Why it’s getting easier in N.C. to get away with murder

The Story

Autopsies on thousands of people are called off because of budget and staff cuts in North Carolina.

The Facts

– According to a memo obtained by The Charlotte Observer, the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is telling pathologists to forego autopsies on: people older than 40 in apparent natural deaths, victims of alcohol or cocaine poisoning and apparent suicide with a gun or by hanging

– That memo contradicts state guidelines.

– Very possibly because of this memo, the state’s pathologists are now only conducting autopsies in 25 percent of suspicious cases

The Quotes

– “There are consequences in terms of lives.” — Dr. Victor Weedn, chairman of forensic sciences at George Washington University

– “It’s a big, big, big problem to me. It’s gotten worse. I respected the medical examiner’s office 10 years ago.” — Franklin County Sheriff Jerry Jones

C5’s Take

Autopsies can bring closure to families. They can be the key in insurance paying out. They can show medical/drug/environmental trends. And they can save future lives – as evidenced by the debacle in the Boone Best Western case. Two sets of people died in the same hotel room from carbon monoxide poisoning – a scenario that might have been avoided had autopsies been conducted on the first set of victims. It’s time to pay up and do the right thing, North Carolina.

Photo: Jeff Willhelm / Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published December 1, 2014 at 6:11 AM with the headline "Why it’s getting easier in N.C. to get away with murder."