Medical Examiner’s office opens in North Mississippi
For years, coroners had to drive hundreds of miles one way to either Pearl or Biloxi to take bodies for state autopsies.
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – Getting answers after a tragedy or criminal act will become faster for families and law enforcement in North Mississippi.
Thursday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the state’s Oxford Medical Examiner’s Office.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell officially opened the new, regional state medical examiner’s office.
‘”Opening this office for families in North Mississippi is one of our crowning achievements,” said Tindell.
For years, coroners had to drive hundreds of miles one way to either Pearl or Biloxi to take bodies for state autopsies.
Now, the state has transformed the former Rayner Eye Clinic in Oxford into a state-of-the-art forensic hub.
Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley says the Oxford location is a game changer when it comes to expediting death investigations.
“I am the longest serving coroner in the state. I really didn’t think I would live to see this, to have an office in North Mississippi,” said Gurley.
The 7 million dollar facility features a digital X-ray machine, which rotates dynamically to locate bullets and embedded evidence in seconds.
There is also a dedicated evidence storage room, a specialized drying cabinet for sensitive garments, and a histology room where tissue samples are studied to determine exact causes of death.
Standup bridge
The Oxford facility doesn’t just help law enforcement secure evidence quickly; it also provides immediate relief to grieving families.
‘This office will also be able to take some autopsies we have been needing, and maybe not homicides, that people want an autopsy; they will be able to do some more work for the people here.”
District 9 state senator Nicole Boyd says getting the M E’s office in Oxford for the Northern part of the state was a huge team effort.
‘We are very excited it is in Oxford; we are central to all of North Mississippi, it is important for law enforcement that we lessen that time,” said Boyd.
“Being located in Oxford, next to the University, so many professionals we can work with, and looking at recruiting, if we are trying to recruit doctors from out of state, what can a community provide? It is showing fruits, and it does pique their interest,” said Tindell.
Staff from the Pearl facility will help in Oxford until that office is fully staffed.
A DPS spokesman estimates the Oxford Medical Examiner’s Office will be fully staffed within two months
