RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — As a teacher, Chandra Sadler knows a thing about time.
It's something her mother Delores Davis knew well too.
"She was very much loved. She's a retired educator. She taught math, high school, middle school, and everybody loved her.... She served as assistant superintendent and she was just an all-around great person," Sadler said.
But time always seems to wind down too soon.
"Her heart gave out on her," Sadler said. "They called us in … to come and say goodbye."
For Sadler, the end was just the beginning.
“We waited for the death certificate," she said.
Days turned to months.
"We couldn't file life insurance. We couldn't access anything," she said.
And, she hasn't been the only one waiting.
Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said pandemic-era supply chain issues have led to longer death investigations.
"... delay in supplies, you have a delay in receiving certain resources," Rutherford said. "But, we also have had a 30 percent increase in the number of deaths within our county."
More deaths mean more processing time, and a new computer system hasn't helped.
"So, here have been a few hiccups," Rutherford said. "I hope the community will give us some grace."
Sadler said her results didn't come until around May.
"While we expected delay because of COVID, we didn’t expect it to be four or five months down the road," Sadler said.
Still, time ticks on.
"We still have some things in limbo," Sadler said.
She's hoping the clock will run out soon.