The Bone Reader – Snap Judgment (Snap Classic)

Podcast: Snap Judgment
Host: Glynn Washington (Snap Judgment and PRX)
Episode Air Date: January 1, 2026
Main Guests: Michelle Vitale (forensic artist/professor), Chief Michael O’Brien (Economy Borough Police Department)

Episode Overview

This episode, called The Bone Reader, dives into the heart of a chilling and baffling mystery: how did a well-embalmed, severed head of an unidentified woman end up in the woods of a small Pennsylvania town? Through the perspective of forensic artist Michelle Vitale and Police Chief Michael O’Brien, listeners follow a vivid journey through forensic science, law enforcement, and the ethical ambiguities of the American “body trade.” The episode explores grief, respect for the dead, and the quest for identity for the unknown.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Forensic Artist’s Unlikely Path

• Michelle Vitale’s Background: Started as an art professor teaching scientific illustration and anatomy. She was unexpectedly thrust into the world of forensics as a courtroom sketch artist during the infamous “Pizza Bomber” trial.

  “I think, essentially, I prepared for a life as a forensic artist my whole life. And I came out of it with a whole new direction.” — Michelle Vitale (07:30)

• Interest in Human Faces: Her fascination with reading nuancing bone structure for artistic portrayal led to forensic facial reconstruction.

2. Discovery of the Severed Head

• The Call: In Economy, PA, police received an unusual call—someone had found a human head in the woods (09:08).

  “He says, ‘Okay, this is a strange one… somebody found a head in the woods.’ I said, oh, this can’t be good.” — Chief O’Brien (09:15)

• On the Scene: The head showed little evidence of time in the elements. It was freshly coiffed, clean, and missing eyes, which had been replaced by red rubber balls—a bizarre, almost ritualistic touch (12:18).

• Embalmed and Disconnected: Discovery that the head was embalmed, as if prepared for a funeral, yet detached, puzzled authorities (13:12).

3. Initial Investigation and Forensic Process

• Searching for Answers:

  • Police eliminated possibilities of a recent violent crime or missing person locally.
  • Early theories: serial killer, grave robbery, or an extreme ritual (14:52–16:28).

• Michelle’s Entry: Michelle is contacted to help ID the woman via forensic artistry (14:21).

4. The Bone Reading

• At the Lab: Michelle and a physical anthropologist meticulously examine the head, focused on facial features and evidence only bone and skin can reveal (17:07–19:32).

  • Notable Quote:

    “What are the most salient parts that she's presenting here that need to be in the drawing… What can I do with this information?” — Michelle Vitale (18:44)

• Critical Observations:

  • Hair was not styled for a wake but simply permed (20:10).
  • No makeup present (20:27).
  • The precise surgical removal of the head—clean cuts through the topmost vertebrae—hinted at an expert, not a frenzied killer (22:08).

5. Shifting Theories

• Initial Dead-Ends: Sketches are distributed, generating a flood of leads, none of which pan out. The heads’ unique features—missing eyes, odd mouth shape (due to the way it lay)—make matching difficult (30:11–31:04).

• Michelle’s Professional Insight:

  • She tells Chief O’Brien that the exacting, professional cuts and embalming fit patterns seen in the “body trade”—the legal but loosely regulated donation and sale of bodies for anatomical science (45:51–48:25).

    “None of this says grave robber, crazed killer, serial killer, any of that stuff. To me, it all says the body train.” — Michelle Vitale (45:51)

6. The Body Trade Revelation

• Explaining the Trade:
  • Donated bodies are routinely split and sold for research, dissection, and training, often without families realizing how remains are handled (47:01–48:25).
  • Poorer families sometimes donate bodies for cost relief.
  • Organ donation is highly regulated; body donation is not distinguished and is poorly controlled (48:36).

7. Pursuing Closure Without Resolution

• No One to Miss Her:

  • Michelle theorizes the woman was never reported missing—her family likely believes she was properly interred.
  • A Reuters investigation demonstrates how easy it is to purchase human body parts online, corroborating Michelle’s theory (49:34–50:35).

• Funeral for Jane Doe:

  • The woman, still unidentified, is given a respectful burial organized by Chief O’Brien and attended by all involved, including Michelle as a pallbearer (51:10–53:18).

    “It was an honor. It was beautiful weather… She kind of was a springboard for different kinds of conversations along those lines.” — Michelle Vitale (51:10, 37:53)

  • Chief O’Brien: “This was our life for a year. So it was almost as if it was a loved one of our own, you know what I mean?” (53:01)

8. Epilogue and Continuing Impact

• The Unsolved Still Watching:

  • Chief O’Brien keeps Michelle’s clay sculpture of the woman on his desk, a reminder that the case remains open and unresolved (55:19).

    “People come in my office and they say that’s a little creepy… I look at it as this is my reminder that we don’t know who she is yet… maybe toss me in the right direction.” — Chief O’Brien (55:27)

• Michelle’s Legacy:

  • She continues to work on other forensic cases, striving for closure and honor for the unidentified.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Michelle’s Chill at the Trial (Drawing Marjorie Diehl Armstrong):

  “She looked at me and gave me a look of death, like she wanted to kill me then and there. I got a chill from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.” — Michelle (05:36)

• The Bizarre Finding in the Morgue:

  “Her eyes are both missing. And there’s two red rubber balls placed inside our eye sockets… he picked it up, he had dropped it, and it just bounced across the room.” — Chief O’Brien (12:18)

• Michelle’s Dedication & Bond:

  “I just wanted her to be around. I wanted her to be in my peripheral vision even when I wasn’t working on her.” (35:41)

• On Reading the Bones:

  “The bones speak to you. And the bones are telling me they’re not the same person.” — Michelle, on debunking a possible match (33:36)

• On the Grim Realities of Death for the Unclaimed:

  “She might never be found because no one’s looking for her. If she’s part of the body trade… she’s not a missing person in any way.” — Michelle (48:06)

• Funeral and Remembrance:

  “And I cut a bunch of rosemary sprigs because they’re for remembrance, of course… and I left both of them on her grave.” — Michelle (53:18)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 03:12 – Michelle’s first day as a sketch artist at the “Pizza Bomber” trial
• 09:08 – Discovery of the severed head in the woods
• 12:18 – The morgue reveals missing eyes, red rubber balls
• 17:07 – Michelle and colleague begin the forensic exam
• 22:08 – Surgical cut on the neck hints at expert removal
• 29:10 – Michelle completes and submits her first forensic sketch
• 45:46 – The big reveal: Michelle proposes the body-trade theory
• 51:10 – The Jane Doe funeral, with Michelle as pallbearer
• 55:19 – Chief O’Brien’s reflection on closure and the reminder in his office

Language & Tone

Reflective, empathetic, and intimate. The speakers, especially Michelle and Chief O’Brien, reveal a raw blend of professional detachment, empathy for the unknown woman, and a stubborn, human drive to bring dignity to the dead. The episode carefully respects the dignity of its subject while inviting listeners to confront the reality of anonymous death and the underregulated “body trade.”

Takeaway

The Bone Reader is a haunting story about loss, identity, and the fate of the unclaimed dead. As much about the people who try to restore a name and a story to the nameless as it is about the mystery itself, it’s both a procedural and a meditation on dignity and remembrance.

If you want the full emotional weight, listen to the voices themselves. But if you can’t, this summary has you covered on every critical beat, detail, and twist.