Gov. Mills signs in new chief medical examiner amid uptick in death investigations
Governor Janet Mills swears in Dr. Alice Briones as Maine’s Chief Medical Examiner on July 16, 2024. (Official photo)
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Dr. Alice Briones was officially sworn-in as Maine’s new chief medical examiner on Monday.
Briones, a Hampden native who graduated from the University of Maine, was appointed to the role in April and has worked part-time while relocating her family back to Maine, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Briones comes to the office amid a multi-year surge in death investigations. In 2022, the medical examiner conducted more than 2,500 death investigations, compared to 1,700 in 2017.
“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Briones and her family back to Maine and thank her for her willingness to serve her home state after her prestigious career in the Armed Services,” Gov. Janet Mills said.
Mills added that Briones’ military career positions her well to take over as chief medical examiner.
Briones recently wrapped up a distinguished military career where she ultimately served as director of the U.S. Armed Forces Medical Examiner System. In that role, she oversaw more than 300 people who provided forensic investigative services for the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.
Maine’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner investigates sudden, unexpected and violent deaths across the state. Over the past few years, the office has seen an increase in death investigations, a reality that felt especially poignant after the state’s deadliest mass shooting last October in Lewiston.
In late November, staff said the increase has been a challenge for the 12-person office with limited resources and a $2.6 million budget that includes salaries and benefits.
“Given the difficult work we do, the compassion, enthusiasm, and dedication of the staff at the [Office of the Chief Medical Examiner], for the State and the families of the loved ones, has further codified that coming to this office was the absolute right next step in my forensics career and the best way to give back to the State of Maine community with my specific skill set,” Briones said.
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