On a Friday afternoon in North Myrtle Beach a 911 call comes in about a person apparently injured on the side of the road under an overpass. By the time help arrives, the victim is dead and the person that called 911 has vanished. No eyewitnesses but lots of information. The victim appears to have been shot in the face, her car is still running, her phone is inches away from her fingers and is working as there are messages and email chimes going off. The woman's purse with cash is inside the car, her name is Amber Berbiglia, 23-years-old. Joseph Scott Morgan will explain how the first impression that Amber was shot in the face with a gun turns out to be wrong and Dave Mack will breakdown the timeline on a murder that happened on a sunny afternoon near the beach that has gone as cold as a winter snow storm. 

00:00  Introduction

02:06  Amber Berbiglia Unsolved murder

05:05  How paying a bill in person plays into the story

09:20 Encampents under overpasses

15:11 Woman laid out dead on side of road

19:28  Amber's Cell Phone used up until

2:3024:30 What made Amber stop her vehicle

28:51 Wound so bad it was assumed to be gunshot wound

33:23 First Responder would not see the bones underneath

36:25 Whoever called 911 did not wait for help to arrive

41:49  Conclusion - Horry County, South Carolina still asking for tips

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After Judge Richard Mrazik ruled that there was probable cause to try Kouri Richins for aggravated murder and aggravated attempted murder and other charges, Joseph Scott Morgan decides to take a deeper look at the case against Kouri Richins. The Prosecution claims Kouri Richins tried to kill her husband Eric on Valentines day using a sandwich as the delivery method for the deadly fentanyl. But when Eric felt the effects, he put down the food and the attempt on his life falls short.  After the failed attempt, Kouri decides to try again, this time with more fentanyl and a different delivery method, the "Moscow Mule." And this time Eric Richins dies.  Kouri Richins defense team will certainly have answers for most of the charges against her and that is for the jury to decide. What is not in dispute is that Eric Richins died from Fentanyl, and that is what Joseph Scott Morgan is talking about on this episode of Body Bags.

Transcript Highlights

00:20 Introduction

02:30 The "Moscow Mule" delivery method

05:20 Talking about comparing drug strength to Morphine

08:00 Fentanyl is applied to other drugs as a "sales pitch"

11:34 Indicators of trauma15:04 Congestive heart failure

20:05 Autopsy Reports talking about odors

23:49 Fentanyl comparison to size of penny

27:50 Adding Fentanyl to other drugs for bigger "kick"

31:36 Update of the case: Kouri Richins left forensic bread crumbs

34:25 Using direct injection into heart

36:30 Conclusion: timeline will be powerful at trial

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Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan Recorded in Front of a "LIVE" audience at CrimeCon London, 2024. Joseph Scott Morgan is joined by Jo Millington. Jo Millington is a Forensic Scientist and has been using science to help solve major crimes for over 25 years. She is a renowned specialist in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA) and delivers a range of training courses on the subject to professionals and true crime fans, including online and internationally. 

Transcript Highlights 

00:00. Introduction 

05:00  Discussing training in forensics

09:35 Blood Spatter analysis

15:00 Correcting miscarriage of justice

19:00 Different methods in the UK

24:00 Discussion of velocity patterns

30:00 Identifying features in blood

35:00 conclusion

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Ana Walshe disappears in the first week of 2023. Her husband claims she caught a ride share to Logan Airport before flying to Washington DC. Ana Walshe never boarded the flight and has been missing ever since. Today on Body Bags, Joseph Scott Morgan talks about how investigators look through garbage at a landfill, and what is expected from the crime lab report at the next hearing in October. 

Transcribe Highlights 

00:00:37 Introduction - DNA Lab results

00:01:46 Case goes quiet

00:03:46 Karen Read Case trooper also involved in Walshe

00:06:49 Victim allegedly dismembered, nothing found but blood

00:10:54 Blood has to be verified, it isn't automatic

00:13:30  Discussion of decay in different environments

00:16:48 Investigators found very small amount of blood

00:19:42 Photographic evidence of Brian Walshe

00:22:32 Biological evidence is very fragile

00:25:32 Difficult to imagine what a perp is going to do

00:28:37 Body Parts in a landfill

00:32:02 Conclusion: Lab results coming in October

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OnlyFans and Instagram model, Courtney Tailor, is rich and famous. She is  living in a luxury high-rise in Edgewater, Miami, Florida and has banked over $3 Million dollars in the two years leading up to the death of her boyfriend, Christian Obumseli.
Her real name is Courtney Clenney and she is charged with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon in the death of Christian Obumseli, 27, in her high-rise Miami-area apartment on April 3, 2022.  Clenney claims she killed Obumseli in self-defense. 
Joseph Scott Morgan takes an up-close look at recently released information about what happened that fateful night and provides new insight into the death of Christian Obumseli. Was it self-defense or murder? 

Transcript Highlights 

00:00:00 Introduction of case - why would you throw your only weapon?

00:02:00 A single stab wound by a thrown knife

00:06:37 Courtney Clenney and boyfriend fought

00:10:56 Funny stuff about throwing knives

00:15:26 911 call, victim says "I'm going to die"

00:19:43 Clenney claims she through kitchen knife from 10 feet away

00:24:16 Discussion of laptop, text messages, email

00:28:26 The Love of Money

00:30:55 Courtney Clenney, drunk, approaches teen in parents neighborhood

00:33:23 Conclusion – portent of things to come

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Harmony Montgomery was 5 years old when she was last seen in December of 2019, but she is not reported missing for two years. When police track down Adam Montgomery and ask about Harmony, he tells them Harmony is with her mother in Florida. Police inform him that Crystal Sorey, Harmony's mother is the one who asked for them to check on Harmony,  Adam Montgomery doesn't cooperate, but the media catches on to the story and pressure is brought to find the special needs girl with the beautiful smile. To this day, Harmony Montgomery is still missing. A judge declared Harmony dead in March 2024, clearing the way for Harmony's mother, Crystal Sorey to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the state of New Hampshire alleging systemic failures in the state's child protection system. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and answers from the state of New Hampshire surrounding Harmony's disappearance and death.

Adam Montgomery was sentenced to 56 years to life in prison for the murder of Harmony Montgomery as well as second-degree assault, witness tampering, falsifying physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse. 



Transcript Highlights

00:00.00 Introduction - update Harmony Montgomery case
02:39.79 Crystal Sorey, Harmony's mother, files lawsuit against New Hampshire
05:00.76 Family called about abuse, nothing was done
09:03.23 Judge declared Harmony dead, body still not found
14:04.73 Adam Montgomery beats Harmony in back seat of car
18:57.46 Family told social services, Adam blackened her eye
24:28.68 Description of Harmony dying in backseat of car
27:46.64 Kayla Montgomery told police about beating in car
32:42.38 Conclusion - Hope someone listens

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More evidence has come out in the case of the shooting death of Jared Bridegan. There is now more evidence with the tire found in the road and other tires found at a suspects house and Joseph Scott Morgan will explain how all the numbers actually mean something and can become very compelling evidence. 

00:00 Introduction

02:45 Bridegan executed at close range

07:37 Sharing custody of children

11:42 Bridegan shot twice on left side

16:36 Numbers on tires mean something

21:53 multiple gunshots heard by witnesses

25:53 Wound Tracking

30:44 Bridegan injuries were not survivable 

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After response to the Body Bags episode about decomposition called "The Smell Of Death", Joseph Scott Morgan realized he left our a couple things that are very important in the world of decomposition whether out in the field trying to solve a homicide, or in the cottage of a loved one who dies of old age in their favorite chair, bodies will decompose. And the rate of decomposition is dependent on many factors. Joseph Scott Morgan takes a close up look at decomposition and what it tells investigators who are looking for answers

00:00:00 Introduction   

00:02:23 Explaining skin slippage   

00:05:27 Wearing skin like a glove  

00:09:34 Examination of body on the scene 

00:13:36 Preserving the body  

00:18:39 Body decomposition inside a house      

00:23:15 Landfill with everything breaking down

 00:27:58 Body preserved when barely covered     

00:31:24 Body preservation in frozen area ,

00:34:15 Conclusion     

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This is an update to the story of Madeline Soto and her heartbreaking death, allegedly at the hands of her mother's boyfriend. A cause of death has been released but not the autopsy report due to the victim's age and it is a case of domestic violence. Joseph Scott Morgan pours through investigators reports to shed new light on what happened to Madeline Soto in the time before she was murdered as well as the days before her body was found. 

00:00 Introduction, life of Madeline Soto
04:54 Madeline made to sleep with mom's boyfriend
10:24 No Autopsy toxicology record available
14:15 Cause of Death; strangulation
18:28 Comparing injuries to neck
23:46 Suspect called "Master Manipulator", grooming
27:36 Madeline's body was tossed over fence
31:51 Conclusion 

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What is the worst thing you have ever seen on the job? This is one of the most common questions asked of Joseph Scott Morgan.  Today on Body Bags, the professor breaks down the stages of decomposition while sharing his firsthand accounts of working the scene of bodies that have been decomposing in the heat from a day to a month or more. This is a can't miss episode that provides an up close look at those who deal with death and the very natural things that take place in every person when they die.

Transcription Highlights

00:00:00 Introduction - What is the worst thing you have ever seen?
00:03:45 Sensory Memories and human remains
00:05:06 Talk about the "smell" of burning flesh
00:09:25 Particular smells, burning tires
00:15:25 Life and Death are natural
00:20:18 Description of decomposing body in a bed
00:25:07 Smelling coworkers for the smell of decomposition
00:30:14 Different levels of decomposition
00:35:38 Environmental temperature impacting decomposition
00:40:36 Looking at decomposition hiding injury
00:42:48 Conclusion

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 April  1977,  an unidentified body is pulled out of a septic tank and given the name, "Septic Tank Sam". The body had been burned before being wrapped in a yellow bed sheet and tied up with a nylon rope.

Today, Joseph Scott Morgan explains how it was possible that over four decades passed before "Sam" got his real name back. Attempts were made to find out the name of the man they called "Septic Tank Sam," but it wasn't until the scientists at Othram Labs got involved in the case that an answer was found.

Using genetic genealogy, Othram Labs was able to change the name of "Septic Tank Sam" and provide answers for the community that wondered, "whatever happened to Gordie?" "Septic Tank Sam" was actually Gordon "Gordie" Sanderson.  Please check out Othram: A Revolution in Cold Case Resolution. 

Transcript Highlights
00:00:05.95. Introduction - waste
00:04:14.33 The story of Septic Tank Sam
00:07:23.77 A couple looking in a septic tank finds a body
00:12:40.12 The body is protected
00:17:17.25 Environment helped preserve body
00:21:43.62 Discussion of desiccation
00:24:29.47 Body misidentified as caucasian
00:30:01.26 Cause of death, gunshot wound 
00:35:04.01 Defining prone and supine
00:40:00.92 Identification of bodies
00:45:40.95 Identifies body as indigenous
00:47:11.38 Conclusion, Othram providing answers

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