Testimony in the federal fraud trial of Dr. Cyril H. Wecht concluded for the day this afternoon after the defense spent several hours trying to pick apart the testimony of the government's first witness.

Edward Strimlan, chief forensic investigator of the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office, spent the morning explaining to jurors numerous documents related to the cases of two bodies shipped to Carlow University for autopsies in 2005, the year before Dr. Wecht was indicted.

The government has accused Dr. Wecht, the county's former coroner, of using his public office for private gain. Among the allegations is that he sent unclaimed cadavers to Carlow in exchange for free lab space to perform autopsies for his private pathology business.

This afternoon, Dr. Strimlan said he had "reservations" about the remains being released to Carlow without families giving permission. He said he never complained to Dr. Wecht, even though the coroner had an open-door policy, but said he discussed his concerns with colleagues.

Under cross-examination, Dr. Strimlan was complimentary about the former boss against whom he is not testifying, saying Dr. Wecht treated him with respect and talked to him about advancing his career and education.

The trial continues tomorrow morning.

Dr. Strimlan, an 18-year employee of the office, testified this morning that the bodies sent to Carlow were supposed to be stored at the morgue temporarily and never autopsied. On the death certificates of both individuals, a box marked "no autopsy" was checked.

However, Dr. Strimlan testified, instead of being left in the morgue's refrigeration unit until family members of the deceased decided how to handle funeral arrangements, the bodies were shipped to Carlow, autopsied, and then brought back. There was no record of any need for autopsy or of family members consenting to the procedure, Dr. Strimlan testified.

Wecht defense attorney Jerry McDevitt used his time to begin chiseling away at the government's case by eliciting testimony from Dr. Strimlan that he himself had used the coroner's office for private gain -- the same charges leveled against his client.

Dr. Strimlan acknowledged that he was involved in selling T-shirts colloquially known in the office as "reaper wear," some with the coroner's office logo. They were stored in a locker on the office's Downtown premises.

Dr. Strimlan also said he and another supervisor had once discussed manufacturing a football-style jersey with the name "Wecht" and the number 84, a reference to the original number of counts the U.S. government brought against Dr. Wecht.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.