Former crime scene analyst Thomas Kern took the stand to discuss Tupac Shakur’s autopsy, a procedure he personally attended in 1996.
After Kern’s testimony concluded, prosecutors brought in Dr. Lisa Gavin, a forensic pathologist and medical examiner, as their next witness.
Dr. Gavin was still in medical school when Tupac was fatally shot, but she testified as an expert after reviewing the rapper’s autopsy images.
Jurors were shown photographs of Tupac’s body while Dr. Gavin explained the trajectory of the bullets that struck his chest and abdomen, injuries that led to his death.
Prosecutors pointed out that Tupac had been “skinny” in life but appeared “bloated” after death, a change Dr. Gavin said was consistent with tissue expansion.
Dr. Gavin also confirmed that officials had an affidavit from Tupac’s mother verifying that the body was her son’s and confirming that he had died.
The autopsy photographs were not shown to the public. Many members of Tupac’s family chose to leave the courtroom before the images were displayed.
During cross-examination by the defense, Dr. Gavin said the autopsy report did not appear to be missing records. However, she noted that there were “few photos of the body itself,” making the crime scene analyst’s images useful in reaching her conclusions alongside the written reports.
