Alabama To Review 100 Autopsies Performed by Discredited Medical Examiner

A mother in Alabama was released after nine months in prison when several forensic pathologists said Alabama medical examiner Dr. Corinne Stern misdiagnosed an infant's cause of death. The state's chief medical examiner now plans to re-open 100 prior homicide cases in which Stern performed the autopsy. 

The judge said in 30 years of law practice he had never seen an expert make a mistake so bad. He praised District Attorney Chris McCool for listening to a defense expert who raised the first red flags about the flawed autopsy.

"What has happened in this courtroom today is absolutely unprecedented," said Moore.

Police found out about the baby when a couple who had been lined up to adopt the child called authorities. Lee told police what happened, but Stern's autopsy concluded the baby was suffocated.

The body had bruises on the forehead and mouth, she wrote, indicating the use of force.

Once Lee's defense questioned the autopsy, McCool got other experts to review the case. Evidence during the hearing showed six different forensics experts found the baby died of pneumonia caused by an infection and was stillborn. What Stern thought were bruises were actually signs of decomposition.

Stern is now working as the medical examiner for Webb County, Texas. 

Troubling as Stern's mistake is, the DA, judge, and chief medical examiner in Alabama deserve a ton of credit for recognizing the problem, addressing it head-on instead of covering it up, and taking measures to see what other damage Stern may have done during her time in Alabama.

Mississippi, are you listening?