Vincent Joseph Martin Di Maio (March 22, 1941 – September 18, 2022) was an American

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in t ...

and an expert on the subject of

gunshot wounds A gunshot wound (GSW) is a penetrating injury caused by a projectile (e.g. a bullet) from a gun (typically firearm or air gun). Damages may include bleeding, bone fractures, organ damage, wound infection, loss of the ability to move part ...

. Born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, he was a board-certified

anatomic Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

, clinical and

forensic pathologist Forensic pathology is pathology that focuses on determining the cause of death by examining a corpse. A post mortem examination is performed by a medical examiner or forensic pathologist, usually during the investigation of criminal law cases ...

, and a private forensic pathology consultant.

Early life and education

Di Maio was the son of Dominick Di Maio, chief medical examiner of New York City. Vincent Di Maio attended St. John's University and the State University of New York (SUNY). He graduated in 1965 from Downstate Medical School and received postgraduate training at Duke University, SUNY, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Maryland.

Career

Di Maio was a veteran of the U.S. Army Medical Corps, and served as

chief medical examiner The medical examiner is an appointed official in some American jurisdictions who is trained in pathology that investigates deaths that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictio ...

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, until 2006, when he retired; Di Maio had more than 40 years of experience as a forensic pathologist. He was the editor-in-chief of the '' American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology'', and was a

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

of the Department of Pathology at the

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is a public academic health science center in San Antonio, Texas. It is part of the University of Texas System. UT Health San Antonio is the largest health scie ...

. Di Maio was a fellow of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) and the

American Academy of Forensic Sciences The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) is a society for forensic science professionals, and was founded in 1948. The society is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The AAFS is a multi-disciplinary professional organization that ...

, and in 2011, he was appointed to the

Texas Forensic Science Commission The Texas Forensic Science Commission (FSC) is a state agency of Texas, headquartered on the grounds of the College of Criminal Justice of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. The commission investigates complaints about misuse or neglect r ...

by Governor Rick Perry.

Expert opinions

Di Maio authored or co-authored four books and numerous articles related to forensic pathology, and won several awards for his work, including the ''Outstanding Service Award'' from the National Association of Medical Examiners. Di Maio gave expert testimony in a number of high-profile trials, including the exhumation of Lee Harvey Oswald's body on October 4, 1981, and the George Zimmerman murder trial and provided expert opinion on the

death of Vincent Van Gogh The death of Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch post-Impressionist painter, occurred in the early morning of 29 July 1890, in his room at the Auberge Ravoux in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise in northern France. Two days earlier, Van Gogh shot himself ...

Death

Di Maio died from complications of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

at his home in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, on September 18, 2022, at the age of 81, during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Texas The COVID-19 pandemic in Texas is a part of the ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The state of Texas confirmed its ...

. He was buried at

Fort Sam Houston Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas. "Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview), US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army. Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Represen ...

National Cemetery.Beltran, Jacob, "Vincent Di Maio, world-renowned forensic pathologist, was force behind ‘Angel of Death’ case in San Antonio," ''San Antonio News Express'', September 26, 2022

Bibliography

* ''Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques'' (1992) (2e: 1999, 3e: 2021) * ''Forensic Pathology'' (1992) (2e: 2001) * ''Handbook of Forensic Pathology'' (1998) (2e: 2007) * ''Excited Delirium Syndrome: Cause of Death and Prevention'' (2005) * ''Morgue: A Life in Death'' (2016)

References

External links

Interviews - Dr. Vincent Di Maio
(''PBS'')

{{DEFAULTSORT:Di Maio, Vincent 1941 births 2022 deaths American pathologists Ballistics experts Medical journal editors People associated with firearms United States Army Medical Corps officers People from New York City Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas