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Blog archive

October 2024

ARBORIST WALK: NOT FOR TREE HUGGERS ONLY!
10/29/2024

Bill Wishner: Visual Hunter
10/29/2024

Can a Village Group Fix Our Healthcare System?
10/29/2024

Community Board Directors Strengthen Village Board
10/29/2024

Connecting with Village Connections: The A, B, C, & D’s of Medicare @ 65+
10/29/2024

Grief is a Journey: Two Paths Taken
10/29/2024

Message from the President
10/29/2024

Promoting Informed & Involved Voters
10/29/2024

What Will Be Your Legacy?
10/29/2024

1619, Approaching the Election...
10/27/2024

Beyond and Within the Village - A Star is Born
10/17/2024

Happiness by Priscilla Leonard
10/11/2024

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
10/11/2024

Unpainted Door by Louise Gluck
10/11/2024

In the Evening by Billy Collins
10/10/2024

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
10/10/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

September 2024

August 2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

First Anniversary
08/19/2024

Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen
08/16/2024

Muse des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden
08/16/2024

The God Abandons Antony by Constantinos P. Cavafy
08/16/2024

Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes
08/15/2024

Cultural Activities Team offers an ‘embarrassment of riches’
08/15/2024

Engaging in Pasadena Village
08/15/2024

Future Housing Options
08/15/2024

Message from the President
08/15/2024

There Are Authors Among Us
08/15/2024

Villagers Welcome New Members at the Tournament Park Picnic
08/15/2024

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
08/14/2024

A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson
08/13/2024

Haikus
08/13/2024

One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
08/13/2024

Poem 20 by Pablo Neruda
08/13/2024

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
08/13/2024

Trees by Joyce Kilmer
08/13/2024

July 2024

June 2024

May 2024

Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
05/28/2024

Farewell from the 2023/24 Social Work Interns
05/28/2024

Gina on the Horizon
05/28/2024

Mark Your Calendars for the Healthy Aging Research California Virtual Summit
05/28/2024

Meet Our New Development Associate
05/28/2024

Putting the Strategic Plan into Practice
05/28/2024

Washington Park: Pasadena’s Rediscovered Gem
05/28/2024

Introducing Civil Rights Discussions
05/22/2024

Rumor of Humor #2416
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2418
05/14/2024

Springtime Visitors
05/07/2024

Freezing for a Good Cause – Credit, That Is
05/02/2024

No Discussion Meeting on May 3rd
05/02/2024

An Apparently Normal Person Author Presentation and Book-signing
05/01/2024

Flintridge Center: Pasadena Village’s Neighbor That Changes Lives
05/01/2024

Pasadena Celebrates Older Americans Month 2024
05/01/2024

The 2024 Pasadena Village Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
05/01/2024

Woman of the Year: Katy Townsend
05/01/2024

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

JEFF GUTSTADT - FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST

By Susan Kujawa
Posted: 01/27/2023
Tags: bios

Forensic Pathology – A Talk by Jeffrey Gutstadt

 On Wednesday, January 11, about 25 members of Pasadena Village activated their Zoom links in order to hear Village member Jeffrey Gutstadt present a talk on his “unusual” profession.  Jeff was a forensic pathologist for many years, and the Villagers were eager to hear about what forensic pathology is really like. 

 Jeff began with some insight into his history.  He did his undergraduate work at UC Santa Cruz before moving on to five years of medical school at the University of Chicago.  Early in his career, he found that he preferred working in a lab behind the scenes rather than dealing directly with patients.  As a result, he spent years as a medical examiner at several coroner's offices in California, eventually ending up at the LA County office.  The LA County Coroner's Office serves some 10 million people and performs over 10,000 autopsies per year.

 Jeff then went on to list the four types of cases sent to the coroner's office:  Homicides, suicides, accidental deaths, and deaths by natural causes.  Homicides account for only 10 – 15% of the cases, but they get the most media attention.

 A death usually undergoes a preliminary examination in the field (e.g., by an EMT team) before being taken to the coroner's office.  The coroner's work begins with a careful external exam.  In many cases, an autopsy follows.  In addition, a case may require technicians to take x-rays or use fluoroscopes to locate bullets.  The coroner then may send specimens to the toxicology lab as needed.  Contrary to what we sometimes see on TV, a toxicology exam can easily take weeks.  Finally, the coroner submits a report, which includes the cause and manner of death.

 Technicians sometimes use CAT scans in lieu of autopsies, but there will always be cases that require the latter.  Some cases do not require an autopsy at all; for example, a natural death with a clear cause.  In other cases, someone (e.g., a family member) may request an autopsy, even when one is not required. 

 As expected, gun shot wounds get particularly close inspection.  Investigators can determine the direction, character, and shape of a projectile from information provided during an autopsy.  Inspectors can glean similar but simpler information on stab wounds, fatal cuts, and blunt force traumas. 

 The coroner's job is not complete after the examination.  Jeff said that he has been called to testify in court hundreds of times all over LA County.   Even after “retirement”, the coroner cannot rest completely; cold cases may require appearances in court years later. 

 Jeff's talk left a lot of time for questions.  The Villagers responded with a variety of inquiries, including:

Details about autopsies and when people request autopsies         

                    - The differences in treatment of homicides vs. suicides

                    - The type of gear he wore during autopsies - (in short, there is a lot of it!)

                    - His most difficult cases  (Answer:  Those involving multiple bullet wounds and/or

                      multiple stabbings, and/or drugs)

                    - His most interesting case: (Answer:  The Bonny Lee Bakley murder case from 2001,

                      which remains officially unresolved to this day.)

On the lighter side, a Villager asked Jeff if he (or a doctor) could get away with murder. Answer:  “Well, maybe so . . .”

 And finally, a Villager asked Jeff if the awe he felt about the human body early in his career stayed with him.  Answer:  “Yes, I still marvel at the body as an amazing machine to this day.”

 The Village owes Jeff a debt of gratitude for sharing his experiences.  Those present found his words quite informative. 

 To view the recording of Jeff's talk, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

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