Dr. Stephen D. Cohle film interview

Dr. Stephen D. Cohle is the chief medical examiner for Kent County, MI.  A forensic pathologist of advanced standing, Dr. Cohle has been of significant help in our cases.  He explains what’s happened to the victim’s body, how death occurred.  This work, even in a very old case, is important.  Certainly, Dr. Cohle has testified in hundreds of homicide cases and his testimony often has made a crucial difference.

In the case of Mina Dekker he sayd that she would have gone into irreversible fatal shock after ten or so minutes of exsanguination.  The head wounds also would have been a cause of death with the resultant brain swelling.  As it was, she lived several hours after the attack.

The scene of the crime, third floor of the Judd Building, 64 Ionia St.

The scene of the crime, third floor of the Judd Building, 64 Ionia St.

It’s possible, Dr. Cohle says that the attacker was injured, too, and it may be that his/her DNA would still be under Mina’s finger nails.  That would require exhumantion and analysis, expensive propositions, especially for a case this old.

Or, there may be her assailant’s DNA in these sample of her hair.  One packet contains a piece of her skull.

Packets of Mina's hair--carefully annotated and preserved--from the case file.

Packets of Mina's hair--carefully annotated and preserved--from the case file.

Any DNA would have to be checked against exemplars from descendants of the suspect(s) if they were willing to offer them.