Forensic investigator from hit true crime docuseries reveals emotional toll of job, fight for justice

Her dream job was often a nightmare.

Barbara Butcher spent decades with the office of the chief medical examiner in New York City, visiting more than 5,500 death scenes – nearly 700 of which were homicides, including the Carnegie Deli massacre and the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Dealing with the victims' families required her to maintain her composure as they endured the worst days of their lives, she told Fox News Digital. Once, when speaking to a victim's mother, the woman had a breakdown.