Haunted by Memories: Former NYC Forensic Investigator Shares Nightmare Fuel
Barbara Butcher’s dream job turned into a nightmare at times. As a decades-long investigator for the New York City Medical Examiner’s office, she visited over 5,500 death scenes, including nearly 700 homicides. From the Carnegie Deli massacre to the horrors of 9/11, Butcher’s experiences left an indelible mark.
Maintaining composure while interacting with victims’ families was a constant battle, Butcher told Fox News Digital. One encounter with a victim’s mother left her shaken to the core: “She said, ‘You’re just a bad dream. I’m trying to wake up. You’re a bad dream, that’s all.’ It chilled me to the bone.”
Butcher’s goal in sharing her story is to shed light on the trauma that death scene investigators, police officers, and emergency medics face daily. “I want those investigators and cops to take care of themselves,” she said. “Don’t do like I did back in the old days with, ‘Oh, we don’t need any therapy.’ Ha! Bulls—. We needed a lot of therapy.”
One particularly haunting case involved the execution-style slaying of a family of four. A little boy, on his way to school, was shot in the head, leaving Butcher devastated. “I froze,” she recalled. She had to call for backup to put on a mask and continue the investigation.
Alcoholism led Butcher to lose a job in healthcare, but she found her way into forensic investigation through a combination of luck and determination. She became involved in the Netflix docuseries “Homicide: New York” and is working on a project with “Law & Order” producer Dick Wolf.
From the Carnegie Deli murders to surviving victims, Butcher’s work has brought both closure and pain. She emphasizes the importance of self-care for those who witness the darkest sides of life and urges support for those who need it.
