RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TENN - UPDATE: In late August, funding provided by the State of Tennessee fell through for a proposed forensic center in Rutherford County, but that doesn't mean the idea is dead. County officials are putting together a new proposal that may revive the proposed project, which starts with the architectural design of the building... That was Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr.

After the design is complete, the mayor hopes to have a more concrete idea of what the construction will cost. Mayor Carr commented on the expense of the center and highlighted that some of the costs could be covered by grants... The forensics center in Nashville is not a teaching facility and Carr believes the proposed forensics center in Rutherford County could be built as a teaching facility.

Carr said a forensics center could save the county money, while providing a valuable tool to detectives in our area...The mayor told WGNS that around 1,000 deaths from Rutherford County are investigated at the forensics center in Nashville annually...

When asked about the location of a future forensics center, Carr highlighted the county has already pinpointed a spot... Previous Mayor Bill Ketron attempted to negotiate a deal to put a forensics center in what was once home to State Farm. But, plans to locate in the structure that sits at the corner of Memorial Boulevard and DeJarnette Lane fell through. Mayor Carr said it's okay if those plans didn't work, because the building would not have made for a good forensics center... Carr hopes to see the proposed forensics center happen, with plans to start construction on a facility by September of next year (2024).

A forensic center is home to the medical examiner and it is the location of where autopsies are performed by a board certified forensic pathologist.