New York Times]].
13. (September 14, 2017). "Founders Series Interview with Dr. Cyril Wecht". Journal of Legal Medicine.
14. (October 24, 1999). "Cyril H. Wecht: Up-close and personal with the candidates for Allegheny County Executive". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
15. Music Man (letter) Pitt Magazine, Spring 2007, page 3.
16. (Winter 2010). "Class Notes". University of Pittsburgh.
17. (March 16, 2008). "Wecht trial's no-witness defense described as bold tactic". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
18. (2012-02-27). "Cyril Wecht Will Not Become Allegheny County Medical Examiner". [[CBS Pittsburgh]].
19. (November 3, 2017). "Wecht talks about some of his most famous cases". [[Observer–Reporter]].
20. (May 28, 2018). "Pittsburgh's Dr. Cyril Wecht Applauds Call By RFK Jr. To Reinvestigate Father's Assassination". [[KDKA-TV]].
21. "Dr. Cyril Wecht interview on TRTWorld".
22. "Cyril H. Wecht, M.D. – Citizens Against Political Assassinations".
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24. "Our Mission". [[Duquesne University]].
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26. [https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/14/us/2d-mistrial-for-officers-charged-in-motorist-s-death.html 2d Mistrial for Officers Charged in Motorist's Death] {{Webarchive. link. (May 14, 2024 , Associated Press (December 14, 1997).)
27. [https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/sheppard_forensic/14/ Condensed Testimony of Dr. Cyril Wecht, plaintiff's expert] {{Webarchive. link. (May 15, 2021 , ''Davis, Special Administrator of the Estate of Samuel H. Sheppard, v. State of Ohio'' (Ohio Court of Common Pleas, County of Cuyahoga).)
28. John Eligon, [https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/expert-finds-defendants-assisted-suicide-account-plausible/ Expert Finds Defendant's Assisted-Suicide Account Plausible] {{Webarchive. link. (May 15, 2021 , ''New York Times'' (March 1, 2011).)
29. Lyndsay Winkley, [https://www.mcall.com/sd-me-zahau-pathologist-20180312-story.html Well-known pathologist testifies in trial that Zahau was strangled] {{Webarchive. link. (May 15, 2021 , ''The Morning Call'' (March 12, 2018).)
30. Eligon, John. (March 2, 2011). "Pathologist Testifies in Case of L.I. Speaker's Death". The New York Times.
31. Brown, Greg. (February 12, 1989). "Cyril Wecht continues to probe JFK murder". Beaver County Times.
32. (October 28, 2017). "Wecht faults Trump for delay in releasing all JFK assassination documents". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
33. Graham, Fred. (August 27, 1972). "Mystery Cloaks Fate of Brain of Kennedy". The New York Times.
34. "Report of the Select Committee on Assassinations of the U.S. House of Representatives". [[The National Archives]].
35. [[Vincent Bugliosi]], ''[[Reclaiming History]]'', p. 863
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37. (1993). "The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: An Annotated Film, TV, and Videography, 1963-1992". Greenwood Press.
38. Noory, George. (January 4, 2021). "Forensic Cases / Egyptian Energy Healing". [[Coast to Coast AM]].
39. (November 3, 2020). "Review: Cyril Wecht's memoir highlights his remarkable and controversial life".
40. Dalton, Stephen. (July 12, 2021). "Oliver Stone's 'JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass': Film Review - Cannes 2021". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
41. Quincy Parker. (January 23, 2007). "Anna Nicole May Not Pay Callenders". The Bahama Journal.
42. Nicole Weisensee Egan. (September 28, 2006). "Pathologist: Meds Killed Daniel Smith". People.
43. (2 October 2020). "The Life and Deaths of Cyril Wecht: Memoirs of America's Most Controversial Forensic Pathologist". McFarland.
44. (8 November 2021). "The JFK Assassination Dissected: An Analysis by Forensic Pathologist Cyril Wecht". McFarland.
45. (8 July 2021). "Final Exams: True Crime Cases from Forensic Pathologist Cyril Wecht". McFarland.
46. (December 31, 1965). "Key Coroner Aides Named by Dr. Hunt". [[Pittsburgh Press]].
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49. O'Toole, James. (March 3, 1981). "Edberg wins coroner title in court". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
50. [[Michael Barone (pundit). Barone, Michael]]; and [[Ujifusa, Grant]]. ''[[The Almanac of American Politics]] 1988'', p. 1006. ''[[National Journal]]'', 1987.
51. (November 8, 1995). "Voters bring Wecht back as coroner". News Record.
52. (November 3, 1999). "Roddey wins historic vote". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
53. (December 20, 2007). "The Wecht Files". [[Pittsburgh City Paper]].
54. O'Toole, James. (January 21, 2006). "Wecht no stranger to controversy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
55. Paul Maryniak. (February 7, 1981). "Judge's Conduct Issue in Wecht Case". The Pittsburgh Press.
56. James O'Toole. (February 6, 1981). "Attorneys attempt to prove anti-Wecht conspiracy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
57. Jason Cato. (January 4, 2008). "Judge approves dismissal of some Wecht charges". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
58. Carl Prine. (April 11, 2008). "FBI's calls upset jurors in Wecht trial". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
59. Jason Cato. (April 15, 2008). "Sources of Wecht jury names sought". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
60. Philip Shenon. (October 24, 2007). "Democrats Were Targets in Inquiries, Panel Is Told". NY Times.
61. Paul Kiel. (April 16, 2008). "Open Letter Calling for Reconsideration of Wecht Retrial". Talking Points Memo.
62. Jason Cato. (April 29, 2008). "Ex-coroner Wecht not a criminal, jurors say". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
63. Marting, Bob. (June 12, 2008). "U.S. Attorney Offices in Northern, Middle Districts are being probed by the Justice Department for possible political prosecution in the Siegelman cases". The Montgomery Independent.
64. Cato, Jason. (May 14, 2009). "Judge tosses evidence in remaining Wecht corruption charges". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
65. Cato, Jason. (June 2, 2009). "Remaining counts against ex-coroner Wecht are dropped". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
66. (October 24, 1961). "Sigrid Ronsdal becomes bride". The Pittsburgh Press.
67. Wecht, Cyril H.. (May 16, 2020). "Cyril H. Wecht: Time to end the COVID-19 hysteria - The pandemic can be contained without draconian measures and overreaction". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
68. (December 21, 2015). "Concussion Lies". The Slate Group.