LA Times: Death Investigations Upended By Organ Collection Prior To Autopsies

Speaker 1: 00:00 In the landmark investigation. The LA times this week opened a window into the practice of harvesting body parts by tissue procurement companies. Harvesting that in some cases happens before the medical examiner can do an autopsy. This has led to scores of unsolved cases. Some of them here in San Diego, the private for profit companies say they're not doing anything wrong. LA times reporter, melody Peterson broke the story and she joins us now. Melody, welcome. Speaker 2: 00:28 Thanks so much for having me. Speaker 1: 00:30 So the headline of this story is in the rush to harvest body parts death investigations have been up ended. So my first question now is how many have been appended and how big of a problem is this? Speaker 2: 00:42 Well, we actually don't know because, um, our reporting offers just a glimpse of what's going on. The industry has said, um, there has never been a case, um, where procurement has, has, um, appended a death investigation, but we actually found dozens across the country and that some of them have had very serious consequences. Speaker 1: 01:11 Hmm. You know, is it possible for there to be some organ harvesting and the medical examiners still be able to actually do their job? Speaker 2: 01:18 Yes. Um, some of these cases, like for instance, if someone dies from a gunshot to the head, um, most medical examiners aren't concerned about an organ donation in those cases. But if someone is beat up or suspected of being up that changed change the way they viewed it. Speaker 1: 01:41 Mmm. And you know, I know it's a difficult subject to discuss, but you know, why are these companies allowed to take certain body parts before an autopsy is done? Speaker 2: 01:49 This is has actually been long been legal, um, as long as the corner give permission. Um, but the history here is interesting because the corners have long really, um, said they have done whatever they could to allow organ donation, which obviously organs can extend the lives of those waiting for transplants. But the companies wanted more than that. They also wanted the corners to step aside so that they could harvest, um, bone and skin and other tissues. And the two categories are really very different. The tissues aren't of immediate need. Like the organs are, instead they are processed into medical products, packaged and sold to surgeons. Speaker 1: 02:47 Mm. I see. You know, I, I want to talk about, uh, the San Diego cases you've uncovered the story of Christy written Monday from 2013 was especially heartbreaking. Speaker 2: 02:58 Yes. Um, Speaker 1: 03:00 in Christy's case, actually the hospital called the police when, um, when her, her body was wheeled into the ER, um, her boyfriend told police she fell down the stairs, but just a few weeks before that he had been arrested for domestic violence. And, um, as I was saying, um, when somebody speeding, it's, um, it's much harder to allow organ donation because when you take the internal organ, you're going, you could lose evidence of, of internal injuries. And so in her case, the medical examiner couldn't, couldn't determine if it was a homicide or it was an accident. The police had asked the prosecutors to, um, charge the boyfriend, but, um, because the medical examiner couldn't decide what it was, there was no charges. And this, because the procurement company, um, got two Oregon's, before the medical examiner could do an autopsy. Speaker 2: 04:12 Well, the medical examiner in San Diego said that he doesn't believe the Oregon precurement harmed his investigation. But I spoke to other forensic experts who say, when you have someone who is suspected of being beeper, um, it's, it's, you shouldn't be allowing organ donation. Speaker 1: 04:38 So why would the medical examiner in San Diego then allow those organs to be taken before an autopsy could be completed? Speaker 2: 04:48 Well, so about a decade ago, the company, they, they wanted the ability to, um, to get access to more bodies. So we asked and they got state laws. They helped write the laws and, and their lobbyists pushed to get them passed all across the country that say medical examiners and coroners must cooperate with the companies to maximize these donations. So San Diego medical examiner has this law that he needs to cooperate with these companies and try to allow it in as many cases as he can. Speaker 1: 05:32 Mm. So for people who have already checked the donor box or are considering it, what should they take away from all this? Speaker 2: 05:40 Well, there is good news. Um, if you want to be just donate organs to help people and you're uncomfortable with bones and skin, or you can go to, um, it's called donate life california.org. And there you can get into your, um, donor file and you can Mark, um, which body parts you're comfortable in giving and so that you can relax. Speaker 3: 06:15 All right. I'd been speaking with LA times reporter, melody Peterson. Melody. Thank you very much. Speaker 2: 06:21 Thanks so much for having me. Speaker 4: 06:28 [inaudible].