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In collaboration with the Investigative Reporting Program at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and California Watch.

Post Mortem

Death Investigation in America

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The Real CSIHow America's patchwork system of death investigation puts the living at risk Second ChancesUnderscoring a flawed system, one pathologist leaves a trail of scandals in his wake RELATED REPORTThe Child CasesWhat happens when a child dies under suspicious circumstances?

Popular television shows portray death investigators as high-tech sleuths wielding the most sophisticated tools of 21st century science. An unprecedented collaborative investigation by FRONTLINE, ProPublica and NPR found a very different reality: A dysfunctional system in which there are few standards, little oversight and the mistakes are literally buried. In state after state, reporters found autopsies -- our final physical exam -- conducted by doctors who lacked certification and training. An increasing number of the 2.5 million Americans who die each year go to the grave without being examined at all. More »

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posted February 1, 2011

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