SAINT PAUL, Minn — Back in 2006 in Douglas County, Michael Hansen was convicted of killing his infant daughter based in part by the testimony of Ramsey County Medical Examiner Michael McGee, who ruled her death a homicide.
That conviction was overturned in 2011 after a judge found McGee gave false testimony. McGee, who testified in counties all over the state for decades, defended himself.
"I didn't give incorrect testimony. I gave correct testimony to the best of my ability of what we knew then and I still think its true," McGee told KARE 11 News in 2011.
But McGee's medical findings and testimony raised alarms in other cases too. In Kandiohi County, Thomas Rhodes was released from prison last year after the state's Conviction Review Unit determined McGee was unreliable.
"Dr. McGee's testimony was pivotal in that case," said Carrie Sperling, director of the Minnesota Attorney General's Conviction Review Unit. "Not one of the ten experts found evidence that would have supported Dr. McGee's conclusion in that case that Jane Rhodes death was the result of a homicide."
And before that, in 2021, a federal judge changed the death penalty for Alphonso Rodriguez in the 2003 murder of Dru Sjodin to life in prison.
"The judge characterized the testimony of our medical examiner as false and misleading," said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi.
That judge's ruling caused Ramsey County Attorney John Choi to order a full review of McGee's cases.
And now, the nonprofit group conducting the review for Choi's office has found seven cases to scrutinize further with a panel of out-of-state medical examiners.
"In these seven cases, the cause and manner of death was at issue," said Kristine Hamann from Prosecutors Center for Excellence, the nonprofit group hired by Choi to conduct the independent review. "I do want to caution that simply because there is seven cases, we have rendered no opinion about whether those cases are good, bad or indifferent, we are not there yet."
Hamann says the final phase of review will involve a panel of three medical experts.
"None of them are from Minnesota, none of them know Dr. McGee," Hamann said. "They are three highly respected medical examiners from three different parts of the nation. Each of them will review all seven cases and they will talk about them together and reach a decision."
When the review is finished, Choi says he is prepared to dismiss charges and release people from prison if that is the recommendation he receives.
"I think everything is on the table. Whatever justice requires us to do," Choi said.
Minnesota Attorney General Review
So far, all four cases that have been altered due to Dr. McGee's conclusions or testimony stemmed from crimes that took place outside of Ramsey County.
That's why the Minnesota Attorney General's Office is also now expanding it's review of cases statewide in which he was a witness.
Sperling said the first phase of that process has turned up at least 11 cases where more review is required.
"We will be consulting with independent medical experts to determine whether McGee's testimony and opinions were accurate and appropriate," Sperling said. "Although we can't predict the outcome, I think we do expect that very few, if any, of these convictions will be affected by this review. Simply because, in the vast majority of homicide cases, the cause and manner of death is obvious and not really contested."