A Minnesota medical examiner's potential mishandling of at least seven murder cases has sparked a wide-ranging inquiry, attorneys revealed on Wednesday. Dr. Michael McGee, who served as Ramsey County medical examiner from 1985 to 2019, is accused of having provided "unreliable, misleading and inaccurate" autopsy reports that influenced lengthy prison sentences. The probe began in fall 2021 after a federal judge overturned the death sentence of Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., convicted of a high-profile kidnapping and murder, citing flaws in McGee's testimony.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and a team of lawyers are now reviewing McGee's work to determine if wrongful convictions occurred. This task force includes legal experts and independent medical examiners. They have narrowed down their focus to seven specific cases among 215 initially flagged and aim to ascertain if there is enough evidence to overturn these convictions or reduce sentences. Notably, one case involves Thomas Rhodes, released in 2023 after serving nearly 25 years, following a reevaluation of McGee's testimony regarding his wife's death. No timeline has been set for the review to reach a conclusion. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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