DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – It has been reported roughly 80 % of Michigan’s unidentified 326 remains reside in Wayne County – and records for the 224 cases 12 years and older appear to have vanished.
A Freedom of Information Act for autopsy reports pertaining to all 326 unidentified remains since 1959 only provided 67 autopsy reports. However, out of the 261 Wayne County cases, a mere 37 were provided.
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“All records requested before 2010 … (are) denied,” said a FOIA response letter according to MLive, “After a diligent search for the requested records, we have determined and certify the records do not exist.”
The 1.7 million residents in Wayne County make it the busiest medical examiner’s office in the state, and according to a recent audit of the office’s activity, it conducted 2,720 full or partial autopsies in 2021. It also conducted 890 death examinations that did not necessitate surgical procedures.
According to the FBI National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), there are 22,047 Missing Persons and 14,140 Unidentified Persons to date.
By comparison, Oakland County, with a population of almost 1.3 million, reported 999 autopsies in 2020, and possesses death records and autopsies permanently digitally stored for at least the last 31 years according to Oakland County Medical Examiner Dr. Ljubisa J. Dragovic.
A recent formal audit of the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office which was conducted by the county Auditor General found numerous significant deficiencies in the office’s practice. This audit reported numerous significant deficiencies by the office.
Within the next month, the University of Michigan’s Michigan Medicine, will step down as the head of operation of the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office – which they have led since 2011. The county paid Michigan Medicine almost $6.5 million in fiscal year 2021, and will allow the contract to expire Sept. 30.
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The county is pursuing a new operational contract with Wayne State University.
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