Dr. Walter Birkby, jokingly known as "Dr. Death" by local journalists, the internationally-known forensic anthropologist at the University of Arizona, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, Tucson. He was 83. He was CSI before TV even knew they could cash-in on the idea.
I had the privilege of photographing Dr. Birkby in 1994 when I was a photographer at the Tucson Citizen. He had announced his retirement. It was a hot August day, so I was looking forward to setting up electronic strobes and spending lots of time in Birkby's air-conditioned lab at the UA. I was excited, since skulls make great props for photos, but apprehensive given Birkby's stature.
He completely put me at ease. He let me take over the lab while he worked elsewhere. I asked for a skull to use as a prop. The only ones off-limits were those that were part of an active investigation, he explained. He handed me an unidentified skull and some modeling clay to help me position it on the table.
While in process of setting the lights I knocked the skull off the table. It didn't just plop on the floor, it flew across the room. I was devastated. I couldn't move. I apologized profusely. I was worried I destroyed evidence in some murder case. To Birkby, it was no biggie. "I've got plenty of these," he said.
