The Doctor Behind the Autopsy... #truecrimestories #truecrimeshorts #crimejunkies #podcast | Forensic Files

The clip starts, and there's this newscaster, and they're like, "A doctor takes a dead Marine's brain home with
him and then allows his kids to hold it and take pictures with it." What? [laughter]
And then the anchor pops in, he's like, "Yeah, a decision that led to this doctor being reprimanded. But it didn't
keep Maricopa County from hiring that very same doctor to work on some of the most high-profile criminal cases."
Okay, sorry. I'm like letting the shock like enter wash over my body. >> That's Dr. Shelley.
Okay. >> [laughter] >> Okay. And this is before he did Laura's autopsy. >> Yeah, before Maricopa County hired him.
Wendy Halloran did a full investigation into Dr. Shelley's past, which revealed that in December 2011, when he was a
military medical examiner in Portsmouth, Virginia, [music] he was performing an autopsy on a Marine
Corps sergeant who was found dead in his home. Afterward, he was meant to take the
brain, considered evidence, Right. >> to a naval hospital in Virginia for further examination. But as I just told
you, that's not what he did. Instead, he took it to his house, took it out of the
stock jar, and handed it to his young kids to feel while his wife took pictures. I'm sorry. I'm like literally
>> [laughter] >> speechless. I have like zero words, but all the questions. >> And Dr. Shelley, he did bring the brain
to the hospital the next day, but Medical Board found out about his like little detour from an anonymous caller,
and then they launched this like whole investigation. >> Yeah, I feel like those pictures have to
live on like the wife's Facebook somewhere. >> to imagine someone saw the pictures, and
that's what prompted the call. I don't know. Trust me, we scoured the internet for these pictures. If they're anywhere
out there, zero luck. Now, the Virginia Medical Board ended up reprimanding Dr. Shelley. They slapped him with a $2,500
fine.

Before working on Laura Sweetman’s case, the medical examiner had already been formally reprimanded.

In 2011, Dr. Shelly was investigated after taking evidence from an autopsy home and allowing his children to handle it. He was later fined and disciplined by the Virginia Medical Board.

Despite this, he was later hired in Maricopa County and went on to perform autopsies in major cases, including Laura Sweetman’s.

Watch The Full Case Tagged Below. -------- Follow Crime Junkie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimejunkiepodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrimeJunkiePodcast/ Crime Junkie is created and hosted by Ashley Flowers.

Text Ashley to chat this episode and more: https://my.community.com/ashleyflowers?t=Hi%20Ashley%21

About Ashley Flowers Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of Audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families.

Follow Ashley: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ASHLEYFLOWERS/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyflowerscrimejunkie

Purchase Ashley’s highly anticipated second novel, The Missing Half now! | https://ashleyflowers.com/books

Brief Summary

Dr. Shelley took a Marine's brain home for his kids to hold, leading to a reprimand and later hiring for criminal cases.

Key points

Doctor's Shocking Decision. A doctor took a dead Marine's brain home and let his kids hold it.
Investigation Unveiled. An investigation revealed the shocking actions of Dr. Shelley after an autopsy.

Episode quotes

A doctor takes a dead Marine's brain home with him.

0:04WatchApr 14, 2026

More from Crime Junkie

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.