Dr. Cyril H. Wecht
1931 – 2024
Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, an indefatigable force of nature who defined his life through action and integrity, has died at the age of 93. America’s most prominent forensic pathologist, Dr. Wecht consulted on many high-profile cases and was perhaps best known as an articulate and passionate critic of the JFK autopsy and of the lone assassin findings of the Warren Commission. He was past president of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American College of Legal Medicine and sat on the board of trustees of the American Board of Legal Medicine. He served in Pittsburgh, Pa. at various times as County Commissioner, Allegheny County Coroner & Medical Examiner. He was the distinguished Professor of Pathology at Carlow University. High-profile cases he worked on include Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Sharon Tate, Brian Jones, The Symbionese Liberation Army shootout, President John F. Kennedy, The Legionnaires’ Disease panic, Elvis Presley, Jon Benét Ramsey, Dr. Herman Tarnower (the Scarsdale diet guru), Danielle van Dam, Sunny von Bülow, the Branch Davidian incident, Vincent Foster, Laci Peterson and most recently Daniel and Anna Nicole Smith. During his career, Dr. Wecht performed more than 14,000 autopsies. He was a clinical professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and an adjunct professor of law at Duquesne University. He served on the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations, Forensic Pathology Panel, and participated as a consultant for Oliver Stone’s 1991 film JFK. In 1982 he was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate opposing John Heinz. Wecht fiercely contested the official government conclusion that a single bullet caused seven non-fatal wounds to President Kennedy and Governor Connally and emerged in nearly pristine condition. In the fall of 2000, the Duquesne University School of Law established the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law. He was founder and president of Citizens Against Political Assassination (CAPA). He was a dedicated and inspiring educator, speaker; an advocate of reason and principle who played a visible and leading role within the JFK assassination research community.
LISTEN to Alan Dale’s JFK Conversation with Dr. Wecht by clicking HERE.