NEWBERRY, S.C. — The effects of the pandemic and a shortage of forensic pathologists is leaving families waiting for autopsy results.
One Midlands family has been waiting nearly three months for results of an autopsy.
82-year-old Phyllis Green died in a car accident on December 9, 2021. Her grandson, Josh Lehew, says it's been hard on the family.
"We were initially told it was going to be two weeks for the autopsy, but it's been two months," Lehew said. "Was really devastating to my mother."
Green was married to her husband Londa Green for 64 years, both living in Newberry County for more than 20 years. Without the autopsy results, funeral services have been put on hold.
"It was the last piece of information we were missing," said Lehew.
The family learned of the backlog of autopsies from an email mistakenly from Newberry Pathology Group, a company contracted by the Newberry County Coroner's office. The email said, in part, "Why do they need the autopsy report today? They will have to wait."
Dr. Kelly Rose with the pathology lab issued a statement saying, "I understand death is upsetting to family members who are seeking closure and that yesterday an interagency email was inadvertently sent from my office to a family member."
A statewide shortage of forensic pathologists is backlogging the system. Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece says the industry isn't seeing the interest it once did.
"When you ask one or two pathologists to do numerous and numerous autopsies, there is going to be a bottleneck and a backup in the system," Kneece said. "This is something we have seen coming for several years … due to medical students not going into medical pathology."
Kneece said it's not just Green's family waiting for closure. She says there are cases on her desk that have been waiting since late fall.
"This is not just a frustration in Newberry County but a frustration across the United States. Some of our cases date back to early October."
Following the release of the accidental email, Green's autopsy results were released on Friday.
The Lewhews said all they want is an apology. "We want an apology, we want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else."