Life and Deaths of Cyril Wecht

"You've probably seen me on TV; America's most controversial forensic science expert. For the past 60 years, I have been speaking out about horrible things that I have seen happen to everyday people: murders, childhood deaths, tragic accidents, and police brutality, to name some. My expertise has also been called upon in death cases with a high media profile including those of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Elvis Presley, JonBenét Ramsey, Laci Peterson, and others. But in addition to offering testimony in and commentary on many fascinating and famous cases, I have also appeared in court as a high-profile defendant, a fact that gave me an insider's look at another side of American justice. And I learned some harsh lessons about ruthlessness and opportunism, not only in my hometown of Pittsburgh, but at the hands of politically partisan officials of the U.S. government. Not many people are willing to go to the mat in a fight with the Feds. The power they have to apply pressure to get a "guilty" plea from a defendant is overwhelming. The public must know that, when individuals dare to stand up to the authorities, whether it's a local DA, a U.S. Attorney, or an agent of the FBI, these people, if sufficiently provoked, with support from their institutions, can and will set out to get you"--