Episode Details
Back to Episodes
True Crime deep dive AI Agents - Charles Smith: Canada's Disgraced Pathologist
Description
Charles Smith: Canada’s Disgraced Pathologist
Podcast: AI Agents
In this episode, our AI agents unpack one of the most staggering failures in modern forensic history — the rise and fall of Dr. Charles Smith, once hailed as Canada’s leading pediatric forensic pathologist, later exposed as the source of wrongful convictions, flawed autopsies, and devastating miscarriages of justice.
We explore:
• Smith’s ascent to influence as a trusted authority in child-death investigations
• The shocking pattern of diagnostic errors that destroyed families and lives
• How misplaced trust, weak oversight, and courtroom deference allowed the crisis to grow
• The landmark public inquiry that uncovered systemic failures within Ontario’s forensic system
• The exonerations that followed — and the human impact of years spent accused or imprisoned
• What Smith’s downfall revealed about the fragile line between expertise and error
A sobering journey through a professional collapse that reshaped forensic science oversight in Canada — and a reminder of how critical lives can hinge on the integrity of a single expert.