Michael Baden

Michael Baden is an American forensic pathologist known for high-profile death investigations and for serving as chief medical examiner of New York City.

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John F. Kennedy assassination: The 1963 killing of U.S. president John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Baden chaired the forensic pathology panel that reviewed the assassination evidence for the House Select Committee.
Milton Helpern: An American forensic pathologist who served as New York City's chief medical examiner from 1954 to 1973. Helpern appointed Baden to the city's medical examiner office, beginning his public career there.
Autopsy: A systematic examination of a body after death to determine disease, injury, and cause of death. Autopsy findings form the central evidence in many investigations Baden has reviewed.
Medical examiner: A physician, often a pathologist, appointed to investigate deaths and certify their medical findings. Baden's chief-medical-examiner role was an institutional form of death investigation.
Martin Luther King Jr. assassination: The 1968 killing of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Baden later reviewed evidence in the case and publicly challenged aspects of the official account.
Charles S. Hirsch: An American forensic pathologist who served as New York City's chief medical examiner from 1989 to 2013. Hirsch succeeded Baden as chief medical examiner after Baden left the office.
Cause of death: The disease or injury that initiates the sequence of events leading to death. Baden's case opinions often turn on whether injuries support an assigned cause of death.
Coroner: A public official who investigates deaths, with qualifications and duties varying by jurisdiction. Unlike many coroners, Baden is a physician specializing in forensic pathology.
O. J. Simpson murder case: The 1994 Los Angeles murder case in which O. J. Simpson was acquitted of killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Baden testified for the defense about autopsy findings and the victims' time of death.
Cyril Wecht: An American forensic pathologist and former county coroner known for high-profile death investigations. Wecht and Baden became prominent forensic commentators whose opinions often reached beyond official investigations.