Forensic Science and Law Conference to Reinvestigate RFK, MLK Assassinations

Experts in criminal law, forensic pathology, journalism and civil rights will explore the lives, deaths and social justice legacies of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the occasion of the 50th anniversaries of their assassinations during an upcoming conference at Duquesne.

Hosted by the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law, the 17th Annual Forensic Science and Law Symposium—Of Kennedys and Kings: Reinvestigating the RFK and MLK Assassinations at 50—will be held on Thursday, May 3, and Friday, May 4, in the Union Ballroom.

Among the topics to be addressed:

  • The Autopsy of RFK: A Forensic Pathology Dialogue
  • Confirmation Bias, Cover-Up and Conspiracy
  • King and Kennedy and the Ruling Forces of 1968
  • “Fake News,” Ballistics and What Really Happened in Memphis
  • Legal and Scientific Issues in the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Whether you’re a longtime assassination researcher or someone with only a passing interest in the subject, we invite you not just to sit back and learn, but to take this opportunity to ask hard questions about our nation’s past and the kind of country we envision going forward,” said Ben Wecht, program administrator for the Wecht Institute.

Some of the experts presenting at the two-day lecture include:

  • Paul Schrade, former Robert F. Kennedy Presidential Campaign aide and fellow shooting victim and witness to Kennedy’s 1968 assassination
  • Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi, former chief medical examiner for Los Angeles County who performed the autopsy of Sen. Kennedy
  • Louis “Hop” Kendrick, local civil rights activist and witness to the aftermath of the MLK assassination
  • Brad Johnson, former senior writer for CNN who uncovered the audio recording made by reporter Stanislaw Pruszynski of the RFK assassination.

Continuing education credit hours will be available for attorneys, judges, nurses, coroners and social workers.

For more information and to register, contact the Wecht Institute at 412.396.1330 wechtinstitute@duq.edu or visit www.duq.edu/forensics.