Mary H. Manhein is a pioneering forensic anthropologist, acclaimed author, and one of Louisiana’s most influential voices in the world of true crime, long before the genre became a global podcast phenomenon. Known widely as “The Bone Lady,” she founded the LSU FACES Laboratory in 1990, where her team provided groundbreaking forensic services in skeletal analysis, 3D facial reconstruction, and missing-persons identification. Over the course of her career, she consulted on hundreds of criminal investigations, worked mass-disaster recoveries such as the Space Shuttle Columbia, and established Louisiana’s Repository for Unidentified and Missing Persons Information Program.

Her work made her a household name in Louisiana and a respected figure well beyond, leading to invitations to lecture internationally, including two special addresses at London’s renowned Scotland Yard. For decades, families, coroners, and law enforcement turned to her not only for answers but for compassion, as she gave names back to the missing and voices back to the voiceless.

Manhein is the author of several nonfiction classics, including The Bone Lady, Trail of Bones, and Bone Remains, that cemented her place as one of the early architects of what would later become the booming true crime genre. She has also written fiction, weaving together mystery, history, and a strong sense of place. With her latest novel, A Call to Rowan, she continues her lifelong mission: to tell the stories of the forgotten and illuminate the ties between community, memory, and justice.

Mary lives in Baton Rouge with her husband and cats, where she continues to write and create. In 2018, she founded Os Liber Press to share stories rooted in depth, care, and intention.