Who is ‘Scarpetta’ based on? All about forensic pathologist who inspired Nicole Kidman’s character Kay
Nicole Kidman's latest role sees her play the titular forensic pathologist in the procedural drama 'Scarpetta,' which dropped on Prime Video on March 11. The Oscar-winning actress stars alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, and Ariana DeBose. Liz Sarnoff developed the eight-part crime thriller and also serves as its showrunner. She adapted the series from Patricia Cornwell's book series of the same name, which centers on the investigations of fictional medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. But did you know that the protagonist in the series and books is inspired by the real-life medical examiner, Marcella Farinelli Fierro?
Fierro was born in 1941 and graduated cum laude in biology from D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York, in 1962. Four years later, she earned a doctor of medicine degree in forensic pathology from the University of Buffalo and began working in the state medical examiner’s office in the early 1970s, as per Richmond Magazine. In 1975, Fierro became the ninth woman in American history to be board-certified in forensic pathology. She went on to become the chief medical examiner of Virginia in 1994. She was the first woman to do so, and she held the position until her retirement in 2008.
Cornwell, then an aspiring author, met Fierro in 1984 while researching her first novel. The author shadowed Fierro and watched her perform autopsies at the state morgue in Richmond, Virginia. One of the most high-profile cases that Fierro helped solve was that of the Southside Strangler, who raped and murdered four women in Richmond and Arlington in 1987. His victims were Debbie Dudley Davis (35), Dr. Susan Elizabeth Hellams (32), Diane Cho (15), and Susan M. Tucker (44). Timothy Wilson Spencer was arrested as a suspect, but law enforcement officials couldn't convict him due to a lack of evidence. However, Fierro and David K. Wiecking, then-chief examiner, used DNA analysis to prove that the semen samples found at the crime scene belonged to Spencer. He became the first serial killer in the U.S. to be convicted using DNA evidence and was executed on April 27, 1994.
During the premiere of 'Scarpetta' on March 4, Kidman told ExtraTV that she was drawn to the character's tenacity and moral code. "She’s a trailblazer. She is, and she’s a medical examiner, she’s quiet, she’s determined, she’s measured. She’s damaged, but she’s very much about doing what’s right, and I love somebody that’s like that." Fierro was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 for her decades-long contribution to forensic science. She is married to gynecologist Dr. Robert J. Fierro and has two children — daughter Francesca O'Reilly and son Robert J. Fierro Jr. Now retired, Fierro spends her time as an educator, mentor, and adviser. Catch all episodes of the forensic thriller only on Prime Video.
