UPCOMING EPISODES

Whitney Houston was a global superstar. Selling over 200 million records her extraordinary voice took her from a gospel choir to become a worldwide singing phenomenon. But at 3.36pm on February 11th 2012 she was found unconscious in a bathtub in a Hollywood hotel. Within minutes she was pronounced dead. The world’s media had long been filled with sordid tales of drug and alcohol addiction but with a new recording contract and a fresh start away from her former badboy husband Bobby Brown, it seemed Whitney Houston was finally turning her life around. So what happened that meant she died so unexpectedly in a bathtub at the age of just 48. Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter has the answers.

Prince, the pop superstar who sold over 100 million records over a 30 year career, was fit, health-conscious, and vehemently anti-drugs. And yet, on April 21st, 2016, Prince died, shockingly, of a drug overdose. The case is still under investigation. Renowned forensic pathologist, Dr Michael Hunter, analyses Prince’s medical history to uncover the possible reasons for his untimely death at only 57 years of age, and to reveal what really happened in the last days of this much loved star.

Jimi Hendrix was one of the highest paid musicians in the world. At the age of 27 he had made 3 multi-million albums and had set the gold standard in rock music electric guitar. But he died in London on the September 18, 1970. The coroner concluded that he died after breathing in his own vomit. But, stating insufficient evidence of the circumstances surrounding his death, he returned an open verdict. Nearly half a century later, his death is still shrouded in mystery. Numerous conflicting accounts of his final hours have obscured the truth and fueled conspiracy theories about drugs overdose, suicide and murder. Now Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Hunter re-examines Hendrix’s death to cut through claim and counter claims and, using the medical evidence, determines precisely how he died.

On May 15th 2003, June Carter Cash died in a Nashville hospital following complications from heart surgery. A devoted wife and mother, June’s life in the limelight was not without its troubles. Despite her enormous success as a country music artist, it was her tumultuous 35 year marriage to country superstar Johnny Cash that dominated her life. In this episode, renowned forensic pathologist Dr Michael Hunter analyses June’s records and first hand accounts to determine exactly how she died.

On September 12, 2003, the world was mourning the loss of legendary singer Johnny Cash, who died in Nashville, Tennessee from respiratory arrest. Known for his heavy drug use and reckless attitude to his health, Johnny Cash reached the age of 71 and died shortly after his wife of 35 years June Carter. Many speculated that he died of a broken heart and others believed it was his wayward lifestyle that was to blame. Now, Forensic Pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter is taking a fresh look at Johnny Cash’s death and will reveal whether years of drug abuse and hard-living led to the star’s demise or whether his death was due to something else entirely.

On July 29th 1974, Cass Elliot was found dead in a flat in London. She was 32 years old and her death shocked the world. One of the most influential figures of the hippy scene, she rose to fame as a member of folk-rock band The Mamas and The Papas, who took the world by storm with their hit single ‘California Dreamin’ along with a string of classic songs. Cass was loved and respected by everyone who knew her and her voice made her famous world-wide. Frank Sinatra once sent her a personal note saying “you have the best phrasing of any singer I’ve ever heard”. Redefining perceptions of how female artists should look and behave, she became a role model and icon for every girl that didn’t fit in at the high school prom. But her appetites for excess were as legendary as her voice. At her worst, she would get into her big convertible Cadillac and drive into the worst parts of town to score drugs. And her rollercoaster career was matched by an equally turbulent personal life. Her death was followed by speculation and rumour, had she choked on a ham sandwich? Had she overdosed on drugs? Was the cause of her death covered up in some way? The official verdict at the time was that she had died from fatty myocardial degeneration due to obesity. However it’s rare for someone of 32 to die from that alone. World renowned Medical Examiner Dr Michael Hunter believes there were other factors at play and is taking a fresh look at the evidence to uncover the truth behind what killed Cass Elliot.

On April 6, 1998 country icon Tammy Wynette was found dead her Nashville home. The 55 year-old’s life had been blighted by ill health, failed marriages and an addiction to pain killers. Following her death her daughters sued both her husband and doctor, leading to the exhumation of her body and an autopsy. In this episode renowned forensic pathologist Dr Michael Hunter analyses her autopsy report, together with the testimony of her daughters, her close friends to determine exactly how she died.

In February 2013 Country Music singer Mindy McCready shot herself on the porch of her house in Heber Springs Arkansas. Now, world-renowned Forensic Pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter puts Mindy's complex personal life under the spotlight, and reveals how her unhealthy relationship with prescription medication may have exacerbated an un-diagnosed mental condition and led Mindy to plan her own death.