Up and Vanished Weekly

Episode: CrimeCon 2025 with Mother Knows Death

Date: October 1, 2025
Hosts: Maggie Freleng, Payne Lindsey
Guest: Nicole Angemi (Pathologist Assistant, Host of "Mother Knows Death")

Brief Overview

This episode of Up and Vanished Weekly takes a unique approach by focusing on the behind-the-scenes world of death investigation, highlighting the perspectives and work of Nicole Angemi, a pathologist assistant and forensics educator with a national following. Maggie Freleng and the Tenderfoot TV team sit down with Nicole at CrimeCon 2025 to explore how the worlds of pathology, social media, medicine, and true crime intersect in her daily work and podcast, Mother Knows Death.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Nicole Angemi’s Work (02:21–05:55)

• Nicole’s Role: Pathologist assistant with 20+ years of experience, specializing in autopsy and organ dissection.
• Public Presence: Nicole has amassed over 2 million followers for her graphic, educational content on pathology and forensics, started with a blog and now including a book and podcast (Mother Knows Death).
• Unique Perspective: Discussion with Nicole brings “a slightly different perspective” to true crime by diving deep into the medical and anatomical reality behind death investigations.
• Maggie’s Anecdote: Maggie recalls her visceral experience attending a live autopsy, emphasizing the intensity and reality of Nicole’s everyday work.

2. CrimeCon Experience & Public Engagement (05:55–07:19)

• Nicole’s CrimeCon Reflections: After her first CrimeCon, returning as a live podcast host is more nerve-wracking due to higher expectations and larger crowds.

  "Last year...I didn't have time to freak out... Now if I get anywhere near the amount that I had last year, it just... Now I'm anxious about that." (Nicole Angemi, 06:28)

• Enthusiasm for Community: Enjoys meeting fans and seeing lectures, notably expressing excitement for Chris Hansen’s session.

3. Career Path & Day-to-Day Work (07:19–11:43)

• Journey into Pathology: Nicole describes starting college as a young single mom, her fascination with microscopy, and the unexpected discovery of the “leg refrigerator,” which spurred her shift from cytotechnology to surgical pathology.
• Role Description:
  • Autopsies: Leading autopsies, especially in academic hospitals for educational purposes.
  • Surgical Pathology: Daily dissection of organs removed during surgeries, ensuring correct diagnoses and verifying surgeon actions.

  "It's kind of a desk job, but like you're sitting at a station... and you're cutting meat with just body parts." (Nicole Angemi, 10:40)

4. Testifying as an Expert & Professional Constraints (11:43–12:31)

• Avoiding Court Testimony: Easily could be called as an expert, but avoids it due to dislike of combative legal environments.

  "I would have wanted to jump over and like, punch the guy. You have to be a certain kind of person and be able to keep your cool..." (Nicole Angemi, 11:55)

5. Social Media & Educational Impact (13:39–16:12)

• Pioneering Science Communication: One of the first in medicine to use Instagram for sharing pathology and forensics insights, with her daughter Maria’s help.
• Viral Growth: Massive growth due to early adoption and viral celebrity shoutouts.

  "One day I would just wake up and I had, like, 50,000 more followers. It was so insane." (Nicole Angemi, 15:55)

6. "Mother Knows Death" Podcast - Format & Approach (16:23–19:52)

• Origin Story: Podcast co-hosted by Nicole and her daughter, covering current news, celebrity deaths, odd accidents, and medical anomalies.
• Tone: Intentionally lighter and sometimes humorous despite the dark subject matter.

  "We try to laugh a lot through it, which is a weird thing because our subject matter is so sensitive." (Nicole Angemi, 18:19)

• Never Lacking Material: Endless stream of new cases, accidents, and mishaps—never short on topics.

7. Misconceptions about Pathology & Death (19:52–21:42)

• Media Distortion: TV glamorizes and misrepresents autopsies; actual work can be mundane and at times frustrating due to bureaucracy.

  "I make it just look like the coolest thing ever. But I mean, it's a job." (Nicole Angemi, 20:05)

• Public Expectations: Families often suspect foul play even in natural deaths; Nicole sees her role as helping educate and provide clarity.
• Personal Views on Death: Direct experience with unexpected death makes Nicole pragmatic and determined to live meaningfully.

  "I'm not afraid to die. I know what's happening and it's happening to every single person in my life..." (Nicole Angemi, 21:42) "There's so many times that I've done autopsies on young, young people my age... you don't know when it's going to happen." (Nicole Angemi, 21:58)

8. Humanity in Death Investigation (24:01–25:43)

• Dealing with Families: Stays emotionally balanced by focusing on providing answers, not emotional support, especially crucial when cases hit close to home (e.g. deceased children).

  "The way that I could help that mom is to find out what happened because that will give her answers and maybe some closure..." (Nicole Angemi, 24:30)

• Comfort through Answers: The most Nicole can offer is clear, truthful information about the cause of death.

9. Pathology & True Crime Crossroads (25:43–27:21)

• Intersection with Forensics: Crime scenes, injuries, and accidents often find their way to the pathology lab, not just the morgue.

  "Forensics isn't just true crime. It's accidents, which is the second leading cause of death..." (Nicole Angemi, 26:28)

• Collaboration: Surgical pathologists handle trauma, evidence, and bodily remains that relate directly to criminal investigations.

10. Upcoming Projects & Final Notes (27:21–27:51)

• New Book Announcement: Nicole teases her next book, focused on celebrity deaths, targeted for release by CrimeCon 2027.

  "I have a celebrity death book that's gonna be coming out by CrimeCon of 2027, so that'll be something to look out for. And it's... gonna be awesome, I think." (Nicole Angemi, 27:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Starting in Pathology:
  "I walked over there and it was just like this... sensory overload... amputated legs wrapped up in biohazard bags... it was so gross, but so, like, cool at the same time." (Nicole Angemi, 08:17)

• On Fear of Testifying in Court:
  "When I saw what the opposite lawyer did to them, I was like, no, no thanks." (Nicole Angemi, 11:49)

• On Social Media Impact:
  “Alice Cooper gave me a shout out, which was insane. And Bam Marguera and like, all these, like, big accounts. Like, one day I would just wake up and I had, like, 50,000 more followers.” (Nicole Angemi, 15:46)

• On Podcast Tone:
  "We try to laugh a lot through it, which is a weird thing because our subject matter is so sensitive." (Nicole Angemi, 18:19)

• On Public Misconceptions:
  "There's unrealistic expectations of what people think that we can find... People have a hard time accepting death. So that's why I like to educate about it..." (Nicole Angemi, 20:51)

• On Mortality:
  “Every single person there didn't know that they were going to be dead that day... just like in the clothes, they woke up in the morning and they put on those socks and shoes... didn't know they were going to be in an office with someone cutting their clothes off later that day.” (Nicole Angemi, 22:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Nicole’s Introduction & Career Path: 02:21–09:48
• Day-to-Day Work in Pathology: 09:48–11:43
• Testifying & Legal System: 11:43–12:31
• Rise on Social Media & Public Education: 13:39–16:12
• Podcast Origins and Format: 16:23–19:52
• Misconceptions, Public Perception, and Views on Death: 19:52–21:42
• Humanity in Pathology & Working with Families: 24:01–25:43
• Intersection with True Crime & Forensics: 25:43–27:21
• Future Projects (New Book): 27:21–27:51

Episode Takeaways

• Nicole Angemi’s work exemplifies the bridge between medical reality and true crime curiosity, highlighting the profound humanity and emotional complexity behind every case she encounters.
• Mother Knows Death offers an irreverent yet thoughtful lens on death and pathology, blending dark humor with education and empathy.
• The pathology profession is frequently misunderstood—a combination of scientific rigor, everyday bureaucracy, and intimate moments with families facing loss.
• Nicole’s presence on social media and in podcasting is breaking down stigma, teaching science, and making the subject of death less taboo.

Further Resources

• Follow Nicole Angemi on Instagram for educational content: [@mrs_angemi]
• Listen to "Mother Knows Death" (wherever you get your podcasts)
• Book: "Nicole Angemi's Anatomy: A Catalog of Familiar, Rare and Unusual Pathologies"

[This summary skips all ad reads, intros, and non-content banter to focus solely on the interview and topic discussion.]