When it comes to the best of the best in the world of forensic pathologists, there are very few who can match the experience and skill of Dr. Michael Baden. Though Baden isn't necessarily a household name, when the family of murder victim Michael Brown called Baden to conduct an independent autopsy, the public became curious at the large part that he will play in the current investigation. With a looming criminal trial and civil lawsuit, Baden will most likely be called upon as a key witness for both the prosecution and defense.

Forensic pathologists are frequently some of the most important witnesses called in trials due to their extensive knowledge into what the 'corpse' says happened. While first-hand witnesses face the scrutiny of manipulating memories or biases, a forensic pathologist simply examines the evidence found throughout the body. This could include the blood splatter patterns on the victim's shirt, which can tell how far away a victim was from their shooter, for instance.

Baden has examined more than 20,000 bodies in his 50-year career, including being a chairman of the federal committee that reexamined the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout his career Baden has intentionally sought the limelight, which has lead on to his other careers of being a crime author and television show host.    

"Michael never saw a camera he didn't like," Dr. Lowell Levine told NBC News. Levine has known Baden since the 1960s, when he served with him as co-director of forensic pathology for the New York State Police. "He used to yell at me about the press: 'They're just trying to make a living, why don't you help them?'"

Levin added, "He is absolutely one of the brightest people you will ever run across. Why Mr. Holder has an independent autopsy going, I don't know, because they're not going to find anything different from what Michael found."

Throughout his years as a star witness for numerous celebrity trials, Baden has come under fire for both ethical and personal reasons. In the Phil Spector murder trial, Baden told the prosecutor that he had no conflict of interest while conducting his autopsy. It was later revealed that his wife was one of Spector's main attorneys.

Despite all that critics say, many who know Baden state that his brilliance is unmatched. "He is a great man," said Marion Roach, a writer who helped co-author Baden's 2003 novel, "Dead Reckoning." "Michael Baden gets up every day wanting to do good in the world. He can't be bought. He can't be convinced of the wrong story line. He is a pure scientist with a great heart."