Medical Examiner Attacked, Tied to Bomb Outside Office [Memphis, again!]

The Commercial Appeal ^ | June 2, 2002 | Yolanda Jones

[willieroe]

An unknown assailant attacked the Shelby County medical examiner late Saturday, wrapping him with barbed wire and strapping a bomb to his chest before leaving him in a stairwell outside his downtown Memphis office.

Dr. O. C. Smith received minor injuries from the attack that included chemical burns. His attacker threw an acid type substance on Smith's face as he left work at 1060 Madison around 10 p.m.

Smith was found by a security guard shortly after midnight.

This is the second time in the last three months an explosive device or bomb has been found at the Shelby County Regional Forensic Center, which houses the morgue and Smith's office.

On March 13, a bomb and two smaller explosive-type devices were found in the stairwell outside of the forensic center. [Related FR thread: MEMPHIS: 'NO HOAX' BOMB FOUND OUTSIDE COUNTY MORGUE]

Sunday afternoon, local and federal officials said the devices are "similar," but are still investigating. They could not say if the same person or persons made the devices.

A $5,000 reward is being offered by Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau for any information about suspects in this recent incident and the one on March 13.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 528-CASH or the ATF hotline at (888) ATF-BOMB.

[concerned about politics]

The FBI said it was arson. I don't know what the medical examiner's ruling was.

Spontanious combustian, no doubt. *sigh*

[Almondjoy]

Are there people living in TN?

[Eva]

Yeah, like the medical examiner in Arkansas, that declared the death of the decapitated man, a suicide, or the one shot in the back the head, a suicide.

[cgk]

He also did the autopsy on Katherine Smith, who was involved in driver license fraud with some Middle Eastern men, and was found burnt to death after a minor traffic accident.

Anyone know what the final determination was on cause of death for Ms. Smith? Did they rule that a suicide?

Thanks, I was trying to remember her name in relation to this. This doesn't look good. Maybe the ME can give law enforcement some descriptions of his attacker(-s), since he lived.

Mrs Kus

[Libertina]

The Scientific organizations' gesture of contributing $ to Wiley's reward fund was exemplory, but I was actually referring to the reward re: to the ME's attack. In that county, ME seems to be a spectaculary dangerous occupation.

[tutstar]

Wonder if the person wasn't pleased about the autopsy finding on the lady who was selling the i.d.'s to mid-eastern men? Sure does make a person wonder.

[cgk]

In some article I read by Jim Garrison -- the real life DA from NO Stone made JFK about -- Garrison asserted that when "the Establishment" wanted to infiltrate and "control" an area, they would make it a priority to get one of "their people" in the position of medical examiner because the position has so much power in a real world way. The position can label deaths accidental/murder, etc.

Perhaps there's more to this guy than meets the eye...

Here's another story, significant only because the accused murderer's birthday is the day Smith was attacked: Saturday, June 1st.:

They are accusing the Shelby County medical examiner of purposefully withholding evidence that could have helped them defend Workman."That X-ray was absent from the record for one reason: the Medical Examiner's Office suppressed it," the attorneys wrote yesterday in the motion to reopen the case. Dr. O.C. Smith, Shelby County medical examiner, did not return a request for comment yesterday.

from this Death Row Inmate's Case History page, which I neither support, nor am against... just remember it from Court TV:
Philip Workman; Tennessee Death Row
The Case Today

Interesting coincidence, if that's all it is. I wonder how much more can be found about Smith?

Mrs Kus

[cgk]

The other side:
More info on the Convicted Cop-Killer, from APB News, not his supporters' website

Mrs K

[Calvin Locke]

Question is .. what is really behind these attacks

Ya ever see that Sam Kinison piece on gay necrophiliacs?

Maybe the ME was spoiling their fun and decided to make it personal.

[cgk]

I forgot this one in the last post:
With drama befitting a John Grisham novel, the day before their client's last-chance clemency hearing, Minton and Dorsey uncovered a missing autopsy X-ray taken by the Memphis/Shelby County medical examiner, O.C. Smith. He says that he just forgot about the X-ray's existence, and that it "just got lost" over years of refiling. Monday, 10 out of the 12 jurors went on record saying they would not have recommended the death penalty knowing the new information. from Salon News:Dead Man Talking

Mrs Kus

[SarahW]

Throwing acid in the face is a favorite "religion of pieces" punishment.

Not saying that's what this is...

[cardinal4]

What did the medical examiner know and when did he know it?

[concerned about politics]

Ya ever see that Sam Kinison piece on gay necrophiliacs?

Geeez. And I though the PC tolerance couldn't get any worse.

[Brownie74]

He also did the autopsy on Katherine Smith, who was involved in driver license fraud with some Middle Eastern men, and was found burnt to death after a minor traffic accident.

I'm glad that you pointed this out. It seems that the Katherine Smith death is being put on the back burner. If you hear anything I would appreciate a ping. Thanks.

[boris]

Someone Set Him Up the Bomb.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Certainly the Examiner rigged his appointment to this position so he could ruin society. Certainly.

[blam]

"What did the medical examiner know and when did he know it?"

I'm appalled that the Bush administration tolerates this activity. <>

[thinden]

thanx for the reminder, mitch:

O.C. Smith is the person who conducted the autopsy on Don Wiley (the Harvard microbiologist). See this link, for example. I am not saying that there is a connection with these bombings. It's just a bit strange that the same name comes up again.

[Republic]

This bugs me a bit...hard to pin down motive because of info on thread...but the connections with middle eastern men is unmistakeable. And worrisome.