Barbara Butcher

Forensic Trailblazer, Acclaimed Author, Netflix & Oxygen True Crime Consultant
Barbara
Butcher

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Fee ranges

Domestic In-Person (USA):

$15,000 - $25,000*

International In-Person:

$25,000 - $35,000*

Virtual:

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* Ranges are presented as a guideline only. Speaker fees vary by engagement type and are subject to change without notice. For an exact quote, please contact Gravity Speakers.

Traveling from

New York, USA

About

Barbara Butcher is one of the nation’s most respected medicolegal death investigators and has led more than 5,500 death scenes, building an extraordinary career at the intersection of science, justice, and human compassion. As Manhattan’s first long-tenured female medicolegal investigator, she helped define modern death investigation while giving dignity to those who could no longer speak for themselves.

Her influence now spans far beyond the field of investigation. Barbara is the author of the bestselling memoir What the Dead Know and a featured expert on Netflix’s Homicide: New York and Oxygen’s The Death Investigator. She has become one of today’s most compelling interpreters of forensic science, captivating the public with stories that blend technical expertise with raw human insight.

For 23 years, Barbara served at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, rising from Medicolegal Investigator to Director of Forensic Investigations and eventually Chief of Staff. She was on the front lines of history’s darkest days, leading disaster response teams for 9/11, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and the crash of Flight 587. Her work identifying victims and supporting families has left a lasting imprint on forensic science and public service.

Her reach is also international. She founded the Forensic Sciences Training Program at OCME, shaping the education of thousands of future investigators, and has taught at NYU School of Medicine, John Jay College, and Louisiana State University. As a consultant to the World Health Organization and other global agencies, she developed disaster victim identification protocols for mass casualty events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the London Underground bombing.

Today, Barbara shares her unparalleled experience with organizations, universities, and global audiences. With sharp intellect, unflinching honesty, and a rare ability to balance science with humanity, she brings death investigation to life—not as grim spectacle, but as a vital window into justice, resilience, and the human condition.

Barbara Butcher is no ordinary investigator, and no ordinary storyteller. She redefined what it means to serve the living by speaking for the dead—and now, she inspires others with the lessons only such a life can teach.

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Topics

Topics

The Power Of Perception: How To See What Others Miss

A Fireside Chat With Barbara Butcher

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLUQafCOjLQ
The Death Investigator With Barbara Butcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ushqKMNl378
Barbara Butcher On CNN "The Newsroom"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZiv_RrBguY
Barbara Butcher On Pix11 Morning News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEiDaOlTbQ4
Barbara Butcher On Fox News about "Homicide: New York" And The Fight For Justice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lBN_-3Klgo
Barbara Butcher On Inside City Hall, Spectrum 1 NY, Aug.4th 2023

Books / Movies As an Amazon Associate, Gravity earns from qualifying purchases.

Testimonials

“An unprecedented gutsy view of the Rue Morgue in New York City, told by one of its greatest characters. Barbara Butcher stares life and death in the face and doesn’t avert her gaze. She’s the real deal. Her stories and insights are breathtakingly honest, compassionate, and raw. What the Dead Know is impossible to put down. A must read, it’s destined to be a classic.”

Patricia Cornwell
New York Times and Internationally Bestselling Author

“Barbara Butcher’s What the Dead Know is three unputdownable books in one—a series of gripping true crime stories told with unflinching style, a revealing and fascinating look at crime scene investigation, and an engrossing, moving, and very funny memoir that will inspire everyone who reads it.”

Kate White
New York Times bestselling author of "The Second Husband"

“What the Dead Know offers an unflinching look at the lives and deaths investigated by medicolegal death investigator Barbara Butcher in New York City. Her stories capture the integrity and empathy necessary for a professional career dedicated to understanding death, with a greater purpose: to support the living.”

Judy Melinek, MD
Author of "Working Stiff"

“A propulsive memoir; equal parts stories of how one lives and dies in NYC and Butcher’s personal journey of self-discovery and recovery, coming to know, trust herself. Deftly well crafted, What the Dead Know tells a powerful story of what it is to be human, ever curious, and compelled to bear witness to the world around us.”

A.M. Homes
Author of "The Unfolding"