Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann says action needed to expedite autopsies at state crime lab

The lieutenant governor says he is working on a solution to the backlog at state crime lab

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann says action needs to be taken now to free up the backlog of autopsies at the state crime lab.

The lieutenant governor said he talked this week with Commissioner of Public Safety Sean Tindell, offering to get more private practices to be able to do autopsies.

Hosemann says the backlog means criminal cases can’t be prosecuted rapidly, and families whose loved ones die of natural causes are also impacted.

“We are woefully behind, and where that hits, is , I had a mother of two children, her husband died and of course she can’t get her life insurance until she gets her autopsy, so it is a priority for me to get that right and you should assume I’m working on that, sometimes daily,” Hosemann said.

Hosemann is chairman of the Legislative Budget Committee.   He made his comments during the CREATE Foundation’s annual meeting Thursday in Tupelo.