Maureen Frikke 1948-2008
Colleagues described her as genuine, loving and good at her job
By Lisa Rosetta
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 03/25/2008 12:40:41 AM MDT
Maureen Frikke, an assistant Utah medical examiner who performed nearly 7,000 death investigations, died Saturday at home after an eight-year battle with breast cancer.
She was 59.
State Medical Examiner Todd Grey, who hired Frikke in 1991, described her as an outstanding forensic pathologist and an independent, "no-nonsense" investigator.
"[She] would make every effort to track down all of the details to make sure her diagnoses and conclusions were supported by the best and most extensive evidence possible," Grey said.
Frikke testified in hundreds of murder cases, including a trial last month for Edgar Tiedemann, who was convicted of a double homicide that occurred more than 16 years ago in West Valley City.
She was ''an amazing communicator,'' said Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Robert Stott. "She had the ability to explain her findings to the jury, the ability to keep a jury's attention and to simply explain the importance and meaning of what she was testifying to."
Defense attorney Ronald Yengich said Frikke was "a worthy adversary" who was always honest. "I will miss crossing horns with her in court, because she was very, very good at what she did," Yengich said.