Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: "Mayhem in the Morgue — The Weather Outside Is Frightful"

Date: March 2, 2026 | Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns (substitute for Nancy Grace)

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Kendall Crowns, forensic pathologist, hosts a chilling discussion on hypothermia-related deaths coinciding with a devastating winter storm affecting much of the United States. Dr. Crowns shares first-hand experiences, clinical explanations, and autopsy findings related to deaths caused by extreme cold. The episode blends scientific detail with engrossing case stories, aiming to educate listeners on the fatal risks of hypothermia—both medically and through real crime scene investigations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Impact of Winter Storm Fern

• [02:35] Dr. Crowns sets the stage, describing widespread suffering—burst pipes, outages, and dangers for people and particularly the homeless—caused by Winter Storm Fern.
  • “These winter storms bring freezing temperatures, high winds, sleet, ice and snow … Every year, wherever I've worked, we will get a number of people dying from exposure to the cold, also known as hypothermia.”

2. Introduction to Hypothermia

• [03:13] Dr. Crowns explains:
  • Normal human body temperature is 98°F (37°C).
  • Hypothermia: occurs when body temperature drops below this.
  • Causes: Primarily low environmental temperature, but also certain medical conditions (reserved for another episode).
  • Vulnerable populations: Homeless, elderly, demented/mentally ill wanderers, alcoholics, the injured.

3. Types of Hypothermia

• [04:00] Dry (on land) vs. wet/immersion (in water).
• Majority of cases encountered by Dr. Crowns are dry land exposure; some immersion cases occur, usually after accidents in frigid water.

Case: The Bascule Bridge Incident

• [04:22]

  • Two workers trapped on a bridge dangled above an icy river.
  • One slipped from his harness out of panic and fell into freezing water, dying from a combination of drowning and hypothermia.
  • “When this individual came into the medical examiner's office for autopsy … I decided to weigh [his clothing], and it weighed over 120 pounds due to all the water that had seeped in … he was in freezing cold water, he didn’t have a chance.”
    — Dr. Crowns [05:31]

• [05:52] Cold water conducts heat away 20-25 times faster than dry air, causing more rapid hypothermia and potentially irregular heart rhythms upon water immersion.

4. Stages and Symptoms of Hypothermia

• [06:43] Dr. Crowns details the progression:
  • 95–90°F (35–32°C): Shivering, impaired judgment, increased heart rate, vasoconstriction (except with alcohol, which blocks this process and speeds up heat loss).
    • “Alcohol can affect this part … by causing the vessels not to constrict, but to dilate, which makes alcoholics lose heat faster.” [07:10]
  • 90–82°F (32–28°C): Brain fails to regulate temperature, shivering stops, confusion, hallucinations, slurred speech, excess urination, paradoxical undressing, "hide and die" behavior.
  • Below 82°F: Unconscious, coma-like state, irregular heartbeat, lungs fill with fluid.
  • Below 75°F: Death is imminent, but rare revivals occur.
    • “At less than 75 degrees Fahrenheit, or 24 degrees Celsius, you appear dead, pulseless, with no breathing. At this point, you can be saved, but it's unlikely.” [09:53]

5. Paradoxical Undressing and Hide-and-Die Syndrome

Case: The Elderly Woman

• [12:36]

  • Elderly woman’s utilities shut off, house poorly insulated, tried to block cold with grocery sacks.

  • Found naked under a couch, covered in clothing. Initial suspicions of foul play, but autopsy indicated hypothermia.

  • “She was exhibiting the findings that occur in hypothermia cases. And these are paradoxical undressing, hide and die behavior, which is also known as terminal burrowing.” [13:18]

  • Paradoxical undressing: Due to vasodilation, the dying brain misinterprets the sensation as overheating.

  • Hide and die: A primal burrowing instinct akin to hibernation, seen in victims hiding in small, protected spaces.

6. Frozen Bodies in the Morgue & Autopsy Challenges

Case: The Frozen Young Man

• [15:12]
  • Young man found dead in a railcar in Chicago, 2004, with a mountain bike, never identified.
  • Body frozen solid; autopsy delayed for days as body thawed under warming lights (nicknamed "fry lights").
  • “The average adult body is made up of about 60% water. And when a body is left in freezing conditions, it will freeze as solid as a rock. You can't even cut into their skin with a scalpel blade because it is so hard.” [15:49]
  • Thawing process and forensic difficulties: “You would do this by poking them in the abdomen with your finger. I know, real scientific, right? … When you poke the abdomen, if it feels like poking, play doh, they were warm enough to autopsy.” [17:07]
  • One mishap: organs accidentally "cooked" by using too-hot water, producing a memorable odor: “best described as hot dog vomit with a twist of iron.” [18:08]

7. Autopsy Findings in Hypothermia Deaths

• [18:45] Diagnosing hypothermia postmortem is challenging; findings are not exclusive but often appear in combination:

  • Wisniewski’s ulcers: dark hemorrhagic spots in the stomach lining ("like a leopard’s pelt"). Seen in 40–100% of cases, but not unique to hypothermia.

  • Frost erythema: reddish/violet patches often on knees ("red knees of hypothermia"). Not unique—could also be CO or cyanide poisoning.

  • Hemorrhage in iliopsoas muscle: From intense shivering, again not unique.

  • Other possible findings: depleted glycogen, kidney and heart tissue changes, but these are not run routinely.

  • “All of the findings can be found in other conditions, but when you get a combination … and especially a cold body temperature, you can determine hypothermia quite easily.” [21:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When this individual came into the medical examiner's office for autopsy … I decided to weigh [his clothing], and it weighed over 120 pounds due to all the water that had seeped in … he was in freezing cold water, he didn’t have a chance.”
  — Dr. Crowns [05:31]

• “Alcohol can affect this part… by causing the vessels not to constrict, but to dilate, which makes alcoholics lose heat faster.”
  — Dr. Crowns [07:20]

• “She was exhibiting the findings that occur in hypothermia cases. And these are paradoxical undressing, hide and die behavior, which is also known as terminal burrowing.”
  — Dr. Crowns [13:18]

• “You would do this by poking them in the abdomen with your finger. I know, real scientific, right? … When you poke the abdomen, if it feels like poking, play doh, they were warm enough to autopsy.”
  — Dr. Crowns [17:07]

• “One time I had the water too hot and cooked all the organs that I had out in a pan, making them all a kind of dull gray color. Plus it gave off an odd odor best described as hot dog vomit with a twist of iron.”
  — Dr. Crowns [18:08]

Highlighted Timestamps

• [02:35] – Introduction to winter storm’s impact; types of victims
• [04:00] – Difference between dry vs. immersion hypothermia
• [05:31] – The bascule bridge tragedy
• [06:43] – Detailed progression of hypothermia, from shivering to death
• [07:10] – The role of alcohol in heat loss
• [12:36] – The elderly woman’s case: paradoxical undressing and terminal burrowing
• [15:49] – The "frozen railcar" case and forensic challenges
• [18:45] – Explaining Wisniewski’s ulcers, frost erythema, and muscle hemorrhage
• [23:00] – Closing advice: “Winter weather can be fun, but remember to take a break and warm up.”

Conclusion

Dr. Crowns combines forensic expertise, clinical clarity, and compelling stories to illuminate the dangers of hypothermia, both for vulnerable populations and for those encountering severe winter weather. The episode delivers both scientific knowledge and human perspective, offering listeners a deeper understanding of how and why cold can silently kill—and how forensic professionals unravel the truth.

If you missed this episode, you’ll walk away with a detailed understanding of hypothermia, its real-world consequences, and unforgettable morgue stories.