Inside The Career Of a Death Investigator

We talk with legendary NYC death investigator Barbara Butcher about what it really takes to walk into a death scene, read the evidence, and help the dead get justice. We also get honest about the human cost, the pay, and what she learned from 23 years and more than 5,500 investigations. Barbara shares the realities of forensic investigation, the emotional toll of the job, how people enter this career field, and how much death investigators can make in cities like New York and across the U.S.

If you enjoyed this episode, head over to how much can I make that info and check out our unique and unusual careers category →

Connect with Barbara Butcher:

Instagram - @butcher.barbara

X - @OCMEForensics - https://x.com/OCMEForensics

Facebook Page - @barbarabutcherofficial -  https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraButcherOfficialPage/

Website: https://www.barbarabutcherofficial.com/

Barbar's book: What The Dead Know →

Netflix Series: Homicide New York →

Watch Barbara on Oxygen’s new true-crime series: “The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher” →

0:00 A Teaser Death Scene Mystery

0:48 Welcome And What A Death Investigator Does

4:06 Training For The Job And Getting Hired

6:39 Reading A Life To Solve A Death

8:13 Families Truth And Testifying In Court

14:20 9-11 Recovery And The Toll

16:58 A Typical Day Then Pay Today

22:25 Cases That Haunt Cold Cases And New Tech

31:53 What The Dead Know

33:49 New Chapter, TV shows, reinventing yourself after retiring

38:25 Legacy Late Career Success And Closing

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Music credit: Kate Pierson & Monica Nation

About the host: Mirav Ozeri has always been drawn to storytelling and journalism, especially the stories of everyday people.

In the 90’s She founded her own video production company, producing, directing, and editing documentaries and videos for political organizations which led to a 17-year career at CBS News, where she served as a producer/editor, helped launch CBS MarketWatch, and later worked as a senior editor and segment producer until the program was acquired by Dow Jones.

During her years at CBS, Mirav developed and produced a television pilot built around a simple idea: giving people an honest look at what different careers are really like. Although the pilot was never picked up, the concept stayed with her. Years later, she brought it back as How Much Can I Make?, a podcast that explores real jobs, real stories, and the many paths people take to build a career.