Speak Her Name

Stories from a Life in True Crime

By: Mary Jumbelic M.D.

Narrated by: Mary Jumbelic M.D.

When a family friend died unexpectedly, Dr. Mary Jumbelic was pulled into the investigation—and uncovered the true cause of death. This woman was one of hundreds uanble to move, unable to speak, laying on autopsy tables due to violent crimes. Mary uses her unique voice to speak for these victims and seek justice.

Throughout her career as a medical examiner, Mary saw female bodies that had been sexually violated, battered, stabbed, and shot. Their corpses were dismembered. Some were buried in shallow graves, while others meticulously hidden. A majority of these deaths had been caused by someone the women knew—just like her friend.

As a woman in a man's world, Mary spent her life honing her forensic skills. Through this work, she came to terms with events in her own life. Experiencing motherhood in juxtaposition with her job provided constant reminders of her two lives: one with the living, and one with the dead. Personal and professional experiences are interwoven in this tapestry of memoir.

Real women. True stories.

We bear witness and use the truth to effect change. Together, we speak her name.

©2025 Mary Jumbelic, M.D. (P)2025 Mary Jumbelic, M.D.

A True Calling

This is the second book I have read by Mary Jumbelic MD. This book gives you a look into the life of this Doctor and her passion to speak for the dead. The killers could not silence the victim’s stories because she passionately searches for what their bodies are telling her. The victims finally get their say.
Dr. Jumbelic is quite clever with her choice of words and phrasing. She takes a book that could be a series of dry facts and gives life to her experiences of bearing witness to their traumatic deaths.
I look forward to her next body of work.

Loved this book!

This was a quick “read” because it was so engaging . I loved the authors ability to weave in and out of her very difficult professional experiences with her family stories and stories from her childhood. I also really appreciated how she told the story of “Leslie” throughout the entire book. It was very well written and I loved listening to her tell her stories. The author tells an important story and I hope the many women out there who need someone like Mary Jumbelic can get the help and support they need by reading this .