Review finds Autopsies Flawed

Experts who reviewed former Toronto pathologist Dr. Charles Smith’s work say they disagree with conclusions reached in 13 cases where people were convicted of criminal offences. One of those cases involves a person still behind bars.

The review of 45 of Smith’s cases uncovered concerns in 20 of them, ranging from minor to serious, while 13 proved to be especially problematic. “In 13 of these cases, the reviewers did not agree with significant facts or with the interpretation of the examinations conducted.” “That’s critical to the process and the confidence we all must have in the administration of justice.” The review involved 45 autopsies conducted by Smith and was launched nearly two years ago after several of the criminal cases he worked on collapsed. Independent experts re-examined photos and tissue samples from the autopsies. Families of the autopsy subjects are expected to receive individual reports. In some cases, Smith’s work led to charges that parents or guardians had killed their children before other causes of death were discovered.

In a 1997 case, Smith concluded that 80 wounds on a 7-year-old girl’s body had been inflicted with scissors. That girl’s mother, Louise Reynolds, spent two years in jail facing a murder charge before Smith changed his opinion, saying the injuries could have been caused by a dog attack. The murder charge was withdrawn in 2001. A recent case involved William Mullins-Johnson of Sault Ste. Marie, who spent 12 years in prison for the murder of his 4-year-old niece, Valin. Smith concluded that the girl had been sexually assaulted and strangled. However, evidence later surfaced showing that Smith lost tissue samples capable of showing that Valin died of natural causes.