Cambria controller questions autopsy costs during budget hearing
Oct. 21—EBENSBURG, Pa. — During the final day of budget hearings with the Cambria County Commissioners and controller on Thursday, controller Ed Cernic questioned the coroner's cost about options on autopsies.
While reviewing the office's budget with coroner Jeffrey Lees, Cernic questioned the necessity of services with ForensicDx in Windber.
Services to date for 2022 have cost the county more than $400,000, with three months remaining in the budget, according to deputy controller Kris Seager.
Lees said a benefit of the company is the data, equipment and the location.
"They need to be less expensive," Cernic said.
Lees responded that with the autopsies being necessary for court, a number of people often witness them.
"I need to have staff, I need to have the (district attorney's) office, police officers attend these autopsies as well," he said, adding that other options would be traveling to Pittsburgh or other counties.
"I could tell you that guy died from a headshot wound," Cernic interrupted, continuing to question the necessity.
"So if somebody as Ed said gets shot in the head, there's gonna be an investigation as to why they got shot in the head," Commissioner William "B.J." Smith confirmed.
"I have got to speak for the individual that passes. That's my job. In addition to doing that, I have got to incorporate the district attorney and local law enforcement officials and agencies," Lees responded.
President Commissioner Thomas Chernisky asked if there were similar services available that could be bid out.
Lees said that there were none in town that have the CT imaging available.
He also told the commissioners that regionally, Cambria, Bedford, Somerset, Indiana and Blair counties all use the facility, and Westmoreland County occasionally uses the facility.
