The history
The Williamson County Death Inquest Investigators Program began in January to relieve the workload of the four justices of the peace.
In Williamson County, JPs serve as judges over criminal and civil court, as well as magistrates who issue warrants, conduct trials and set bonds. Prior to January, they also have had the sole responsibility of performing coroner duties for deaths that occur without a physician present.
The county’s four JPs would take on these death inquests through rotating one-week shifts, in addition to performing their other duties during the other three weeks of the month. During these shifts, they would be on call 24/7.
Now, they still have rotating shifts, but three of the JPs also have the support of a death inquest investigator, or DII. The Precinct 4 JP chose to opt out of the program, according to county officials.
About the program
The DIIs respond to all death scenes, and take on the majority of the inquest process, which includes:
- Receiving reports of deaths in Williamson County
- Conducting independent investigations for circumstances of death
- Preparing official investigative reports
- Releasing cause and manner of death to the public
- Communicating with families, hospitals, law enforcement, media and funeral homes
- Working with private companies or Travis County for autopsies
Although the program began with four DIIs to assist all four JPs, the program now has three DIIs for precincts 1, 2 and 3.
“They are finding value in getting better sleep at night in their on-call weeks,” Clemons said. “We are definitely glad that we have provided some relief for them.”
Digging deeper
The county partners with Tranquil Mortuary Service to transport deceased individuals following their death. Tranquil brings the individuals to either Hill Country Forensics or Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office to undergo an autopsy, if required.
If an autopsy is not required, Tranquil will transport the deceased to a funeral home of the family’s choosing. In some cases, the deceased individual is stored for a short period of time before a funeral home can be chosen.
The county budget for both transportation and autopsies has increased year over year due to an increased number of cases, Clemons said.
Autopsies through Hill Country Forensics cost $3,200 each, and those through Travis County cost $4,100. Transportation for each death costs a few hundred dollars, Clemons said.
Since January, there has been a 20%-25% uptake in cases over last year. The average number of cases per week has increased from 21 in 2024 to over 26 since the beginning of 2025, Clemons said.
“There has definitely been a jump this year,” Clemons said. “Business unfortunately has picked up a lot over the last nine months.”
Looking ahead
Clemons said as the county approaches 40 cases a week, it will need more DIIs or other resources to support the workload.
“This is kind of a brainstorming year, so we’ll have more to come on that later,” Clemons said.
