Mayhem in the Morgue | BUZZ kill

From Crime Stories with Nancy Grace by iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

April 26, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

Dr. Kendall Crowns discusses the dangers of insect attacks and their potential fatal consequences.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue , Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines how an ordinary day outdoors can turn deadly after an encounter with bees, wasps, hornets, or fire ants. Using real forensic cases, he explains the four stages of anaphylaxis, the aggressive nature of killer bees, and how forensic pathologists determine whether an insect attack caused, contributed to, or merely complicated a person’s death. Highlights: (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns (0:15) Why stinging insects can turn an ordinary summer day into a fatal emergency (1:30) Dr. Crowns’ childhood story involving yellow jackets, his brother, and a very bad idea (5:30) How stinging insects are classified and the anatomy of stingers (6:15) The Schmidt sting pain index and the varying pain of insect stings (9:00) Sting frequency, allergic reactions, and seasonal danger patterns (11:00) Case one: a fatal bee swarm after a lawn mower disturbs a nest (13:30) The difference between bees, wasps, hornets, and the threat of killer bees (19:15) The four stages of anaphylaxis and autopsy findings that help confirm a fatal reaction…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns

Topics covered

forensic pathology
insect attacks
anaphylaxis
death investigations
stinging insects

Keywords

forensic cases
killer bees
stinging insects
anaphylaxis stages
death investigation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Travis County

Places: Texas