BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — 9 Investigates whether the Brevard County Medical Examiner's office is so overwhelmed by work, that mistakes could be made.
The concerns come after a medical examiner failed to conduct an autopsy on a veteran, despite concerns from family, and records show there was evidence of extreme morphine levels in his system.
Raw: Family questions father's morphine overdose death
There are two doctors to determine how every unexpected death in all of Brevard County occurred.
Currently, the office has more than 50 percent more cases than a national board says it should.
When John McDonough ran out of ammunition in the Korean War, he used a shovel.
His family is now fighting for him.
They want to know why there was no through death investigation.
His wife signed him in to home hospice with a power of attorney.
He had just been released from rehab with improved health.
Medical records show a nurse told his step-granddaughter to stop administering morphine, after she heard she had administered twice the prescribed amount.
When McDonough died, tests later showed he had four times the lethal limit of morphine in his system for a non-tolerant patient.
But the medical examiner did not do an autopsy.
Now his three children are fighting to get answers.
The medical examiner ruled his manner of death accidental and the cause of death leukemia.
“We want the death certificate to reflect what happened. Accidental leukemia is not a cause of death,” said McDonough’s son.
The family paid the former chief medical examiner of Rhode Island to review the case.
“That is an internal inconsistency which does not make sense to me,” said Dr. Elizabeth Laposata.
Laposata believes the medical examiner should have done an autopsy.
Channel 9 found out the Brevard Medical Examiner's office handled 773 cases last year.
“That is a huge number of cases, that is a work load over our recommended standards,” Laposata said.
The board recommends medical examiners officers handle 273 cases at a time.
Dr. Sajid Faisar of the Brevard County Medical Examiner’s Office said that he is satisfied with the work his office does.
He said demanding more doctors for this office would appear childish.
Channel 9 reached out to every Brevard County commissioner to see if the caseload concerns them.
One commissioner is now looking into the matter.
Related Story: 9 Investigates mysterious hospice death
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