MACON, Ga. — Some Central Georgia families have waited months for answers on how their loved ones died. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has struggled for years with a backlog of autopsies. The agency says that's largely because of a shortage of medical examiners.
The GBI took a step toward fixing that Tuesday.
For the first time in at least two years, the Macon GBI Office has a full-time medical examiner.
The GBI announced Tuesday they hired Dr. Anthony Clark who has more than 30 years experience. The GBI says Clark was set to retire, but instead, took the Macon job.
Central Georgia coroners, legislators and families say it's been a long time coming.
This workforce shortage has been a problem for more than three years.
It forced the GBI to close their Macon office in October 2020. It reopened in January 2021, but since, it's operated with only a part-time medical examiner--forcing some autopsies to be scheduled in Atlanta.
The medical examiner shortage and backlog of autopsies was the reason Tawana Hogan waited months to hear how her 43-year-old husband died suddenly in August 2020.
13WMAZ first interviewed Hogan in February 2021. She and her young daughter had waited over six months to hear how he passed.
Months passed after that interview with no updates from the Medical Examiner's Office. She and her daughter would check their mailbox daily hoping to find answers.
"It was just the not knowing what was a battle. You know, because I was trying to draw my own conclusions based on the signs that was shown in those last moments," Hogan said.
While they waited, Hogan was stalled on legalities--because without a cause of death, the death certificate couldn't be finalized.
"When you're talking about bills and all those types of things that were in his name. And, you know, just telling them, you know, he passed away was it wasn't good enough. They needed documentation," Hogan said.
10 months after William Hogan died, his wife and daughter finally got the autopsy results.
The Medical Examiner's office concluded the 43-year-old died from a perforated ulcer.
"It was a relief to know. It's like closure a little bit. I knowing that Bill is in a better place, and he doesn't have to deal with that anymore... I'm good," Hogan said.
Macon-Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says this new hire at the GBI office will mean fewer families have to experience the pain in waiting, and autopsies should be done in a timely manner.
"The ball will roll quicker," Jones said.
"This is awesome. Because 10 months. Nearly a year is a long time to wait," Hogan said.
Jones says between 2021 and now, they're already seeing a difference in wait times.
It was months. Now, it's a few days to a few weeks. This hire is a big step forward.
But based on information we received from the GBI Tuesday, there's still a long road ahead.
Statewide, they're still six medical examiner short of fully staffed, including another opening in Macon.
The National Association of Medical Examiners recommends medical examiners do no more than 250 exams a year. According to the NAME's Forensic Autopsy Performance Standards, the maximum requirement is 325 exams per year. The GBI confirmed Tuesday, their examiners perform close to 400 a year.
Coroner Leon Jones says this update means autopsies will no longer need to be done in Atlanta. They'll be done in the Macon office.