Total Credits: 6.5 AAFP, 7.5 ABMDI, 7.5 CLE, 7.75 MMA, 8 POST, 7.75 Mortuary Science
Please join us for the 38th Annual Forensic Science Seminar. This educational seminar on death investigation is co-sponsored by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office and the Minnesota Coroners' and Medical Examiners' Association. We welcome attendees that are physicians, medical personnel, attorneys, law enforcement, death investigators and morticians/funeral directors.
We have been approved for Continuing Education Credit as follows:
‡This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the
Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Minnesota MedicalAssociation and Minnesota Coroners’ and Medical Examiners’ Association.
The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Minnesota Medical Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 7.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credits commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
º This activity is designed to meet the Minnesota Board of Nursing’s continuing education requirements. Nurses are responsible for determining whether this activity meets the requirements for acceptable continuing education credit.
Dr. Sarah Meyers is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School and is board certified in anatomic, clinical and forensic pathology by the American Board of Pathology. Dr. Meyers currently serves the communities in Hennepin, Dakota and Scott Counties in Minnesota as an assistant forensic pathologist with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. As the current president of the Minnesota Coroners’ and Medical Examiners’ Association, Dr. Meyers welcomes you to our 38th Annual Forensic Science Seminar.
Dr. Kevin Whaley joined the faculty of the University of North Dakota Pathology Department in the Fall of 2021 as an Associate Clinical Professor. Prior to relocating to the Land of Ice and Snow, he was the Lead Forensic Pathologist for a physician-owned private practice in the bowels of Pennsylvania for three years. Dr. Whaley graduated with Honors in Research from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where he spent an additional year studying trauma surgery and burn treatment. He completed his residency training at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester NY followed by a forensic pathology fellowship at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Richmond VA. Upon completion of fellowship training under Dr. Marcella Fierro, he remained at the Richmond OCME for approximately ten years as an Assistant Chief Medical Examiner.
Dr. Whaley’s professional interests involve the technological streamlining of forensic pathology and the teaching of medical students and autopsy technicians. He also enjoys providing instruction and guidance to high school and college students students interested in medical fields. Dr. Whaley’s outside interests include snare and drum set performance, video/boardgames, and the “taming” of his bearded dragon Fafnir.
Dr. Owen Middleton was born and raised in central Arkansas. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and subsequently received his Medical Doctorate from the University of Arkansas College of Medicine. He completed four years of anatomic and clinical pathology residency training at the University of Arkansas College of Medicine. Following this, he completed forensic pathology training at the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office in Birmingham, Alabama. He is board-certified in anatomic and clinical pathology by the American Board of Pathology, with subspecialty certification in forensic pathology. He has worked with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office since 2007.
Tim Koch has been a licensed mortician for 39 years. Since 2013, he has owned and operated Metro First Call, a company in Savage, Minnesota, which serves funeral homes, medical colleges, and medical examiners through transportation, cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, body preparation, and refrigerated storage. Prior to this venture, Tim spent 20 years with the Minnesota Department of Health as the mortician investigator, where he licensed morticians, funeral homes, and crematories throughout the state.
Tracy Halvorson, M.D. graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 2018 and completed an anatomic and clinical pathology residency at the University of Iowa in 2022. She is currently the forensic pathology fellow at the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Special Agent Lizabeth Lehrkamp entered duty with the FBI in 2005 and was assigned to the Newark field office investigating Italian organized crime. She later moved onto the Cyber crime squad and in 2010 moved to the Minneapolis field office investigating cyber crime. Since 2010 SA Lehrkamp has been a member of the Hazardous Evidence Response Team (HERT). In 2020 she became the Senior Team Leader of the Evidence Response Team (ERT).
Donald Cheung is a Special Agent in Charge (SAIC) with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), an agency within the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, where he specializes in computer forensics and computer investigations. Currently, he oversees the BCA division responsible for financial crimes, the digital forensics lab, technical crimes services, and cybercrime investigations.
Donald has been a police officer since 1994. Additionally, he serves as the current commander for the Minnesota Financial Crimes (MNFCTF) Task Force. After graduating with a B.S. in computer science, he worked in the private sector as a computer programmer before pursuing a career in law enforcement.
Donald has an M.S. in software engineering and computer security from the University of St. Thomas and a B.S. in computer science from the Institute of Technology at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. He is professionally certified by the IACIS as a Certified Forensic Computer Examiner and
Cellebrite Certified Physical Analyst.
Ann Marie Gross is currently the Technical Leader of the Missing Persons/Mitochondrial DNA Section at the BCA Laboratory. She has been employed at the BCA since 1989 and has worked in the DNA section since 1991. Her career has followed all the advancements of using DNA technology in forensic casework – from RFLP to STRs to Familial DNA testing. She serves on several National committee related to DNA in forensics including SWGDAM and OSAC and is also involved in assessing forensic laboratories for ANAB.
Dr. Quinton is an Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is also a board-certified forensic pathologist and a medical examiner for the Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office. Prior to 2019, he was the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner and Director of Forensic Pathology fellowship training program for the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Quinton has published and lectured extensively in the field of forensic pathology, with a focus on child fatality and forensic pathology education. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) and Chair of the NAME Educational Activities Committee.
B.A., Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology Option, University of Montana, 2009 B.A., Biology, Human Biology Option, University of Montana, 2009 M.A., Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology Option, University of Montana, 2012 Ph.D., Applied Anthropology, University of South Florida, In Progress (PhD Candidate)
Ms. LeGarde is an anthropologist at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) at Offutt AFB in Nebraska. She was born and raised on a cattle ranch in Central Montana and attended the University of Montana in Missoula, MT for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. During this time, Ms. LeGarde was employed by the Montana State Crime lab as a Forensic Firearm, Evidence, and Autopsy Technician.
Ms. LeGarde joined the DPAA Laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in June 2012 after completing her master’s degree. She has primarily served as an anthropologist on Commingled Human Remains projects and eventually became the Project Lead for the USS Oklahoma Identification Project at the Nebraska Laboratory. Ms. LeGarde also serves as the Scientific Recovery Expert on field recovery missions conducted by DPAA.
Dan Anderson joined NMS Labs in 2021, bringing with him more than 30 years of experience in postmortem and human performance toxicology. Prior to joining NMS Labs, Dan served as the Toxicology program manager at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for 6 years developing and managing 3 laboratories within a single state system primarily focused on DUI/DID analysis. Previous to CBI, Dan was a toxicologist/manager at the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner - Coroner in Los Angeles, CA for 24 years immersed in postmortem toxicology and one year at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Toxicology laboratory. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO in 1988 and a MS in Forensic Science-Criminalistics from the University of New Haven in West Haven, CT in 1990. Dan is a certified by the American Board of Criminalistics-General Knowledge (ABC-GKE 1998) and as a Diplomat -Forensic Toxicologist with the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT 2007).
Dan is also very active in professional organizations including being appointed to the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) American Standards Board (ASB) Board of Directors in 2022, the Treasurer of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT) in 2020, multiple board positions with the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) culminating as President in 2013, AAFS Toxicology Program Chair 2014-2015, and President of the California Association of Toxicologists (CAT) in 2005-2006. Lastly, Dan is currently appointed to two Editorial Boards, Journal of Forensic Sciences and Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
Jennifer Swatek is currently a certifying scientist at NMS Labs. She had been working at NMS Labs since 2012 where she started as an intern in the lab responsible for the testing of thousands of samples a year for the presence of drugs and other intoxicants. From there, she worked her way up through the ranks as a lab analyst before joining the toxicological services team in 2019. Jennifer graduated from Northern Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in forensic biochemistry (2011) and Arcadia University with a master’s degree in forensic science (2013). She is board certified as a Diplomate in Forensic Toxicology through the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (2017) and is an active member of both the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) presenting at various conferences related to forensic toxicology.
Dr. Andrew Baker is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He is board-certified in anatomic, clinical, and forensic pathology. He is a fellow of the College of American Pathologists. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, having previously served as the Chair of the Academy’s Pathology/Biology section and on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He is a fellow of the National Association of Medical Examiners, and has previously served as the President and Chair of the Board of Directors. A veteran of the US Air Force, Dr. Baker began practicing as a full-time forensic pathologist with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2002. He was appointed to the position of Chief Medical Examiner for Hennepin County in 2004, and was reappointed in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. In 2013, Dr. Baker’s office expanded to provide all medical examiner services to Dakota and Scott Counties in the metropolitan Twin Cities area.
Joan Jung has been with Hennepin County for 32 years, with the last 17 at the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. She received a BA in Human Resources from Concordia University, and lives with her husband and 2 dogs. In her spare time, she loves to travel, read, and hang out with her grandsons.
Dr. Karie Gibson has been a Special Agent with the FBI for 16 years and currently serves as the Unit Chief for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit-1 (BAU-1), Behavioral Threat Assessment Center (BTAC), a national-level, multi-agency, multi-disciplinary Task Force focused on the prevention of terrorism and targeted violence through the application of behaviorally-based operational support, training and research for local, state, federal, and international partners.
BTAC routinely completes threat assessments, threat management strategies, statement analysis, interview and interrogation strategies, prosecutorial strategies, media strategies, and unknown offender profiles. Dr. Gibson was a Supervisory Special Agent/Profiler at BAU-1 for nearly 7 years prior to being promoted to Unit Chief.
Prior to becoming an agent with the FBI, Dr. Gibson was and continues to be a licensed clinical psychologist. She was an officer in the United States Air Force (USAF) where for four years she worked as a psychologist conducting therapy and psychological assessments for military members and their families. After the USAF, Dr. Gibson was a Forensic Evaluator for the State of Washington for one year before leaving to join the FBI. As a Forensic Evaluator, Dr. Gibson completed court ordered evaluations such as competency to stand trial, mental state at time of offense, and civil commitment evaluations.
Dr. Gibson earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, Morris in 1997; a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in psychological assessment from the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology in 2000; and a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in forensics from the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology in 2002.
Lindsey C. Thomas, MD is a board-certified forensic pathologist. She received her medical degree and completed her residency in Pathology at the University of Michigan Medical Center and completed her Fellowship in Forensic Pathology at the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. Dr. Thomas worked as the Medical Examiner for the Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office and as an Assistant Medical Examiner for the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. Currently she does locum tenens intermittent work for the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Reno, Nevada, and the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office in Salt Lake City, as well as consulting with criminal and civil attorneys.
Dr. Huddle is a native of rural southwestern Virginia. She attended the University of South Carolina, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Criminal Justice. Afterward, Dr. Huddle moved to Richmond, VA, where she completed medical school, a residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, and a fellowship in Forensic Pathology. After working as an Assistant Chief Medical Examiner for the Virginia Department of Health for four years, Dr. Huddle spent three years in western Pennsylvania at a private autopsy facility. Beginning last August, Dr. Huddle joined the Department of Pathology at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences as a Clinical Assistant Professor, where she divides her time between lecturing medical students and performing medicolegal autopsies for select counties in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota. In her free time, Dr. Huddle enjoys crafts (cross-stitching, diamond-painting, paint-by-number) and collecting vinyl records.
Availability | Module Title | Speaker | Duration | Course Details |
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Sep 22, 2022 @ 07:30 AM (CDT) |
Visit Vendors
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25 Minutes | More info » | |
Sep 22, 2022 @ 07:55 AM (CDT) |
Welcome & Into the Darkness: Understanding Suicide
|
Sarah Meyers, M.D.
Karie Gibson, Unit Chief - FBI/BAU1
Lindsey Thomas, M.D.
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1 Hour 15 Minutes | More info » |
Sep 22, 2022 @ 09:35 AM (CDT) |
That's Handy! / A Review of Blunt Force Injuries
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Owen Middleton, M.D.
Tracy Halvorson, M.D.
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1 Hour 02 Minutes | More info » |
Sep 22, 2022 @ 10:40 AM (CDT) |
Forensic Toxicology - Testing and Trends / Dissolving the Myth of Water Cremation
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Dan Anderson, M.S., D-ABFT-FT, ABC-GKE
Jennifer Swatek, M.S., D-ABFT-FT
Timothy Koch
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1 Hour | More info » |
Sep 22, 2022 @ 12:40 PM (CDT) |
FBI Mass Shooting Response
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Lizabeth Lehrkamp
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45 Minutes | More info » |
Sep 22, 2022 @ 01:25 PM (CDT) |
A Common Manner by Uncommon Means
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Kevin Whaley, M.D.
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17 Minutes | More info » |
Sep 22, 2022 @ 01:45 PM (CDT) |
Can Biometric Locks be Bypassed? / Rapid DNA / An Unusual Case of Choking
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Donald Cheung, M.S., B.S., IACIS
Ann Gross, M.S., B.S.
Amanda Spencer, D.O.
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42 Minutes | More info » |
Sep 22, 2022 @ 02:40 PM (CDT) |
Postmortem Imaging Capabilities / A Staged Hanging: Postmortem Suspension of a Homicide Victim
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Reade Quinton, M.D.
Lauren Huddle, M.D.
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58 Minutes | More info » |
Sep 22, 2022 @ 03:45 PM (CDT) |
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and the USS Oklahoma Identification Project / Wrap Up
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Carrie LeGarde, M.A.
Sarah Meyers, M.D.
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42 Minutes | More info » |
Sep 22, 2022 @ 04:50 PM (CDT) |
Annual Meeting (MCMEA Members Only)
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1 Hour 10 Minutes | More info » |
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