This is an expanded version of my interview with Heather, a friend and medical death investigator in our home state of Iowa. 

The original version is only about 15 minutes long and offers a good overview of her job, and the job of some trained medical professionals who investigate deaths. But, there was some good stuff I left out - including an anecdote about her dad and my dad back home in Beaman, how we believe talking about death = less hysteria and fear about death, and some minor navel gazing by me - the would be podcaster.

ORIGINAL 

Heather is a medical examiner investigator. She has been a nurse for 9 years and working in death investigation for 3 years. She and I grew up in the same neck of the woods in Iowa and she still lives and works there. There are a lot of different systems throughout the US of death investigations. Some systems are questionable, lacking rigorous oversight or - not kidding - medical training. 

But, lucky for us Iowa isn't one of those. Heather tells me about her job - at least some of it. Come for the talk of death investigation stay for two Golden Girls trivia questions.

Full disclosure: there is one f'bomb in this - but it is well deserved.