Dr. John Plunkett

Dr. John Plunkett, a distinguished forensic pathologist of Dakota County, passed away April 4 at his beloved "geriatric horse farm" in Welch MN surrounded by loving family and friends. We meet many people in our lives, many of whom are exceptional, but even among those few, John was extraordinary. He was kind, generous and loving, and a gift to all who knew him. John was born April 15, 1947 in St. Paul. He graduated from St. Thomas Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1965. He attended the University of Minnesota and graduated in 1969 with degrees in chemistry and history. In 1968, while working at the Town Country Club in St. Paul, he met his future wife and love of his life, the former Donna McFarren from Dalton, Ohio. They quickly became engaged and married in Ohio in 1970. John attended the University of Minnesota Medical School and received his medical degree in 1972. After internship and residency at Ramsey County Hospital and Hennepin Medical Center, he began his professional career in 1978 as pathologist and laboratory director at Regina Memorial Hospital, then a small regional hospital in Hastings, Minnesota. He held that position for 26 years. Under his leadership the laboratory received awards for quality and enjoyed unprecedented employee retention. During his 39-year career as a forensic pathologist, John was the coroner for Dakota County, with his office eventually serving seven Minnesota counties. He served on the Regina Medical Center Board of Directors and the Regina Foundation Board of Directors. In the later years of his forensic pathology career, Johns curious scientific mind and unshakable belief in justice led him to investigate a widespread dogma within the pediatric medical community. The so-called "shaken baby syndrome" is a medical hypothesis that incorrectly attributes many cases of sudden pediatric death to unseen abuse by a parent or caregiver. In recent years, over 300 convictions, many for murder, have been overturned due to the determined work of John and his colleagues. He was personally involved in over 50 such reversals where wrongful convictions resulted in an innocent parent or caregiver receiving an often-lengthy prison sentence based on faulty scientific evidence. His post-conviction work was performed without charge. John continued this work on behalf of the unjustly convicted until recently. For his leadership in this area, in 2016 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Innocence Project, the national organization initially focused on using DNA evidence in death penalty cases that has now broadened its focus to encompass other wrongful convictions of a serious nature. The work of John and others was featured in "The Syndrome," an award-winning documentary released in 2014. John is preceded in death by his father Jerry Plunkett, mother Margaret Marzolf Plunkett, stepmother Patricia Bonner Plunkett, and nephew Brian Plunkett. He is survived by his wife of over 47 years Donna McFarren Plunkett, sons Matt (Jen), and Ben; two grandchildren Fiona and Cailin; siblings Patrick (Anita), Marnie Olson (John), Tim (Lucy), Paul (Susan), Michael (Dawn), Ann, and Peggy; brothers-in-law Neil (Diane), and Russ (Tish); and many nieces and nephews. Memorial service 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 14, 2018, at St. Josephs Catholic Church of Miesville, 23955 Nicolai Ave., Hastings. Visitation will be held 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, April 13, 2018, pm at Caturia, Smidt Starkson Funeral Home Crematory, 201 East 7 St., Hastings, as well as an hour and a half prior to memorial service at church on Saturday morning. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Albert Sullivan Endowed Scholarship II Fund, Address: University of Minnesota Foundation, PO Box 860266, Minneapolis, MN 55486-0266; or the Wisconsin Innocence Project / SBS (Again, the "SBS" should be specified if not on the checks.) Address: Wisconsin Innocence Project: University of Wisconsin Law School, 975 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI53706in memory of John. Arrangements are being completed by Caturia, Smidt Starkson Funeral Home Crematory of Hastings.