Jeffrey Jentzen

Forensic pathologist Jeffrey Jentzen gave an opinion on Teresa Halbach’s cause and manner of death after reviewing fragmented, charred bones, X-rays, reports, and photographs as a consultant; he did not perform an autopsy or visit the scene. In Avery’s trial, he interpreted features of skull fragments identified to him as consistent with entrance gunshot wounds and concluded that Halbach died from a gunshot wound or wounds to the head and that her manner of death was homicide. On cross-examination, he said he relied on another expert for the fragments’ precise anatomical placement and could not determine an exit wound, wound track, direction of fire, or whether the shots occurred before or after death. He agreed that shots fired after death could not have caused it, but maintained his opinions. In Dassey’s trial, an agreed stipulation stated that, if called, Jentzen would give the same cause- and manner-of-death conclusions to a reasonable degree of medical certainty.