RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - A proposal to fund a forensic center and morgue in Rutherford County failed to gain approval from the county commission last year, but the concept of establishing a county-operated morgue and medical examiner's office is far from dead. County Mayor Joe Carr is revitalizing the proposal for a forensics center and is working to secure funding for the future facility... Mayor Carr mentioned that the exact funding plan will not be finalized until the conclusion of the current fiscal year this summer. Nevertheless, several ideas for financing the construction of the facility are currently being explored... Mayor Carr is resolute in not utilizing one particular category of funding...

In addition to potentially saving Rutherford County money, a locally operated forensics center would alleviate the consistent backlog of autopsies being sent to Nashville... Timely and thorough law enforcement investigations that necessitate autopsies offer clarity to the family members of the deceased...

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, most autopsy reports take two and a half to three months to complete—and sometimes longer if additional laboratory information is required. Delays in confirming the cause of death can prolong grief for parents, spouses, and siblings...

The National Library of Medicine recommends an autopsy turnaround time of 3 to 6 weeks, while the Performance Standards from the National Association of Medical Examiners office indicate a recommended maximum of 250 autopsies per year. Additionally, the association reports that forensic pathologists should not perform more than 325 autopsies in a year.

Understanding the circumstances surrounding a death allows family and friends to better process grief and move forward. In deaths that require an autopsy, the lack of those autopsy results can equal a prolonged period of grief. Prolonged bereavement can lead to increased rates of major depression or a complicated grief.