Montgomery County will soon be able to bring to an end performing autopsies through a lab in Dallas. A new Forensic Services building has been underway and two forensic pathologists are hoping the renovations will be complete by April 15.

Director and Forensic Pathologist Dr. Sparks Veasey, along with Forensic Pathologist Dr. Lucile Tennant will be able to perform about 600 autopsies per year in the new facility located on Hilbig Road in Conroe. There are also three assistants who will work along side the doctors.

The 4,500-square-foot building will have three autopsy stations. It will also be equipped with a digital X-ray device, according to Veasey.

The preexisting building was owned by a private company and Montgomery County completed purchasing the property in September. Renovations and research for what was needed followed shortly after, Assistant County Attorney Phyllis Rainey explained.

Previously, Montgomery County had a contract with the Dallas Medical Examiner’s Office and between 400 and 500 ordered autopsies were performed there, according to District Attorney Brett Ligon.

Veasey said the local forensic building will help with the amount of time families have to wait in order to hold funeral services. He added that the district attorney and defense lawyers will not have to wait as long for lab results and pathologists will be much closer if they are required to testify in court on a case.

In addition, the local facility will be less expensive. Rainey said the county normally budgets more than $600,000 annually for autopsies performed in Dallas. The new facility has an annual budget of $1.1 million, but nearly half of that amount is set to come from neighboring counties that have chosen to pay for services from the facility.

She said seven counties are already interested in paying for the facility’s services.

Veasey said other counties will help offset the costs. The facility will only perform autopsies ordered by a Montgomery County Justice of the Peace or a neighboring county’s Justice of the Peace.

However, the facility will not perform toxicology or controlled substance testing. The Forensic Services building will work with the Sam Houston State University (SHSU) Regional Crime Lab in The Woodlands for such tests.

The crime lab has been operating since November and has 10 employees. It was established through the College of Criminal Justice at SHSU and partnered with Montgomery County to help alleviate the waiting period created when evidence was sent through the Department of Public Transportation (DPS), according to Ligon.

Crime lab Director Dr. Sarah Kerrigan said the SHSU crime lab also works with Walker, Polk, San Jacinto, Brazoria Counties, as well as others.

Typically, evidence sent to DPS took about six months to process before results were received. With the new crime lab results from controlled substances and toxicology are received within four days, Ligon explained.

Kerrigan said the lab focuses on toxicology and controlled substance testing, which is used in cases such as driving while intoxicated, sexual assault and illegal drug possession. With the forensic facility the lab will also be able to begin helping with cases of death.

The Forensic Services building will hold a grand opening in the coming weeks, Veasey said.

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