An autopsy technician who has spent years working on dead bodies has shared the most gruesome things she has seen – and the most bizarre ways her patients have died.
As an autopsy technician, Dolly, 32, from Colorado, who asked not to share her last name for privacy reasons, serves as the ‘right hand man’ to the forensic pathologist.
She spends her days removing organs from the deceased and taking photographs of any ‘evidence’ on the body, amongst other things, while trying to determine their cause of death.
‘We do all the removal of organs, assist the doctor with special requests, pull toxicology, take evidence, photographs, reports,’ she explained exclusively with the Daily Mail.
‘We handle the decedents from start to finish to include getting them released to the correct funeral home when the investigation is completed.’
Dolly explained that she has seen practically ‘everything’ over the years – from people who passed due to natural causes to those who were killed in horrific accidents.
‘I’ve seen everything from natural old age deaths to decapitations, air plans crashes, steamrolling accidents, mining deaths, and even sky diving deaths,’ she shared.
Dolly said that like with any job, there are good days and bad days, but her bad days are a little more ‘complicated’ because they involve trying to solve a homicide or looking at ‘severe decomposition.’
An autopsy technician who has spent years working on dead bodies has shared the most gruesome things she’s seen – and the most bizarre ways her patients have died
As an autopsy technician, Dolly , 32, from Colorado , who asked not to share her last name for privacy reasons, serves as the ‘right hand man’ to the forensic pathologist
And she admitted that working with dead bodies on a ‘daily basis’ can be ‘extremely hard’ at times.
‘On one hand it’s incredibly fascinating, fast paced and there’s a lot to learn. On the other hand, seeing dead bodies and dealing with traumatic experiences everyday takes a huge mental toll on you,’ she confessed.
‘When hiring new techs I always emphasize that this job will fundamentally change you as a person and you have to take care of yourself.
‘That being said, there’s always new ways things are evolving and changing so it’s always something new to learn.’
She recently started posting videos about her profession to TikTok, and many of her videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of views.
And she explained to the Daily Mail that she hopes being honest about both the good and bad parts of her line of work will help end the stigma around death.
‘I felt compelled to start telling stories not just as warnings but to spark conversation around death,’ she explained.
‘We have really done a disservice in western culture to make it a taboo subject that when it happens to your loved one it becomes overwhelming and you don’t know where to start or turn for advice.
She spends her days removing organs from the deceased and taking photographs of any ‘evidence’ on the body, amongst other things, while trying to determine their cause of death
Dolly explained that she has seen practically ‘everything’ over the years – from people who passed due to natural causes to those who were killed in horrific accidents
‘I think educating the public better on how our coroner systems work, how funeral homes operate, and how they can get involved and seek advice is crucial.
‘The response has been overwhelming in the best way… I can’t wait to keep going and hopefully educate and inspire more to spark meaningful conversations that have an impact.’
In Dolly’s most watched video, which got over one million views, she shared the common activities that you may not realize can actually kill you – from doing laundry to changing a tire.
She explained that there’s a few things that seem harmless but are actually extremely dangerous, and broke down all the things she’d never do after everything she’s witnessed through her job.
First, she explained that she would never try to pick a fight with anyone or egg someone on who is threatening her.
‘Do not ever say these words to somebody: ‘What are you gonna do? Stab me?’ or, ‘What are you gonna do? Shoot me?” she urged.
‘They are. Don’t say that. I cannot tell you how many people I have autopsied and those were their last words.’
She added to the Daily Mail, ‘Don’t tempt fate. In an altercation or argument, don’t give people ideas on how to kill you.’
Next, Dolly said she will not be eating steak when she’s elderly due to the amount of people she has worked on who died from choking on the popular meat.
‘Steak at an advanced or extremely young age is so dangerous. Please chew your food thoroughly or just skip the steak all together,’ she stressed.
Third on her list was bending over too far while putting clothes in a washing machine.
Dolly said there are bad days and good days, but her bad days are a little more ‘complicated’ because they involve trying to solve a homicide or looking at ‘severe decomposition’
‘Have you ever heard of positional asphyxia? I have done countless autopsies on people who have positional asphyxiated in their washing machine from leaning into it and getting stuck and they can’t get out,’ she warned.
‘It’s not the start of a movie, it’s real life. It can happen to you.’
Positional asphyxia occurs when a person’s body position restricts their breathing, leading to death.
She also said she’d never get underneath her car to change a tire using a ‘cheap jack’ or operate heavy machinery like a tractor or lawn mower with untied shoelaces.
‘I would not trust the $6.99 jacks. Spend a little more money, your life is worth more than that,’ added the expert.
Last but not least, she said she’d never get on a motorcycle without a helmet or ‘proper gear.’
‘You can look cute on the back of a motorcycle with your cheeks out, but when you hit the pavement with nothing on your skin, the ground is the cheese grater and you are the cheese,’ she said.
While she’s taking these precautions, Dolly said she’s a firm believer that there’s nothing you can do to stop it when it is your time to pass.
‘When it’s your time it’s your time and there isn’t any amount of preparation or precaution that can change that,’ she concluded.
