The details
Dr. Kathryn Pinneri, director of forensic services for the county, presented the need to transition to a medical examiner’s office during budget workshops in August. Commissioners voted to move forward on the steps to create the office on Aug, 14, which required funding a number of positions including:
- 2 death investigators
- 1 part-time forensic pathologist
- Changing the administrative manager to a forensic operations manager
“We are ready, this has been long overdue," she said.
Explaining the role
Staff of the medical examiner's office will be able to assist and take over a number of tasks previously delegated to justices of the peace such as responding to death investigations and assisting families through the investigation process. Montgomery County first launched its forensic services department in 2011; however, the county built a $13 million, 22,000-square-foot forensic center in Conroe to keep up with the growing number of death investigations and pathology requests in 2022.
Texas has a population-based requirement for counties to have a medical examiner’s office, which has increased from 1 million to 2.5 million residents during the last legislative session in 2023. However, a county is able to set up the office at any point before reaching the population requirement. According to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 1-year estimate from 2023, Montgomery County had population of about 711,000.
What's next?
The newly created department will remain in the county's forensic service facility, and staff will begin shifting duties according to Pinneri.
