The National Academy of Sciences report on forensic science talks about the “patchwork” of forensic science services in the U.S.. Perhaps nowhere is that patchwork coming apart at the seams as it is in death investigation.
A few samples for your consideration:
In Arkansas, a recent Associated Press article in the Rushville Courier notes that cremations are on the rise, and that no training is required to hold the office of coroner in the state. This has become a cause for concern, and “The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, the Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association all say they want more training for coroners.” As the executive director of the sheriff’s association, Chuck Lange, said, ”If someone is going to be responsible for calling cause of death, they need a little education.”
This report from Texas was published in 2006, and a few other MEs offices have been formed since, but the overall picture remains the same. At that time, there were 13 ME’s offices, required by law whenever the population of a county exceeds one million. The other 296 – a justice of the peace signs the death certificates. I would love to be wrong about this, but also believe this statement is still true: ”Texas has no oversight State ME’s agency, Medical Examiners are appointed locally by the County Commissioners Court.” An example of the conditions some of the medical examiners work under may be seen in this recent article.
If a highly trained forensic pathologist believes further investigation of a death is warranted, that will overrule an elected coroner’s findings, right? Wrong. Take a look at this infamous case in the state of Washington. The Ronda Reynolds case is now being considered in a coroner’s inquest under a new coroner.
Working conditions and equipment needs for ME/Cs offices are of concern throughout the country. In California, the Bakersfield Californian reports that in Kern County, which serves the city of Bakersfield, the coroner’s office is asking for help with “substantial infrastructure improvements, including repairs to two coolers and a freezer, new plumbing, and upgrades to heating and air conditioning systems,” and has no X-ray.
They’d probably still be the envy of Franklin County Pennsylvania coroner Jeffrey Connor. According a June 9th article in the Chambersburg Public Opinon, it took him a decade to convince his county commissioners that he should be allowed to purchase a cooler for storing bodies. Just in time for summer. Where will it be placed? That was a question, since Connor operates the coroner’s office from his home. (Not as uncommon as anyone with sense could hope it would be.) The cooler was to be installed at a funeral home that would pay the electric bill for it in exchange for use of four of the upper berths.
If we don’t care enough about the important work of ME/Cs even to give them office space and basic equipment, and to ensure that they have at least some level of training, perhaps we deserve all the bad outcomes that follow from having such a dysfunctional system.
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This post written by Jan Burke.
