More To The Story With Staley: Forensic odontologist
He moved from dentistry to crime solving and is still doing it at 85
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – He’s an 85 year old gentleman. Sitting alone in his room. On his computer. He’s a retired doctor. But in a sense, he’s still working.
He lives right here. At this assisted living facility in Chattanooga. But Dr. Mike Sobel is not your regular kind of doctor. You see, he is a forensic odontologist. He’s a dentist, who works with teeth, as it pertains to crime and legal matters.
Mike Sobel still has a passion for the work. As a young man, he was seriously intruiged by the works of Sherlock Holmes. That’s never left him.
And that’s why he moved from being an orthodontist to the forensic world. It’s not an easy jump. Doctor Sobel is one of only about a hundred forensic odontologists in the USA and Canada. Total.
And of course, Mike Sobel’s work is NOT like the crime shows you see on TV and in the movies.
“You have to be patient and evaluate all of the evidence. And then you have to come up with conclusions to help the court resolve the matter.”
When he was younger, working in Pennsylvania, Dr. Sobel was involved with a slew of high profile cases. To include a civil case involving the estate of Sam Shephard. The Shepard saga is one of the most high profile murder cases in American history.
Consider: he worked on one case where a patient alleged that her doctor bit her.
Mike Sobel had unanswered questions. He found out that the accuser had been using a urinary catheter. Taped to her leg.
“I made an overlay of the urinary catheter. Here it is. I put them together. This is exactly what I did in court. See how they matched up.”
The judge agreed. The doctor was acquitted.
It’s a prime example as to why Sobel keeps….keeping on!!
“I teach classes, plus, every now and then, they send me cold case records. I look them over and see if I can contribute anything to it.”
Dr. Sobel says he has no plans on full retirement. He just wants to help people. Whenever he can.
Dave Staley, News 12.
