Playing with Fire

Jan Garavaglia

Deadly Bite

Hidden Killers

A 29-year-old man dies after three-day spell of nausea and vomiting. While he was still alive, the man told his sister he believed he had gotten food poisoning from a fish sandwich he had eaten four days prior to his death. Dr. G knows that deaths from food poisoning are rare, but having a read a recent press release reporting a fish poisoning outbreak, she must investigate the possibility. A 42-year-old woman sustains fatal injuries in a car accident involving a drunk driver. In order for the drunk driver to be held accountable for the woman's death, it must be confirmed that the woman was not responsible for the crash. Dr. G's role in the case is to autopsy the victim in order to investigate the possibility that the woman suffered a medical condition, such as a heart attack or stroke, that caused her to lose control of her car. By the end of the investigation, Dr. G makes an unexpected and shocking discovery.

Lethal Intake

A four-month-old baby is found dead in his crib. Not only must Dr. G find out what caused this baby's untimely death, she must also find out if the baby's twin sister is also at risk of dying in the same manner.

A 23-year-old father collapses on the floor while at home with his children. Because of the man's age and history of marijuana use, Dr G. suspects that he may have used and subsequently overdosed on harder drugs.

Deadly Remedies

A 78-year-old grandfather falls on the sidewalk while visiting his family. He seems fine at first, but he collapses and dies hours later. Dr. G's review of the background information is inconclusive, and an autopsy is needed to determine the cause of death. However, the man's family objects to an autopsy for religious reasons. Will Dr. G be able to convince the family of the importance of an autopsy, or will the man's cause of death forever remain a mystery?

A 39-year-old florist collapses and dies in her shop while meeting with clients. Given the woman's young age and lack of known medical conditions, Dr. G anticipates that this will be an unusual case.

False Impressions

A four-month-old baby is found unresponsive in his crib, and cannot be revived at the hospital. Dr. G must investigate the possibility of child abuse as she searches for the cause of death.

A 36-year-old woman has a seizure and dies on a city bus. The woman had gone to the hospital the night before, complaining of chest pain and lightheadededness, and had been diagnosed with bronchitis. Also of concern is that the woman lived in a group home for the mentally disabled. Was the woman a victim of neglect or foul play in the group home, did the hospital make a fatal misdiagnosis of her condition, or did she die from something else entirely? It's up to Dr. G to find out.

Hidden Hazards

An unidentified woman is found brutally murdered by the side of the road. In addition to pinpointing the cause of death, Dr. G must collect evidence from the body that will help investigators identify the victim, and the killer. A 41-year-old man goes out for boat ride; hours later, he is found dead at the bottom of the lake. His boat is found intact, with its engine still idling. It's up to Dr. G find out if the man simply drowned, was intoxicated, was knocked unconscious in an accident, or suffered a medical emergency.

Deadly Decisions

An 8-year-old boy dies in his sleep. The boy was on an anti-seizure medication; Dr. G finds no other clues in his medical history, but she suspects a congenital heart defect. Can she find the answers for the grieving family? A 45-year-old man is found dead on the floor his apartment, naked and covered in bruises. The man's neighbor heard crashing sounds, and the apartment appears to be ransacked. Foul play is a possibility, but the man was an alcoholic and a diabetic. Dr. G must narrow down the cause of death from a long list of possibilities.

Bruised and Battered

A 14-year-old boy falls ill, and dies after an apparent seizure. The hospital staff suspects a bacterial meningitis infection. If the hospital is correct, the boy's friends and family could also be at risk. It's up to Dr. G to find out if the hospital is correct, and if not, find the true cause of death.

A 47-year-old man goes to sleep the couch after drinking heavily, and never wakes up. The man had recently had part of his leg amputated due to gangrene. Dr. G suspects that arterial narrowing in other parts of the man's body may have played a role in his death, but she will not know for sure until the autopsy is completed.

America's Most Shocking Cases

A 6-month-old girl becomes unresponsive in her crib, and stops breathing on the way to the hospital. Dr. G knows that the cause of death in infant cases is often elusive, and the baby's recent cold is the only potential clue.

A 34-year-old man visits the hospital for severe abdominal pain, which the doctors believe is benign symptom of the man's recent cocaine binge. The man is sent home when the pain subsides, but the man falls ill and dies two days later. The man's wife claims that he has not used cocaine since the incident, and believes the hospital missed a key diagnosis. Could the wife be correct, or did her husband's cocaine habit finally catch up to him? It's up to Dr. G to find out.

Last Gasps

A 12-year-old boy is found dead at the bottom of the family pool after going for a midnight swim. While Dr. G can easily establish that the boy drowned, finding out what caused the drowning may be more difficult. The boy has a history of depression and drug use, making suicide or accidental overdose possibilities. Just when Dr. G thinks she has found the answer, a new piece of evidence surfaces that puts everything into perspective.

A 31-year-old man lying motionless on the railroad tracks is hit by a train. Did the man commit suicide, was he murdered and placed on the tracks, or did he pass out on the tracks due to alcohol abuse or a natural medical emergency? It's up to Dr. G to find out.

Deadly Silence

A 49-year-old pilot is found dead in the burning wreckage of his plane. The results of an autopsy will help the National Transportation Safety Board to determine what caused the plane to crash, so Dr. G must look for factors that may have caused pilot error, such as natural disease, drugs, or alcohol.

A 44-year-old woman is found dead in her apartment, face down in a pool of blood. Police suspect that the woman's boyfriend fatally assaulted her, but the boyfriend denies the accusations. Will Dr. G's autopsy clear the boyfriend, or confirm the police's suspicions?

Fatal Twist

A 57-year-old man visiting from Ecuador is found dead in a hotel room. Dr. G expects that the man's heart or lungs will reveal the cause of death, but she is surprised to find that the most important clue lies within the stomach.

A 23-year-old man dies the morning after his bachelor party. Given the amount of drinking that occurred, Dr. G suspects that the death is alcohol related.

A Deadly Deal

A woman survives a brutal mugging, and spirals into depression, strange behavior, and self-neglect. Five years later, at age 45, the woman dies while sitting on the couch at her brother's house. If Dr. G finds that the death is related to injuries caused by the mugging, the death will be a homicide. However, the woman's strange behavior hints at the possibilities of suicide or natural disease.

A 48–year-old man falls fifteen feet from a ladder and dies. Was this a simple accident, or could the fall have been attributed to a medical condition or drugs? It's up to Dr. G to find out.

Deadly Storms

Firefighters respond to a house fire, and discover the body of a 21-year-old woman. The fire was deliberately set, leading the police to believe that the perpetrator had murdered the woman and set the fire to destroy evidence. Dr. G must autopsy the body to find clues to the killer's identity.

A 33-year-old woman is found dead in her home, apparently having been beaten and dragged down the stairs. Circumstantial evidence points to the woman's abusive husband, but he is able to provide an alibi. It's up to Dr. G to find hard evidence on the body that links the husband to the crime.

America's Most Shocking Cases: Unthinkable

America's Most Shocking Cases: Deadly Deception

A baby with cold symptoms and a 34-year-old man with abdominal pain die following recent visits to the hospital, prompting speculation as to whether or not they were misdiagnosed.

Fatal Flaw

A drowning victim and a person hit by a train receive autopsies.

Deadly Dive

A plane crash and the discovery of a woman's body in her home intrigue Dr. G.

Deadly Descent

Disturbing Behavior

A woman's body is found amid an apartment blaze; a young woman with a restraining order filed against her husband is found dead in her home.

Evil Intent

Wounded

Deadly Circumstances

Fatal Encounters

Dr. G: Medical Examiner documents cases handled by deputy chief medical examiner Dr. Jan C. Garavaglia (aka Dr. G) of Florida's District Nine Medical Examiner's Office. Each episode features two or three cases Dr. G has handled in the Orlando area, and also in Bexar County, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida where she was previously employed. Some portions of the show have been dramatized and some names have been changed to protect the dignity of individuals and their families.

Playing with Fire

Seasons8

Season 6 Episodes26

Cast1

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