In the early 1990s, Barbara Butcher was hired as a death investigator at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Manhattan.
She was the second woman ever to hold the position, and she held the role for more than two decades. During that time, she investigated more than 55,000 death scenes — 680 of which were homicides. She was also part of the team that identified victims of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Butcher joined Errol Louis on "You Decide" to share her accounts of investigating everything from accidental deaths to gruesome murders. Her memoir, titled “What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator,” was recently published by Simon & Schuster.
She discussed her experiences, including the life events that led her to choose her career and the incredible toll of the job.
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NY1’s Errol Louis has been interviewing powerful politicians and cultural icons for years, but it’s when the TV cameras are turned off that things really get interesting. From career highlights, to personal moments, to stories that have never been told, join Errol each week for intimate conversations with the people who are shaping the future of New York and beyond. Listen to "You Decide with Errol Louis" every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts.
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