Terms and Conditions. The Medical Examiner's office also determines whether or not autopsies should be conducted. Two former employees of the Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office were charged Wednesday with several crimes relating to stolen prescription medication from the morgue. Struckel initially complained to Spitz and then to Ridella and McKinnon. A death investigator at the Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office filed a July 18 complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding the explicit cake an off-duty staffer.. Two Macomb County employees were fired after allegedly stealing drugs from the medical examiner's office, county officials announced at a news conference Friday. Location The assistant prosecutors trying the case argued to have her sentence be at the top of the guidelines and succeeded. Mt. They discovered minimal oversight of the evidence room and the chain of custody for items, often drugs, taken from death scenes, officials said. Patch has reached out to Macomb County officials for additional information. Authorities said the office takes medications and narcotics from people who have died as part of the death investigation. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. They're either "viciouslyharassed," she alleges, or bullied into resigning. Hackel and Sheriff Anthony Wickersham did not reveal the type of drugs that the employees allegedly pilfered. Employees brought in a cake to the office that contained a black penis made of frosting the day after George Floyds death, and pornographic images of mostly men were placed on a wall and computer screen-savers, officials said. Confiscation of the drugs is used to determine whether a toxicology report stemming from an autopsy matches drugs found at the scene. She said she heard a secretary ask a supervisorabout the cake: "Is that really a black penis cake in the conference room? Macomb County deputies were called at about 8 a.m. Sunday to the . The employees, a 50-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, allegedly took some drugs instead of properly disposing of them. Spitz declined comment. Find 4 Coroners & Medical Examiners within 36.2 miles of Wayne County Medical Examiner & Coroner. The ex-morgue technicians were . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "I have witnessed co-workers crying at their desks, crying in the parking lot, and crying in the bathroom of the building," her complaint states. All rights reserved. The Wayne County Medical Examiner & Coroner creates death records that can be used in criminal investigations, to resolve insurance claims, or to monitor Detroit public health. To sign up for email updates from Macomb County or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your email address. . Morgue employees often take medicine found at a crime scene to compare it to the result of a toxicology report, said Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. Last month, former . DETROIT (FOX 2) - Keith Appling was sentenced to 18-40 years in prison following his guilty plea for a fatal shooting in 2021. / CBS Detroit. "All these cities are on fire for the Black Lives Matter movement, and here's my staff eating a black penis cake as a joke? Perform death investigations that occur within Macomb County, prepares detailed reports and analysis on investigation of cases, identify deceased's . "The office culture is tainted with racism toward people of color. In 2007, the county opened a new state-of-the-art morgue at a cost of $2.4 million in the county complex near Groesbeck Highway and Elizabeth Road. February 2, 2023 / 6:38 PM All rights reserved. The complainant says she endured as much as she could until May of this year. Prescription drugs were being brought to the medical examiners property room alongside bodies -- for example, if a death was being investigated as a possible overdose. First published on February 2, 2023 / 6:38 PM. Other allegations included employees mocking Blacks asking about the death of their loved ones, bullying and the displaying of pornography around the workplace. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. "I was lividfurious actually," the woman said in a recent interview with the Free Press. Struckel, who worked in the field for over 20 years, was fired in September 2020 after three days on the job because she says she reported about 10 violations, including employees not being fit tested for N95 masks worn during autopsies, lack of annual TB testing of employees, lack of radiation monitors during dental x-rays, no training for proper disposal of needles and clinical waste and staff wearing contaminated scrubs home from the morgue, according to the amended complaint filed in December 2020. MACOMB COUNTY, MI Three female employees at the Macomb County morgue have been fired after accusations of sexism and racist, according to reports. When those families show up at the morgue, she says, "I havebeen told, 'Go deal with your people,' ". Three employees at the Macomb County Medical Examiner's office have been fired amid an investigation into claims of sexual harassment and racism. 200,000 lose power as snowstorm blankets Detroit region, St. Mary student to compete in her fourth Macomb County Regional Spelling Bee, Macomb County prepares for inclement weather, Warren man charged with 2nd-degree murder in Royal Oak womans death, Ford to raise production as US auto sales start to recover, Man arraigned in Warren Dollar General robberies, Lorenzo Cultural Centers new program series highlights post-WWII societal change presentations, performances and exhibits, Macomb Sheriff switches motorcycle unit from Harley-Davidson to BMW, SE Michigan under winter storm warning; 6-8 inches of snow expected, Warren man charged with 2nd-degree murder in Royal Oak woman's death, Detroit firefighter charged with dealing drugs in several Macomb County cities, Sterling Heights mom has spent months looking for son, Ray Twp. He or she then prepares a written autopsy report. 3 The Macomb County Morgue Credit: Macomb County View map of Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner, and get driving directions from your location. Use of automated data search and programs is not supported by this . The Free Press has agreed to withhold the employee's name at this time because of the nature of the complaint and her concerns about retaliation. 57, died of multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was homicide. Blood-soaked Idaho crime scene 'major challenge' for investigators, expert says, This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Not only was the cake offensive, says one investigator, but it highlighteda chronic problem at the morgue that has now cost three employees their jobs. 2023 www.freep.com. That is not funny.". Purpose. On May 26the day after George Floyd died while being arrested in Minneapolis, inflaming the nation a staff member who was not on duty brought in a medium-sized sheet cake that had been decorated with a black penis. The data and information on this website is made available by the Office of the Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds as a convenience to the public. 5MOUNT CLEMENS A former investigator with the Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office is suing the directors of multiple county agencies, claiming they allowed a work environment that . A fourth employee remains on paid administrative leave as investigators. The prosecutor sad Hayden had enough food and financial assistance to keep the baby fed and had received 16 cans of formula during A'Mar's life - including seven of them just three days before he died. Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Self-Service Web. Maybe they'll recognize him by that.". County Office is not affiliated with any government agency. The new language was instituted following a scandal at the same facilty in which three morgue employees were fired in July 2020 for sexist and potentially racist behavior. Clemens, Michigan 48043 Tel: (586) 469-5214 * Fax (586) 469-6636 To the Macomb County Executive and the Citizens of Macomb County: The Medical Examiner's duty is to investigate deaths which occur in the county to determine the cause and manner of death. Full-Time. When the descendant's estate, mandatory copayments, etc., are not sufficient, burial payment assistance may be available to pay for: Costs associated with donation of a body to a medical school. Two former Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office employees are facing charges in connection with the theft of prescription medications from storage. 2023 FOX Television Stations, The heaviest snow is behind us heading into the weekend, Snow storm shuts down Detroit Metro Airport, Power outages hit Metro Detroit hard as winter storm pounds area, WATCH - Jennifer Hammond talks with Detroit Titans guard Antoine Davis after coming up just short of the NCAA all-time scoring record, Suspect still wanted after brutal beating of victims after they shoveled his snow last winter in Detroit, Inside the Paint Bus - an art studio on wheels born in Detroit, Disneyland banned Rebel Wilson over selfie, actress says, New 5G cell tower on Wyandotte elemntary school has parents livid as meeting turns hostile, Southeast Michigan weather: The latest totals and what to expect tonight. The death investigator recalled one of the morgue workers telling her: "Show them a picture of his penis. macomb county morgue death. Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice. ", More:Mitch Albom: Burying the unclaimed dead shows the greatest respect for life. 43585 Elizabeth Road, Mt. This was not onlyignored by managing personnel, but participated in by the supervising staff.". "She began to laugh and stated, 'Yes, I did,' " the complaint states. Macomb Township Authorities are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found Sunday on a sidewalk, officials said. "I was like, 'this is never gonna change,' so I filed a complaint with the EEOC and with HR," she told the Free Press. Hayden will spend 27.5 to 50 years in prison. The facility was expanded in 2021. An application for burial assistance must be made no later than 10 business days after the burial, cremation or donation takes place. They both received $5,000 personal bonds and will be back in court in May. Nine months later, a Ferndale man overdosed on multiple prescription pain . 2023 County Office. Re: Covid Entry Requirements - Amsterdam. When the parents arrived, theyhad difficulty identifying the body, unsure that it was their son. His tenure has included additional controversies. The 2020 firings prompted the county and Spitz to insert language into his new contract with the county, effective Jan. 1, 2022, to clarify he does not manage the office. The Medical Examiner's office also determines whether or not autopsies should be conducted. Vital Records Request Form Download the Macomb County Vital Records Request Form and Instructions (PDF) She switched to thenight shift for awhile. 200,000 lose power as snowstorm blankets Detroit region, St. Mary student to compete in her fourth Macomb County Regional Spelling Bee, Macomb County prepares for inclement weather, Warren man charged with 2nd-degree murder in Royal Oak womans death, Ford to raise production as US auto sales start to recover, Man arraigned in Warren Dollar General robberies, Lorenzo Cultural Centers new program series highlights post-WWII societal change presentations, performances and exhibits, Macomb Sheriff switches motorcycle unit from Harley-Davidson to BMW, SE Michigan under winter storm warning; 6-8 inches of snow expected, Warren man charged with 2nd-degree murder in Royal Oak woman's death, Detroit firefighter charged with dealing drugs in several Macomb County cities, Sterling Heights mom has spent months looking for son, Ray Twp. She noted the masks provide protection against the spread of COVID-19 and other pathogens. The Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner, located in Clinton, MI, keeps death records for individuals who passed away in Clinton. Printed images of naked men and penis-shaped confetti scattered on desks, counters and the floor. Details of a proposed deal are not provided in meeting documents. Defendants each acted intentionally, deliberately and willfully when they unlawfully discharged Plaintiff in retaliation for her protected activity.. According to the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Officer, Robertson died from multiple blunt force injuries. A death investigator at the Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office filed a July 18 complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding the explicit cake an off-duty staffer . The death investigator tells a different story. Its sad, Hackel said. Another one alleging similar claims was filed in 2016 and is still pending. The following death benefits are deducted from the SER payment: Spitzs inactive role in management was clarified in the new deal approved last December effective Jan. 1. The next court date is scheduled for May 9. Friends remember Detroit sports media mainstay Jamie Samuelsen, Mitch Albom: Burying the unclaimed dead shows the greatest respect for life, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy, A decomposed body of an African American male had arrived at the morgue. All of this was part of the office decor, her complaint alleges. Clemens, MI 48043 Many families could see drastically smaller tax refunds in 2023: Heres why, Oxford school officials: Ethan Crumbley's parents never refused to take him home, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The county Board of Commissioners on Thursday is scheduled to go into closed session to discuss settlement of the lawsuit. The investigator noted that she did questionherself before coming forward. The jury returned a guilty verdict two hours after getting the case. The Macomb Daily reported that the four employees, a group comprised of a two morgue technicians, an investigator and the manager, were fired on Thursday following a July 18 complaint issued by another employee. Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office Jacob Kettlewell, 50, is charged with larceny and use of a controlled substance. The development has prompted Hackel and his administration to look into the countys existing four-year, $2.5 million contract with Dr. Daniel Spitz of Spitz Pathology Group that went into effect last January. In a 2010 autopsy as part of a high-profile investigation, Spitz missed a bullet that was found by another pathologist in the base of the skull of banker David Widlak, whose body was found along the Lake St. Clair shore in Harrison Township. The Free Press did not identify the individual, but described her as a death investigator who worked at the morgue as well as a person of color. "I felt that it was so egregious, so out of line and so brazenly conducted on a daily basis and nobody cared.". 2023 www.freep.com. A cake decorated with a black penis has sparked grave allegations of workplace racism at a Michigan morgue. Find 4 Coroners & Medical Examiners within 35.3 miles of Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner. "'That cake is disgusting," she said she told her. The county signed a new contract with an office management company to oversee the process. (CBS DETROIT) - Two Macomb County workers are charged after stealing drugs from the medical examiner's office. Macomb County Medical Examiner Daniel J. Spitz, M.D. Secretary /Deputy Coroner. non human bones, tissue, fetuses, etc.) Before she was fired, Spitz told her she was over-qualified for the position, she says. Hackel requested more control over that part of the operation. For the second time in three years, employees have been fired from the Macomb County morgue for wrongful behavior. 2 Macomb County Medical Examiner Daniel J. Spitz, M.D. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, The Detroit Free Press reported. Fetting is charged with conspiracy with intent to deliver, delivery of Suboxone, delivery of Adderall, and larceny of a building. According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, Jocelyn Fetting, 32, is. A supervisor at the Macomb County morgue has been fired in the wake of a sexism and racism scandal that has cost four women their jobs, and could jeopardize the contract of Chief Medical. The offensive cake was served one day after George Floyd died while in police custody, the Detroit Free Press reported. Two former employees of Michigan's Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office stand accused of stealing drugs from bodies at the morgue. (CBS DETROIT) - Two Macomb County workers are charged after stealing drugs from the medical examiner's office. A fourth member of staff is currently under investigation, Macomb County's Director of Human Resources, Andrew. The Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office ruled her mom's death an overdose due to multiple prescription drugs. That really pushed me over the edge.". A man working for a company contracted by the Wayne County morgue is accused of breaking into a home of a deceased person he reportedly helped transport the day prior. Abuse of prescription medications along with heroin and fentanyl/fentanyl-analogs continue to be major concerns in Macomb County. Morgue employees often. The next day, the cake was still there andthe complainant asked a supervisor if the cake was really decorated with a black penis. Find Macomb County Death Records Macomb County Death Records are documents relating to an individual's death in Macomb County, Michigan. Popularity:#7 of 83 Coroners & Medical Examiners in Michigan#158 in Coroners & Medical Examiners. article. That role was fully granted to county officials. Spitz said after the press conference he wanted to make it clear that under the new contract, he has had no management control over the 16 county employees in the office; he only oversees himself and two other forensic pathologists. 43525 Elizabeth Road, Mount Clemens, MI 48043. People complained, she claims. The tipping point was when a cake, decorated with a Black penis on it, was seen in the county medical examiner's conference room the same week that George Floyd died, the Free Press reported. The two employees fired for taking drugs were investigated, the results of which were provided to the county Prosecutors Office, which did not return a request Monday for an update on the case. It was also alleged Black families of deceased individuals were treated differently by morgue employees, and employees who complained were bullied. They learned the entire staff had access to the evidence room, which Hackel and Wickersham said is highly improper. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. THREE employees at a morgue in Michigan have been fired after a worker brought a cake decorated with an image of a black penis into the lunch room, according to a report. The crude confection lingered in a lunchroom at the Macomb County Medical Examiner's . While authorities were interviewing all the employees, Fetting and Kettlewell admitted to pocketing drugs. Struckel, who resided in Wayne County at the time the lawsuit was filed, had relocated from Seattle, where she worked in forensic medicine for the Seattle King County Public Health Medical Examiners Office and the Kitsap County Coroners Office in Washington State. When she worked for the state, she was the subject matter expert during compliance and accreditation inspections by the National Association of Medical Examiners, Food & Drug Administration and American Association of Tissue Banks inspections for compliance and accreditation, the lawsuit says. The next day, four days after the cake arrived at the office,itwas still there, along with a balloon on a coworker's desk that had a penis hand-drawn onto it witha black magic marker. Jocelyn Fetting, 32, is accused of taking drugs from the medical examiners office with intent to sell them, officials said. More:Many families could see drastically smaller tax refunds in 2023: Heres why, More:Oxford school officials: Ethan Crumbley's parents never refused to take him home. Posted on 21 novembre 2021; By; country music lifestyle (0) Comment. At a Friday morning news conference held at the offices of the Communications and Technology Center and Roads Department in Mount Clemens, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel announced two. The Medical Examiner's office also determines whether or not autopsies should be conducted. These can include Macomb County death certificates, local and Michigan State death registries, and the National Death Index. According to the prosecutor's office, Hayden brought her 7-month-old son A'Mar Griffin, to Childrens Hospital of Michigan in Detroit on Oct. 11, 2020. Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner (Clinton, MI - 19.5 miles) . Three female morgue employees were fired Thursday following a due-process hearing, according to county officials. McKinnon said that the threeterminated employees were let go for being part of a sexual discriminatory workplace,not for racism, and that investigators have not been able to substantiate any allegations involvingracism. The cake was taken into the conference area, which also served as the office lunch room, where it wasshared by morgue workers and supervisors. Macomb, Oakland, Saginaw, Sanilac, St. Clair, Tuscola, Wayne 313-577-2890 business hours 313-577-1198 after hours/weekends In no case may a funeral director apply for SER for an unclaimed body. The Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner, located in Clinton, MI, keeps death records for individuals who passed away in Clinton. How do I use public transport? One employee supposedly resold the drugs while the other kept them for personal use, they said. And to prevent this from happening again, the sheriff's office will take custody of medical inventory going forward because they have a better inventory process. The individual defendants knew Struckel was engaging in free speech because she told each her suspicions and the imminent dangers of disease posed to those who visited the morgue, employees, their families and community, the complaint states. Morgue employees often take medicine found at a . Macomb Daily 3 Woman accused of starving baby to death in Warren rejects plea Shantavia Hayden, 29, who is charged with second-degree murder for the death of her three-month-old daughter,. Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner/Coroner's Office. All Rights Reserved. They also work with Macomb County police and sheriff's offices to investigate suspicious or violent deaths. The board ultimately approved new contracts that year and in 2017. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said the medical examiners office had drugs so it could compare it to medication found in toxicology reports. ", Later that day, the investigator went to the conference room and saw the cake was still on the counter, covered by a brown paper towel. Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner, a Coroner & Medical Examiner, at Elizabeth Street, Clinton MI. The Coroner and Medical Examiner determines a deceased person's time and cause of death, often in the case of sudden or unexpected deaths. 43585 Elizabeth Rd In 2020, three employees were fired after alleged sexist and racist behavior, including a penis cake that showed up at the office the day after George Floyd's death. Throughout the investigation, the sheriff's office interviewed all 19 employees who had access to the property room, Wickersham said. Person who has been designated as the funeral . "I have witnessed prior employees resign due to constant bullying and ridicule for 'not being onboard'with the office culture," the new complaint states. The next day, the person who made the cake approached the investigator, asking, "Did you try my cake?". If you would like to subscribe for text alerts please select Text Updates in the drop-down menu. This is the second time in three years the medical examiner's office has come under fire. The Macomb County morgue is buriedin scandalinvolving allegationsof all sorts: Employeesmocked Blacks inquiring about loved ones' deaths, hung pornographyin the office, bullied women who complained and recently brought in a birthdaycake frosted with male genitalia artfor fun, according to a formal complaint. The investigation has been going on for a "few months.". The legal action was unrelated to scandals at the morgue within the past three years, although both situations are mentioned briefly in documents in the lawsuit. Because of that, the county recently instituted improved protocols for the chain of evidence, and the property room has been moved to the nearby Sheriffs Office, officials said. Drug-related deaths have been a significant problem over the past several years and hit an all-time high in 2017 (380 deaths). Recently, a distraught family appeared at the morgue and damaged some doors. Hackel said they do not believe the employees were working together, but were aware of what the other was doing. The prosecutor also said Hayden had received $15,000 in jobless benefits in four months plus food stamps and cash assistance from the state. . 2023 FOX Television Stations, allege they stole drugs from people at the morgue, The heaviest snow is behind us heading into the weekend, Snow storm shuts down Detroit Metro Airport, Power outages hit Metro Detroit hard as winter storm pounds area, WATCH - Jennifer Hammond talks with Detroit Titans guard Antoine Davis after coming up just short of the NCAA all-time scoring record, Suspect still wanted after brutal beating of victims after they shoveled his snow last winter in Detroit, Inside the Paint Bus - an art studio on wheels born in Detroit, Disneyland banned Rebel Wilson over selfie, actress says, New 5G cell tower on Wyandotte elemntary school has parents livid as meeting turns hostile, Southeast Michigan weather: The latest totals and what to expect tonight. "So what we decided to do was come up with more stringent protocols in place for us to have oversight to give us access to understanding more of what was being done over there, (this evidence room) was one of those areas that kind of came out as being problematic.". "We needed more control over what's going on with managing the facility, employees that are over there," Hackel said. Los Angeles County Office of Decedent Affairs (County Morgue/Cemetery) Phone: (323) 409-7161. einouye@dhs.lacounty.gov. Hayden brought the 7-month-old to the emergency room where a physician tried to save the baby's life. Wickersham compared that to his department, where only four people have access to the evidence room, and he is not one of them. Expect More from Local 4 News at 5. HURON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - Police say an employee working for the Wayne County Morgue used his position to stake out potential victims and even had a cover story in the event he got. During the trial, Medical Examiner Leigh Hlavaty testified that AMar had not been fed for at least seven days. MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday that a woman has been sentenced to spend at least 27 years in prison for the starvation death of her own 7-month-old son. 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Macomb County to consider settling lawsuit by, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Macomb County to consider settling lawsuit by fired morgue employee, Not again. Nobody wants to terminate employees. Jocelyn Fetting, 32, of Chesterfield, and Jacob Kettlewell, 50, of Oxford, are accused of stealing 1,200 pills from the property room at the office. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Macomb County Morgue locations in Adair, MI. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. FOX 2 Detroit. "The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office does not investigate and does not try cases in the media.