When a family friend died unexpectedly, Dr. Mary Jumbelic was pulled into the investigation-and uncovered the true cause of death. This woman was one of hundreds uanble to move, unable to speak, laying on autopsy tables due to violent crimes. Mary uses her unique voice to speak for these victims and seek justice. Throughout her career as a medical examiner, Mary saw female bodies that had been sexually violated, battered, stabbed, and shot. Their corpses were dismembered. Some were buried in shallow graves, while others meticulously hidden. A majority of these deaths had been caused by someone the women knew-just like her friend. As a woman in a man's world, Mary spent her life honing her forensic skills. Through this work, she came to terms with events in her own life. Experiencing motherhood in juxtaposition with her job provided constant reminders of her two lives: one with the living, and one with the dead. Personal and professional experiences are interwoven in this tapestry of memoir.

Real Women. True stories.

We bear witness and use the truth to effect change. Together, we speak her name.

Mary Jumbelic is an author and expert forensic pathologist, as well as the first female Chief Medical Examiner of Onondaga County, New York. In her 25-year career, she has performed thousands of autopsies and helped to pass national safety policies for consumer products, preventing untimely deaths. She has been an expert witness and featured on Dateline, 48 hours, Discovery Channel, Law&Crime, Oxygen, and more. Recognized as a trailblazer in forensics by the National Organization of Women, Mary is a proponent of women's rights, proud to help create visibility as a woman in government, science, and business. While retired from government work, Mary continues to consult on cases, sharing her stories of experience both in and out of the morgue. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her first book "Here, Where Death Delights" (2023) has been featured in Times Square, and is the recipient of international press and awards. Her second book "Speak Her Name" delves deeper into her own life, and the lives of the female victims she experienced in the course of her work. An avid reader and lecturer, her speaking engagements often blend stories of her career as a medical examiner and author, serving as inspiration to high school, college, post graduate students, and community members. Born in Maryland and transplanted to New York, she loves to spend time with her three grown children, husband, and Boston terrier.