One Of Prosecution's Top Witnesses Against Cyril Wecht Takes Big Hit

The first witness in the fraud trial of celebrity pathologist Cyril Wecht answered questions Tuesday about federal prosecutors' most salacious accusation -- that Wecht illegally traded cadavers from the county morgue for free lab space at a local university.

Dr. Edward Strimlan, assistant chief deputy coroner under Wecht, was called by prosecutors trying to show that Wecht committed a crime in giving bodies to Carlow University.

Wecht's attorneys, in their cross-examination of Strimlan on Tuesday, tried to show that the university still supports Wecht and that Strimlan himself engaged in the kinds of activities that led to the charges against his former boss.

Wecht, who has led inquiries into the deaths of Elvis Presley, JonBenet Ramsey and Vincent Foster among others, is accused of using his government staff as bookkeepers, secretaries, couriers and gofers for his family and his private pathology practice.

Prosecutors said Wecht, 76, illegally used the county workers to cut costs in his private practice, which grossed nearly $9 million from 1997 through 2004. He never made more than $64,000 a year as county coroner.

Strimlan on Tuesday testified about records that showed a cadaver was sent from the county morgue to Carlow and dissected, even after the body had been claimed by a relative.

By law, Wecht had the power as Allegheny County's coroner to donate unclaimed morgue bodies to science. But prosecutors allege Wecht skirted those rules in sending cadavers to the university.

Strimlan didn't back off his testimony about the cadaver records when he was cross-examined by Wecht attorney Jerry McDevitt. But Strimlan, who also teaches at Carlow, said Wecht continues to teach at the school and conduct autopsies there - even though the county stopped donating bodies after Wecht was indicted and resigned as coroner in January 2006.

"They haven't kicked him out?" McDevitt asked, referring to Carlow.

"No, sir," Strimlan said.

Under questioning by McDevitt, Strimlan also admitted that he developed a private business with another deputy coroner selling death-themed novelty T-shirts, some with the coroner's office logo, that were called "reaper wear."

Strimlan said federal authorities told him they were "not interested" in information that he did private work at the government office, even though McDevitt noted that's essentially the allegation against Wecht.

Strimlan said the business considered producing a football jersey with Wecht's name on the back bearing the number 84 - the original number of counts Wecht faced before prosecutors dropped more than half the counts in the grand jury indictment.

That project never developed, Strimlan said.

Wecht's trial could last more than two months.

Previous Stories: January 28, 2008: Trial Begins For Former Coroner Cyril Wecht January 23, 2008: Jury Selection Begins In Wecht Case January 10, 2008: Jury Selection Begins In Trial Of Cyril Wecht January 9, 2008: Names Of Jurors In Wecht Case Will Be Made Public September 18, 2007: Judge Decides On FBI Evidence Allowed In Wecht Trial July 12, 2007: Record Of Agent In Wecht Case Released April 12, 2007: Courts Rule In FBI Agent File Linked With Wecht September 12, 2006: Background Battle Brews In Cyril Wecht Case August 9, 2006: Motion Filed To Toss Judge In Wecht Case July 21, 2006: No Plans For Wecht Judge To Step Down June 23, 2006: Change In Course For Cyril Wecht Case June 16, 2006: Wecht's Attorneys Ask Judge To Step Down June 8, 2006: Entertainment Icons Take Center Stage In Wecht Investigation June 7, 2006: Wecht Attorneys Claim U.S. Attorney Engaged In Similar Conduct June 2, 2006: Cyril Wecht Faces Charges From IRS May 31, 2006: Judge Rules Case Against Wecht Will Go On May 30, 2006: Judge Could Dismiss Case Against Cyril Wecht May 3, 2006: IRS Agents Investigate Cyril Wecht March 17, 2006: 2 Lawyers For Cyril Wecht Withdrawn From Case February 17, 2006: Former Coroner Charged With Intimidating Witnesses February 10, 2006: Cyril Wecht Pleads Not Guilty January 20, 2006: Wecht Indicted On Federal Charges