New Oxford medical examiner office to reduce autopsy wait time
OXFORD – Next month, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety will unveil a new State Medical Examiner's office in Oxford.
The third location will allow north Mississippi authorities to get answers faster and families to get deceased loved ones back quicker. In addition to the main office in Pearl, there is a satellite office in Biloxi.
As a former Assistant District Attorney on the Gulf Coast, DPS commissioner Sean Tindell realized the importance of regional medical examiner's offices.
"Talking with law enforcement, prosecutors and coroners after the Biloxi office opened, I know how appreciative they were to have a dedicated medical examiner," Tindell said.
Currently, if there is a murder or suspicious death on the north end of the state, the coroners have to drive the body all the way to Pearl, wait for the autopsy and then drive all the way back.
"That causes delays for the family trying to grieve for their loved ones," Tindell said. "And when it came to trial, the medical examiner would have to spend a half-day driving from Pearl to the north end of the state. And it would take another half-day driving back after they testified. Hopefully with the new office, they can testify in court and still get back the same day with time to work on other tasks."
So several years ago, officials started looking at larger population areas in the north half of the state — DeSoto County, Tupelo, Oxford — for possible sites for a third office. The state legislature approved a bill in 2024 to purchase the former Rayner Eye Clinic on Belk Boulevard, just east of the hospital in Oxford. Instead of new construction, the state was able to rehabilitate and renovate the existing building, saving money.
DPS deputy commissioner Mandy Davis said a few of the old eye exam rooms were converted into offices on the administration side. But most of the building was a "back to the studs" renovation. They used architects with a background in medical buildings as well as experiences of what doesn't work in other locations to design the building.
That includes a delivery bay that allows coroners and funeral directors to back in out of the weather. After seeing the need for places to store bodies during Covid, the new location was designed with a large cooler inside the building as well as an additional cooler outside.
The building also has state of the art features.
Medical Examiner's Office director Kristy Simmons said a Randox machine will allow the staff to do rapid toxicology testing. There is also a drying cabinet to hang the clothes of the victims and get them completely dry before folding them and sealing in evidence bags. This prevents mold or mildew from contaminating evidence.
There is also a $500,000 X-ray machine that rotates and moves up and down the length of a body as part of a non-invasive search. For gunshot victims, the machine can locate bullets. The X-ray images can be shown on large monitors inside the autopsy suite to help the doctors locate bullet fragments and other evidence.
"It's a really big deal," Davis said. "Things like this help us attract physicians to work here. The new technology is a game changer for doctors. We want this facility to compete with any medical examiner's office in the country."
The renovation of the building and purchase of new equipment pushed the price tag to more than $7.1 million.
LOCAL IMPACT
The new Oxford office will have a huge effect on north Mississippi. Since it is closer, it will cut down on transportation times and costs. Coroners will not have to wait as long for autopsies. It will also help alleviate the backlog of cases at the main office in Pearl.
"Right now, Pearl is so overwhelmed with criminal cases, they can't get to natural causes," said Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green. "If you're not shot, beaten or stabbed, you're not going to get an autopsy right now — unless there is no medical history, no hypertension, no heart disease or no drug use."
Green said she had two cases this year with no history of medical issues or recent drug use. Pearl couldn't take them but Biloxi did. The autopsy showed one man had what's known as a widow maker heart attack. To help save Lee County time and money, the Biloxi office did the autopsy while the transport driver waited and sent him back north the same day.
While a five-hour trip one way to Biloxi is unusual, a 3-hour drive to Pearl is not for Green. Lee County requests around 20 autopsies a year. She is looking forward to the quick and easy drive to Oxford.
"It will cut down on transportation expenses," Green said. "You're looking at one hour vs. three hours each way. That means we can get the body back to the funeral home quicker."
Once all three medical examiner's offices are up and running, the goal is to have final autopsy results within 90 days. Toxicology and some specialty tests could still take longer.
Having a state medical examiner's office just an hour or so away will also open up opportunities for coroners on this end of the state.
"With the office opening in Oxford, it will give me an opportunity to sit in on autopsies. I learn something every time I sit in on an autopsy," Green said. "I personally want to sit in, especially on babies — they have the most unknowns. It gives you a chance to ask questions."
DPS has begun the process of staffing the Oxford location. Even though they still do not have a doctor to perform the autopsies, the location will open next month.
"We are going to go ahead and open it while we look for a Deputy Chief Medical Examiner," Tindell said. "We will contract with Tennessee to do the autopsies until we get someone hired. We hope to have a grand opening sometime in August."
The plan is to start by serving just Lafayette County as the staff gets up and running. The office will then start serving the counties surrounding Lafayette County. As any kinks are worked out, the coverage area will continue expanding outward until they basically serve the state north of Highway 82.
Officials plan to work toward National Association of Medical Examiners accreditation.