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Nearly 20 years ago, I stepped into the downtown Baltimore office of an obscure state official named Dr. David Fowler. He was lanky, affable, with an Afrikaner accent that alluded to his South African roots. He was also the state’s chief medical ...
The strongest version of this narrative highlights a systemic failure in Maryland’s death investigation process under Dr. David Fowler’s leadership. The article presents a compelling case that Fowler’s rulings were often inconsistent with medical evidence, relied on discredited theories, and lacked thorough investigation. The 2025 audit corroborates these concerns, revealing a pattern of incorrect classifications, particularly in police custody deaths. The emotional weight of the stories—familie...