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Author: Yujiemi Chisholm

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Highlights

Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office uses MUHR funding to confirm the identification of a 1980 John Doe

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified an individual recovered on October 18, 1980, as U.S. Army veteran John Davis Webster, resolving a case that remained unidentified for more than 40 years. At the time of the original investigation, personal property recovered with the decedent including a social security card and a Texas Employment Commission card indicating military veteran status suggested a potential identity. However, the available information was insufficient to confirm who the individual was. During a renewed examination of the case, investigators photographed the recovered items and identified faint, faded numbers on the laminated social security card. These numbers appeared to represent a possible date of birth and provided a new investigative lead. This information prompted collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Latent Print Unit, which identified a 1961 military fingerprint card associated with the individual. Investigators also obtained postmortem fingerprints preserved from the original investigation through the Fort Worth Police Department. A comparison conducted by the FBI confirmed a fingerprint match, conclusively identifying the decedent as John Davis Webster. This identification was supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program.
June 2026
Forensics TTA

Testimony Training for Medical Examiner and Coroner (MEC) Offices

This presentation features Shannon Hodder, Senior Assistant District Attorney at the Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney, and Allison Lewis, Staff Attorney for the DNA Unit of the Legal Aid Society. It is tailored for MEC professionals with all levels of experience seeking to strengthen their foundational understanding of testimony, both criminal and regarding depositions. Viewers are introduced to the perspectives of prosecution and defense, as well as cover pointers for depositions which are the most common interaction for MEC professionals with the legal system. The presentation provides tips on preparing and providing testimony, including the use of medical terminology and knowing when to say something is out of your area of expertise. Presenters also discuss the controversy surrounding manner of death in the courtroom.
June 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Investigative Practices Documents

These documents pertain to identification, body examinations, notifying next of kin, reporting contagious diseases, and fetal, infant and child death investigations, including SUIDI, and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office that performs autopsies in-house.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Death Investigation Documents

These documents pertain to case jurisdiction, numbering, notification of death, cause and manner of death, scene protocol, and documentation and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office that performs autopsies in-house.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Death Investigation Documents

These documents pertain to general jurisdiction, determination of death, photography, and investigation guidelines, including case specific, child/infant, and scene protocol and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office with autopsies performed at their state medical examiner’s office.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Death Investigation Documents

These documents pertain to communication with other entities and procedures for notifying next of kin, cold-case review, operational tasks, including scene management, report preparation, and body bag handling, and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office with autopsies performed at other facilities.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Investigative Practices Documents

These documents pertain to responding to various calls, documenting decedent history, handling known decedents, hospital cases, and investigations and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office with autopsies performed at other facilities.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Small Office: Death Investigation Documents

These documents pertain to communication with law enforcement, response expectations, transitioning case responsibility, identification methods, pronouncement of death, handling unidentified remains and cases involving non-US citizen decedents, and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a small office that performs autopsies in-house.
May 2026
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Highlights

Riverside County Coroner uses MUHR funding to strengthen forensic infrastructure and advance case resolutions

Support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program has significantly enhanced the Riverside County Coroner’s (RCC’s) investigative and identification capabilities, resulting in measurable operational improvements and case progress. MUHR funding enabled RCC to acquire portable dental imaging equipment, allowing investigators to conduct postmortem dental radiographs directly at exhumation sites. This capability has addressed long-standing gaps in cases lacking prior dental records, expanding the number of cases that can be meaningfully evaluated. RCC also leveraged MUHR funding to purchase scanning and computer equipment, which facilitated the complete digitization of legacy case files. Historical records have been organized into a centralized digital system, eliminating the need for manual file retrieval and enabling rapid access to case information, improving both efficiency and case review capacity. Additionally, MUHR funding supported exhumation efforts that enabled RCC to complete dental charting, obtain dental X-rays, and collect biological samples for DNA analysis. The resulting information has provided Riverside County with several investigative leads, further strengthening its ability to evaluate unresolved cases. Collectively, these outcomes demonstrate how MUHR funding strengthens foundational forensic infrastructure, enhances investigative capabilities, and supports the resolution of long-standing unidentified remains cases.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Investigative Practices Documents

These documents pertain to notifying next of kin, shift changes, decedent identification, child fatalities, fetal deaths, hospital/hospice deaths, unidentified cases, and undetermined cases and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office that performs autopsies in-house and at other facilities.
May 2026