Famed forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht dies at age 93
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Nationally known forensic pathologist and former Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht has died at the age of 93, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts said.
He was well-known for his work on high-profile cases like JonBenet Ramsey and Anna Nicole Smith, as well as President John F. Kennedy's assassination.
It was August 1972 and the president's brain was missing.
Wecht had been allowed to examine the evidence of Kennedy's assassination held in the National Archives.
A critic of the "official" assassination report by the Warren Commission, Wecht said it would be impossible to answer questions about what happened to the president in Dallas without his preserved brain and the microscopic slides of tissue from the bullet wounds.
But he discovered those were "missing" from the archives, so Wecht raised the alarm and made international headlines.
It was far from the last time he would be in the spotlight.
Born in March of 1931 to immigrant parents in rural Greene County, Wecht grew up in McKees Rocks and then the Hill District, attending Fifth Avenue High School before earning his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1956.
After three years in the Air Force, he earned a law degree from the University of Maryland and embarked on a career in forensic pathology that would shape the rest of his life and involve him in some of the nation's highest-profile criminal cases spanning decades.
His public life in Allegheny County started in 1965 as deputy coroner and he was elected coroner in 1970, then commissioner in 1980.
He served for years while consulting on cases including the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and the Manson family murders.
He was re-elected coroner in 1995 while consulting on criminal cases like the murder of JonBenet Ramsey and testifying as an expert witness in criminal trials.
His conclusions occasionally made him an iconoclast or the defendant himself.
He was the only forensic pathologist to testify to the House select committee on assassinations who maintained that a "lone gunman" could not have murdered JFK.
In Pittsburgh, when District Attorney Stephen Zappala "declined" to prosecute Pittsburgh police officers who Wecht concluded were responsible for the suffocation death of Charles Dixon, he released his own medical opinion and faced federal prosecution for allegedly using the coroner's office for his own profit.
It ended in a mistrial and accusations his prosecution had been politically motivated.
Wecht is credited by many attorneys with bringing the science of forensic pathology to the forefront in investigations and trials.
He also authored a dozen books and starred in a Las Vegas show about famous criminal cases. In addition, he collaborated on several film and television projects, including the award-winning films "JFK" and "Concussion."
In a statement, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey called Wecht a "larger-than-life" personality who "embodied Pittsburgh."
"As we mourn the loss of this Pittsburgh legend, let us also remember his dedication to getting to the truth. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends and hope that his memory will be a blessing in the days and years to come," Gainey said.
The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts said of Wecht, "He loved Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, and, although he traveled the world, he never would consider living anywhere else (save for his two years of military service and his brief time In Baltimore after discharge). Most of all, Cyril loved his family, and made the happiness, well-being, and education of his wife, his children and his grandchildren his top priority in life."
Duquesne University President Ken Gormley released this statement following Wecht's death, "Dr. Cyril Wecht was a globally respected forensic pathologist, a gifted politician, and an incredible champion of Duquesne University. The Duquesne community was blessed by his presence on campus as a professor in the Duquesne Kline Law school for many years. His continued influence is felt through the academic work of the Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law and in the resources of the Cyril H. Wecht Forensic Science Collection. I was proud to call him a long-time colleague. His professional acumen, captivating stories, and keen intellect will be sorely missed by the Duquesne community, the region he served so faithfully, and the entire world that recognized him as one of the great forensic pathologists of our time. On a more personal note, Cyril has been a trusted friend since I began my career -- he never minced words, he had a lively and colorful personality, and he also had a heart of gold. There was, and will only be, one Dr. Cyril Wecht. His passing leaves a void in our hearts forever."
Mayor Ed Gainey said, "As we mourn the loss of this Pittsburgh legend, let us also remember his dedication to getting to the truth. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends and hope that his memory will be a blessing in the days and years to come."
"It is with a heavy heart that the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner joins the greater Pittsburgh community in mourning the loss of Dr. Cyril H. Wecht," Dr. Ariel Goldschmidt, Chief Medical Examiner of Allegheny County, said."Dr. Wecht was an icon in the field of Forensic Medicine, serving as the longtime coroner for Allegheny County and its first appointed Medical Examiner. Through his outspoken passion for the field, Dr. Wecht gained international prominence as he consulted on the deaths of many prominent figures, including the late US President John F. Kennedy and others. Dr. Wecht continued performing casework well into his 90s, and never shied away from opinions that challenged conventional viewpoints. His colorful and larger-than-life personality and commitment to teaching will cause him to be missed by many; however, his legacy and contributions to the fields of Forensic Medicine and Law will continue through local educational institutions that bear his name, including the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law at Duquesne University."
Wecht married his wife, Sigrid Ronsdal in 1961, and together they raised four children, including Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Justice David Wecht. He also leaves behind 11 grandchildren.
His funeral and burial, as well as shiva, which is a mourning period in the Jewish faith, will be private, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts said. However, a public memorial service will be planned at a future date.