Forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd, who has conducted over 23,000 post-mortems, has spoken about the two cases that disturbed him most. In an interview with the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, he described the mental toll of his work, including the aftermath of the 2002 Bali bombings and the 1987 Hungerford massacre.
Dr Shepherd said ice cubes in his drink triggered memories of the Bali bombings, where there was no refrigeration for the piles of corpses. He also recalled a 'bizarre and disturbing resonance' while flying over Hungerford after the massacre in which 16 people were killed by gunman Michael Ryan.
The pathologist revealed that at times he feared closing his eyes as his mind would be 'pursued by body fragments', including intestines, livers, hearts, and hands, along with the 'clawing stench of decay'. He admitted thinking 'it better to die than to live like this'.
Dr Shepherd believes pathologists should receive psychological debriefs after mass disasters, similar to other emergency services personnel. He noted that most forensic pathologists are self-employed and miss out on such support.
Despite the trauma, Dr Shepherd emphasised the importance of his work, particularly in providing closure for families. He cited the reconstructions after the 7/7 London attacks, which allowed relatives to say goodbye, and his investigation into the death of a 15-year-old girl from sudden epilepsy death (Sudep), where he gave the parents a true understanding of what happened.
He also reflected on the case of Harold Shipman, the GP responsible for up to 215 deaths, admitting he had a 'real mental struggle' believing a trusted doctor could commit such acts, but the evidence pointed to the truth.
