Terror At The Morgue

Did A Medical Examiner Strap A Bomb To His Own Neck?

(CBS) 
Working on a theory that revenge was a motive for the attack, the multi-agency task force focused on one man in particular, Phillip Workman, a man Smith knew well.

In 1981, Workman was involved in an armed robbery at a fast-food restaurant. Lt. Ronald Oliver, one of the first officers to arrive at the scene, was killed in a struggle with Workman

Police found a gun that belonged to Workman, but never found the fatal bullet that killed Oliver.

Even so, a jury later convicted Workman of capital murder in 1982. Since that time he has remained on death row.

Workman spoke to 48 Hours from death row, behind a glass partition. "I believe, and see no way possible that I killed Lt. Oliver," says Workman. For more than 20 years, Workman has been trying to overturn his death sentence. He says that his newfound faith in God has strengthened his resolve.

"I definitely, in my sickened state of mind at the time, I definitely did the armed robbery and I've always admitted that. I'm innocent of murder."

Workman insists Lt. Oliver was killed by another police officer's gun – a case of friendly fire. Four years ago, the state of Tennessee's clemency board agreed to hear his claim.

But at the hearing, a surprise expert witness, Dr. Smith, appeared with new and damning evidence. Smith testified that when he'd examined the tissue from around Oliver's gunshot wound, he discovered traces of a bullet that could have only come from Workman's gun.

Workman says Smith's testimony totally sealed his fate: "He's a murderer. He was going to murder me with this false testimony."