A SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CORONER IS RETIRING TODAY. FOR 34 YEARS HE PERFORMED AUTOPSIES IN HIS SANTA CRUZ OFFICE AND IS NOW RETIRING AT AGE 78. HAVING PERFORMED OVER 10,000 AUTOPSIES, RICHARD “DOC” MASON, IS AN EXPERT FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST WHO HAS A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF GUNS. HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A CORONER IN VIETNAM WHERE HE HANDLED 500 AUTOPSIES A DAY DURING THE WAR. MASON’S EYE FOR ABNORMALITIES AND ABILITY TO QUICKLY DETERMINE CAUSE OF DEATH HAS GAINED HIM A RESPECTED REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNIT
