Union County opens autopsy center to help address medical examiner backlog
SPECTRUM AND THE WRAL APP ON
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>> IT HAS BEEN JUST OVER A YEAR
SINCE 3 MEN WERE FOUND DEAD IN
A DURHAM HOTEL ROOM WITH NO
CAUSE OF DEATH EVER GIVEN.
WELL, NEW TONIGHT, WE NOW KNOW
THEIR DEATHS WERE DEEMED
OVERDOSES. W INVESTIGATES.
SARAH KRUEGER EXPLAINS HOW THE
DEATH BY DISTRIBUTION CHARGE
BEING PURSUED HERE. IT'S
CONTRIBUTING TO A BACKLOG IN
AUTOPSIES AND ONE UNIQUE
APPROACH TO HELP.
>> 9-1-1, CALLS. EXPLAIN WHAT
LOVED ONES FOUND WHEN THEY
ENTERED THE HOTEL ROOM AT THE
EXTENDED STAY IN DURHAM IN
FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR. PEOPLE
REMEMBER A THING TO SPEAKING
THROUGH AN INTERPRETER TELLING
THE DISPATCHER TO SEND HELP.
>> THERE ARE 41 NORMAL. YOU
COULD CALL THAT THERE COULD
STILL GRIEVING A LITTLE BIT
CLOSER. 3 ARE BEING PRESSURED
ARE NOW MEDICAL EXAMINER'S
REPORT. FINALLY ANSWER WHAT
HAPPENED.
>> THE CAUSE OF DEATH LISTED
AS TOXIC EFFECTS OF FENTANYL,
COCAINE AND ETHANOL. A SEARCH
WARRANT SHOWS WHITE POWDER ON
A PLATE IN THE HOTEL ROOM.
OVERDOSES LIKE THESE ARE SADLY
COMMON. THE LATEST DATA FROM
THE STATE SHOWS MORE THAN 3,000
NORTH CAROLINIANS DIED OF AN
OVERDOSE LAST YEAR. MORE THAN
HALF OF THOSE INVOLVED FENTANYL
IN THE DURHAM CASE, THE SEARCH
WARRANT EXPLAINS. POLICE ARE
PURSUING CHARGES FOR DEATH BY
DISTRIBUTION, WHICH IS DESIGNED
TO HOLD PEOPLE WHO SUPPLY DRUGS
ACCOUNTABLE. IT'S A RELATIVELY
NEW CHARGE AND IT'S CAUSED AN
INCREASE IN AUTOPSY REQUEST.
THAT'S ONE REASON THE MEDICAL
EXAMINER'S OFFICE SAYS
RESOURCES ARE STRAINED. THEY
ARE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT
INVESTIGATIONS.
>> LIEUTENANT JAMES MAY WITH
THE UNION COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE JUST OUTSIDE CHARLOTTE
EXPLAINS TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE
WORK LOAD AND SPEED UP ITS
INVESTIGATIONS.
>> THE COUNTY JUST OPENED ITS
OWN AUTOPSY CENTER. WE'RE
ALREADY SEEING GREAT SUCCESS
OUT OF THAT. THE COUNTY WORKED
WITH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHICH
DEDICATED MORE THAN 20 MILLION
DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR IT.
THINK OVERALL FOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY,
IT'S GOING TO BE HUGE BENEFIT.
LIEUTENANT MAY SAYS THE FASTER
THEY CAN TURN AROUND THE
AUTOPSIES. THE FASTER THEY CAN
GET JUSTICE FOR FAMILIES.
I THINK THAT EVERY CASE YOU
SOLVE YOU SAVE COUNTLESS
COUNTLESS NUMBER OF LAUGHS.
THIS SEARCH WARRANT SHOWS
DURHAM POLICE WERE TRYING TO
ACCESS THE VICTIM'S CELL
PHONES, HOPING TO FIGURE OUT
WHO SOLD THEM. THE DRUGS.
>> SO FAR, POLICE SAY NO