Crenshaw v. O'Connell

This is an action by plaintiff, the widow of one Oliver Albert Crenshaw, to recover the damages sustained on account of the action of defendant, Dr. John O'Connell, the coroner of St. Louis County, in having an alleged unauthorized and unlawful autopsy performed upon the body of her husband, who died in St. Louis County on January 14, 1939.

Tried to a jury in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, a verdict was returned in favor of plaintiff, and against defendant, for $5000 actual damages and $5000 punitive damages. As a condition to the overruling of defendant's motion for a new trial,…