Cops: Medical Examiner Hid Killing Of Wife

A retired medical examiner surrendered to face charges that he killed his wife with a lethal injection and had the body quickly embalmed to hide the crime.

Dr. William Sybers, now living in Canada, was jailed after returning to Florida on Thursday. His bond was set Friday at $300,000.

Investigators believe Sybers, 64, killed his 52-year-old wife, Kay, at their waterfront home in nearby Panama City Beach in May 1991 and used his authority as medical examiner to keep her from getting an autopsy.

As the state’s district medical examiner for the Panama City area, Sybers was responsible for determining when autopsies should be conducted. Sybers had his wife’s body embalmed before agreeing to an autopsy, which failed to reveal the cause of death.

Two needle marks were found on Kay Sybers’ arm, and investigators suspect she received a lethal injection there.

Sybers said the marks were caused when he tried to draw blood for a test after his wife said she was feeling ill.

Prosecutors have tried to have the body exhumed from an Iowa cemetery for analysis, but Sybers and his wife’s family have objected.

An Iowa judge has refused to allow the exhumation.

On Tuesday, Sybers, who retired to Victoria, British Columbia, was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder.

He faces death or life in prison if convicted.