Who played medical examiner Melinda Warner on SVU?

Tamara Tunie played medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Warner is the forensic specialist who examines bodies, interprets injuries, and helps detectives connect medical evidence to their investigations.

Tunie first appeared as Warner in the season-two episode "Noncompliance" in 2000. The character initially had a recurring role, but Warner became a regular cast member beginning in season seven. Her work often supplied the crucial evidence that moved a case forward, from determining the cause of death to identifying signs of assault that might not be visible to investigators.

Warner was not a detective or prosecutor, which makes her easy to confuse with other members of the SVU team. Michelle Hurd played Detective Monique Jeffries, Diane Neal played ADA Casey Novak, and B. D. Wong played FBI profiler Dr. George Huang. Tunie remained associated with Warner for more than two decades, including later appearances in other Law & Order franchise series.