A Life With the Dead: Dr. Mary Jumbelic’s Forensic Pathology Story

Mary Jumbelic watched her first autopsy at 15-years-old. It was “Government Day,” and she was the first in her high school to visit the morgue. She wanted to be a doctor, and thought seeing human anatomy up close would help.

In medical school, Jumbelic chose a forensic pathology elective. It wasn’t until her surgical residency that she began to dislike medicine and consider forensic pathology as a career choice.

“I never questioned that decision once I made it,” she said.

And the rest is history.

As the one-year anniversary of her book release approaches, Dr. Jumbelic, former chief medical examiner of Onondaga County, is celebrated for her groundbreaking work in forensic pathology. She has performed thousands of autopsies, earned multiple awards, and made significant contributions to the field.

But the path wasn’t easy.

“You’re faced with death and sad people every day,” she said.

That’s why it’s so crucial that she and fellow workers leaned on each other for support.

“You become a family because you’re all facing this burden together,” she said.

When Jumbelic became the chief medical examiner, her duties extended beyond the dead and their families. She now oversaw her office and lead her team.

“It’s a big responsibility,” said Jumbelic. “But you have an opportunity, then, to set up a system the way you think would be ideal and to fight for that.”

Jumbelic has always had a knack for fatality reduction. Early in her career, she identified five-gallon buckets as hazards for children. As chief medical examiner, she continued to advance public health initiatives, and published academic papers. Beyond cataloging death, she and her team used information to prevent future deaths.

Photo by Geena Matuson

Jumbelic speaks about her experiences during a book talk and signing event.

Jumbelic recalls a collaboration with Syracuse hospitals revealing an increase in suicide among children under 10.

“We were kind of prepared that we were going to see some startling numbers with teens, maybe even some preteens. But the youth?” she said. “It still gives me chills to think about it.”

After the study, Jumbelic shared the findings in a radio show, encouraging parents to talk openly about suicide with their children.

“You can’t be afraid to talk about it because they’re already thinking about it,” she said. “You’re not putting the idea in their head.”

That week, a listener called in to share that, after following this advice, she discovered her daughter had a suicide plan.

“It’s those types of things,” she said, “where we can make an impact.”

Jumbelic was the first woman in her role.

“It was exciting,” she said. “At the same time, it’d be untruthful to say it wasn’t all somewhat of a push at each step of the way.”

Support from other professionals was crucial, but it was her family that ultimately kept her going.

After days spent handling bodies and witnessing grief, coming home to her husband and three sons was a constant reminder of life’s vivacity. Jumbelic’s work with death has deeply influenced her life, and she sees this as a command from the dead to live for them, too.

Jumbelic’s work has connected many people to their deceased loved ones but her role as an advocate for the dead is to tell the stories they aren’t here to tell, regardless of how the information is received by the living.

In one of Jumbelic’s most high-profile cases, it took 2½ years for Robert Neulander to be convicted of his wife Leslie’s murder. Jumbelic and Leslie were close friends, and the incriminating evidence she found against Robert was not easy for the community to accept, which subjected Jumbelic to scrutiny in the years leading up to the trial. Still, finding the truth about her death was more important to Jumbelic than the loss of any friends along the way.

“A corpse will tell you things,” said Dr. Robert Silver, a professor of biology and forensic science at Syracuse University. “And a pathologist’s job is to listen.”

“The dead are trusting me,” said Jumbelic. “I’m going to pay attention to their wounds, and make the right call.”

Identifying a person’s cause of death won’t always bring peace to their loved ones, but many families regret not taking the chance to get their questions answered. When Jumbelic found that a cardiac disturbance led to the unexpected death of a teen boy, she advised his family to see a cardiologist themselves. His mother had the same condition. Knowing the cause of death didn’t bring her comfort, but it allowed her to seek care.

“Knowledge is power,” said Jumbelic. “And it’s not always happiness.”

As part of a federal team, Jumbelic worked on six historic mass disasters in 8 years. A few including TWA Flight 800, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina. She didn’t return to New York City for four years following her work in the 9/11 aftermath. That is a significant time away from the city considering her husband is from Brooklyn and they were frequent visitors.

Jumbelic’s son, Joshua Jumbles, an artist in Syracuse, designed the cover for her first book; Here, Where Death Delights. He described the memoir as an iconic portrayal of their mother-son relationship. The two recently traveled to record her audiobook and Jumbelic got emotional when repeating a comment he made on their trip.

“It’s of incredible value to me to have this book in your voice,” said Jumbles.

Jumbelic still remembers her high school field trip, where it all started through a shadowing opportunity. She knows the importance of guiding the next generation. She has lectured at high schools, colleges, and medical schools, and considers herself a mentor to her son, Martin, who is now a pathology resident himself. Jumbelic began writing her book in an effort to keep the memory of the dead alive. While they still do hold an important place in her book, she changed her direction.

Through the writing process, she said; “I began to understand that I was the story.”

The story has been popular among younger readers, reflecting her lasting legacy.