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Graham Hetrick 

Graham Stephen Hetrick (born September 12 1945) is a renowned death investigator and one of the foremost experts in Thanatology in the United States. He has been Coroner of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania for over 26 years, and has certified over 13,000 deaths, investigated approximately 600 homicides and participated in over 3,000 autopsies. He is featured on the Investigation Discovery television show The Coroner: I Speak For the Dead, where he recounts the most compelling cases he has investigated, which enters its second season summer 2017.

Early life

Hetrick grew up in the central Pennsylvania town and capital Harrisburg. His father, George Matthew Hetrick, FD, was the local funeral director and the family lived above the funeral parlor. A young Graham learned firsthand from his father the physical realities of death – from embalming and cremating bodies, to the logistics and planning of burials – while also developing—while also developing the compassion and skill to guide families through the grieving process. Hetrick remains inspired by and devoted to his father’s good example, both in living life and facing death.

Military Service

In the 1960’s, during the height of the Cold War Ear, Hetrick served in the United States Army as part of the 385th Military Police Battalion, assigned to the 52nd Criminal Investigation Division, headquartered with the 1st and 3rd Platoons at Smiley Barracks, Karlsruhe, Germany, under the operational control of Seventh U.S. Army, providing support to the Karlsruhe Provost Law Enforcement Mission. As Provost Marshall, he investigated a wide variety of forensic cases throughout southern Germany (1965-1968). Due to his background as a son of a funeral director he was frequently charged with processing the evidence on or about the victims of homicide. It was during this time, before there was even a specific field devoted to medical legal death investigation that Hetrick developed a fascination for forensic science and the processing of evidence that the body itself can provide.

Education

Upon returning from military service, Hetrick graduated from York College of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree, dual majoring in European history and Biology, in 1971. He then attended the Pittsburg Institute of Mortuary Science, from 1971-1973, obtaining his license as a funeral director. Hetrick’s continuing education includes studies at Northwestern University for Bloodstain Evidence, The Art Institute of Cincinnati for Advanced Facial Reconstruction and the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for gunshot and stab wound analysis. Hetrick also holds an advanced degree in Research Psychology. In keeping with his love for academia, Hetrick currently teaches forensics and anatomy at Harrisburg University of Science & Technology.

Funeral Director

Hetrick took over his father’s role as funeral director and president of Hetrick Funeral Home (now Hetrick-Bitner Funeral home) in 1974, actively developing after-care programs and pre-arrangement services. Inspired by the work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, and her groundbreaking book, On Death and Dying, he saw the need for grief and loss recovery therapy. Hetrick is first and foremost a thanatologist. Thanatology encompasses all aspects of death and dying—including the mechanisms and forensic aspects of death, the biological cause of death, the manner of death (homicide, suicide, accidental or natural), and the grieving process (social and psychological) for the families and loved ones left behind. Hetrick is interested in the why behind death as much as the how.

Coroner

Hetrick was sworn into office as Dauphin County Coroner in 1990. His motivation to do so came from his first love of medical legal death investigation, which he had experienced during his military service. In his position as coroner, Hetrick’s role is to investigate the cause and manner of death and to investigate the evidence on or about the body. As he frequently says the first step is to, “Rule out homicide. Rule out homicide. Rule out homicide.” In his over 25 years as serving as coroner he supervises death investigations and certifications of thousands of deaths. He also developed and supervises a Forensic Science Internship Program in partnership with several colleges and universities. To date, Hetrick has certified over 13,000 deaths, investigated approximately 600 homicides and participated in about 3,000 autopsies.

Television & Public Speaking

Hetrick is one of the most sought after experts in the field of death investigation and forensics. He has been featured on Medical Detective and Forensic Files, and consulted on numerous television shows including ‘Corps Tech’ for the History Channel. In 2016 Investigation Discovery (ID) channel launched the first season of THE CORONER – I SPEAK FOR THE DEAD featuring Graham narrating the investigations of his most famous cases. Graham often quotes a line from British author P.G. Wodehouse. “In death there are no secrets.”

Graham is also a motivational speaker for students and troubled youth who are trying to get control of their lives through a speech entitled “Doors.” Over the last 35 years he has written and lectured on grief and loss recovery to the medical community, hospice groups and loss recovery organizations.

Associations & Accreditations

•	American Academy of Forensic Sciences •	American College of Forensic Examiners •	Pennsylvania Coroner’s Association •	Critical Incidence Stress Management Peer Debriefer with NYPD at Ground Zero •	Pennsylvania Council on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome •	Dauphin County Child Death Review Board •	Pennsylvania Homicide Investigators Association •	International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis •	The National Coroner/Medical Examiner Advisory Board •	The Institute for Behavioral Profiling

Honors & Awards

•	Commendation for investigative work in solving the Dillon Serial Murders by Steven Reed, Mayor of Harrisburg (need year) •	Commendation for investigative work in solving the Joe Miller triple homicide by the Swatara Police Department

External Links

http://www.grahamhetrick.com/

https://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-newsroom/every-body-has-a-story-in-investigation-discoverys-new-forensic-series-the-coroner-i-speak-for-the-dead/

http://www.idvl.org/harrisburglivinglegacy/Bio21.html

https://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-newsroom/investigation-discovery-renews-hit-forensic-series-the-coroner-i-speak-for-the-dead-for-a-second-season-featuring-graham-hetrick/