Lane County closing medical examiner's office

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Springfield police say the loss of a medical examiner's office in Lane County will be a disaster for law enforcement.

Sgt. John Umenhover told KVAL (http://is.gd/i2c8sm) the expertise is critical to the investigation of suspicious deaths.

District Attorney Alex Gardner says he's forced to cut the medical examiner's office because of a 25 percent reduction in his budget. The last two examiners will be gone in mid-May. Bodies needing autopsies could be sent to other counties.

One Lane County commissioner, Sid Leiken, says the state should create a medical examiner's office that covers four or five counties.

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Information from: KVAL-TV, http://www.kval.com/

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