A private autopsy
1-800-AUTOPSY
1-800-AUTOPSY
When Sharon Waldorf's mother died, the Los Angeles County coroner suggested she call 1-800-AUTOPSY.
"I laughed, 'Are you kidding?' " she says. "He said, 'No, that's the number.' "
Most pathologists who perform private autopsies eschew publicity and rely on coroner and funeral home referrals for business, but Los Angeles-based 1-800-AUTOPSY has taken a high-profile approach. Founder Vidal Herrera, an autopsy technician, is not shy about listing famous clients: "We took all of Johnnie Cochran's cases and we worked on Coretta Scott King's daughter," he says.
Company vans feature the business name, 1-800-AUTOPSY, in bold letters, and Herrera sells T-shirts, skeleton key chains and gelatin brain molds on the 1-800-AUTOPSY website.
Though some autopsy providers disparage Herrera's flamboyant methods, Waldorf considers herself a satisfied customer. She got a call back from the service within minutes and says she was treated with dignity.
-- Christie Aschwanden
- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ENTERPRISE - Answering a Call for On-Call Autopsies - Professions: Vidal Herrera has found a niche in an industry he says is recession-proof. Sep 18, 1995
- Demand for Autopsy Is Dropped Feb 23, 1990
- Autopsy Delays Plague Coroner's Office - Medicine: While examiners face burdensome workloads and staff shortages, forensic experts warn that time lags can alter post-mortem results. They also add to the grief of families. Dec 26, 1990
