They also work with Macomb County police and sheriff's offices to investigate suspicious or violent deaths. Fetting is charged with conspiracy to commit controlled substance - delivery/manufacture, two counts of controlled substance delivery/manufacture, and larceny in a building. After lunch, the partially eaten cake was left on the counter. The cake was taken into the conference area, which also served as the office lunch room, where it wasshared by morgue workers and supervisors. "We needed more control over what's going on with managing the facility, employees that are over there," Hackel said. That is not funny.". 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 Medical Examiner's office also determines whether or not autopsies should be conducted. The investigation identified two morgue employees who were "pocketing drugs" from dead bodies, Click on Detroit reported. Patch has reached out to Macomb County officials for additional information. Visit Medical Examiner - Coroner Website. 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 . The missing hydrocodone pills were not recovered. During the trial, Medical Examiner Leigh Hlavaty testified that AMar had not been fed for at least seven days. The death investigator recalled one of the morgue workers telling her: "Show them a picture of his penis. They discovered minimal oversight of the evidence room and the chain of custody for items, often drugs, taken from death scenes, officials said. 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.. Admin Assistant, Clerical. Mail to Macomb County Clerk, Attn: Death Records, 120 North Main, Mount Clemens, MI 48043. I think you want to figure out how you manage these employees but, lets face it, at times, you do have folks who have issues.. The next court date is scheduled for May 9. The Medical Examiner's office investigates deaths due to violence, accidents and those not attended by a physician. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. macomb county morgue death. 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,. 2. A Macomb County couple is facing murder charges in the Christmas Day death of their 18-month-old daughter who had enough fentanyl in her to kill several adults, authorities said Monday. The offensive cake was. Two former Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office employees are facing charges in connection with the theft of prescription medications from storage. / CBS Detroit. The Macomb County Health Department operates the Medical Examiner's (ME) office, which is charged with investigating deaths due to violence, accidents and those not attended by a physician. 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 said she heard a secretary ask a supervisorabout the cake: "Is that really a black penis cake in the conference room? Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, Jocelyn Fetting, 32, is charged with conspiracy with intent to deliver, delivery of suboxone, delivery of Adderall and larceny of a building. Assistant prosecutors John Pietrofesa and Andrew McGarrow tried the case, calling . 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. Two Macomb County employees were fired after allegedly stealing drugs from the medical examiner's office, county officials announced at a news conference Friday. "I was livid furious actually," the woman told the Free Press. Find 4 Coroners & Medical Examiners within 35.3 miles of Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner. 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. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports. Find 4 Coroners & Medical Examiners within 36.2 miles of Wayne County Medical Examiner & Coroner. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said two years ago that some steps of the medical examiners drug disposal process gave him pause. 43525 Elizabeth Road, Mount Clemens, MI 48043. 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. Perform death investigations that occur within Macomb County, prepares detailed reports and analysis on investigation of cases, identify deceased's . Fetting and Kettlewell were arraigned in 41B District Court and each received a $5,000 personal bond. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. The Macomb County Health Department operates the Medical Examiner's (ME) office, which is charged with investigating deaths due to violence, accidents and those not attended by a physician. Now that the investigation is complete, the appropriate charges have been brought against the two former medical examiner's employees," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a press release. They'll just say they were upset,' " states the complaint. This is the second EEOC complaint to be filed against the Macomb County morgue in recent years. 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. 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. The following death benefits are deducted from the SER payment: Printed images of naked men and penis-shaped confetti scattered on desks, counters and the floor. A fourth employee remains on paid administrative leave as investigators. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, three female employees with the Medical Examiner's office were fired last week for alleged workplace misbehavior that one workersays went on for at least five years. The death of Floyd, a Black man who died while in the custody of Minneapolis police and with an officer's knee on his neck, has sparked protests against police brutality around the nation. The employees, a 50-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, allegedly took some drugs instead of properly disposing of them. The area the county should look at is the chain of command that oversees the Medical Examiners Office, which falls under the county Health Department. The officials made and/or influenced the unlawful decision to terminate Plaintiff because of her protected activity under the Free Speech Clause. Regarding the new allegations, sheriffs investigators a few months ago followed up on a report of the missing pills. 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. 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. Job specializations: Administrative/Clerical. The crude confection lingered in a lunchroom at the Macomb County Medical Examiner's . The jury returned a guilty verdict two hours after getting the case. The Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner, located in Clinton, MI, keeps death records for individuals who passed away in Clinton. MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. - A woman and a man who worked at the Macomb County Morgue have been charged for stealing drugs off of bodies, prosecutors said. Investigators said the chain of drug custody caught their eye, and some workers were concerned about people pocketing some of the drugs. Secretary /Deputy Coroner. The death investigator says multiple people have complained about the "unprofessional decorum" in the past, but to no avail. They were given a $5,000 personal bond. In the same week that George Floyd was killed, a cake decorated with a Black penison it showed up in the conference room at the Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office. Privacy Policy "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.". View map of Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner, and get driving directions from your location. Authorities said the office takes medications and narcotics from people who have died as part of the death investigation. Please contact the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office at 313-833-2504 to find out how to obtain a copy of the autopsy report. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. It was thatcakethat pushed one employee too far so she filed thecomplaint with the federal government. That employee was fired after filing her EEOC complaint, which is still pending. 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 EEOC does not comment on investigations. 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. If you would like to subscribe for text alerts please select Text Updates in the drop-down menu. The Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office ruled her mom's death an overdose due to multiple prescription drugs. 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. Confiscation of the drugs is used to determine whether a toxicology report stemming from an autopsy matches drugs found at the scene. Accidents in Macomb County are a major cause of property damage, injury, and death each year. non human bones, tissue, fetuses, etc.) Another one alleging similar claims was filed in 2016 and is still pending. Popularity:#7 of 83 Coroners & Medical Examiners in Michigan#158 in Coroners & Medical Examiners. Clinton Twp. 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. Listed on 2023-03-02. Nine months later, a Ferndale man overdosed on multiple prescription pain . Both Kettlewell and Fetting were arraigned Wednesday (Feb. 1) at 41B District Court. Spitz took over the medical examiner role in the mid-2000s, following in the footsteps of his well-known father, Dr. Werner Spitz. CountyOffice.org does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). First of all they are requirements of the country, the Netherlands, to enter the Netherlands and are not municipal requirements to enter the city of Amsterdam. Ex-morgue. When the parents arrived, theyhad difficulty identifying the body, unsure that it was their son. Jacob Kettlewell, 50, is charged with larceny and use of a controlled substance. Purpose. These can include Macomb County death certificates, local and Michigan State death registries, and the National Death Index. Recently, a distraught family appeared at the morgue and damaged some doors. obtained from the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office through a Freedom of Information . Clemens, MI 48043 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 . In addition to the county, defendants include William Ridella, retired director of Macomb County Public Health; Deputy County Executive Andrew McKinnon, who was director of Human Resources at the time; and county Medical Examiner Dr. Daniel Spitz and his company, Spitz Pathology Group. The Medical Assistant assists in the examination and treatment of patients under the direction of a physician. "I have witnessed prior employees resign due to constant bullying and ridicule for 'not being onboard'with the office culture," the new complaint states. Two Macomb County employees were fired after allegedly stealing drugs from the medical examiner's office, county officials announced at a news conference Friday. Both employees were fired in December. Three female morgue employees were fired Thursday following a due-processhearing, according to county officials. One employee supposedly resold the drugs while the other kept them for personal use, they said. Spitzs inactive role in management was clarified in the new deal approved last December effective Jan. 1. In 2018, the most recent year for which data are available, the Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office investigated 3,061 deaths, performed 531 complete autopsies, 121 external examinations. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, The Detroit Free Press reported. Vital Records Request Form Download the Macomb County Vital Records Request Form and Instructions (PDF) Los Angeles County Office of Decedent Affairs (County Morgue/Cemetery) Phone: (323) 409-7161. einouye@dhs.lacounty.gov. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Abuse of prescription medications along with heroin and fentanyl/fentanyl-analogs continue to be major concerns in Macomb County. "The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office does not investigate and does not try cases in the media. Macomb County Medical Examiner's Office A Roseville man who was fatally shot by police on April 26 after a crash in Roseville loved to fish, was a Green Bay Packers fan and was generous with his time and money, according to an online obituary.. Frank Robles, 57, was a Roseville resident for 46 years and a graduate of Brablec High School, according to the obituary on the Kaul Funeral Home website. Staff are available to take your calls Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at (586) 469-5214. "Were supposed to set an example. When we hearthese types of allegations, we take them seriously and we take quick action.". Morgue employees often take medicine found at a . Officers caught up with Carnell Franklin-Smith, 34, and Benjamin Pearce, 29, who had been at the house the day before to transport James Davis' body to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office. Spitz declined comment. ", More:Mitch Albom: Burying the unclaimed dead shows the greatest respect for life. I prepared the contract and submitted it to the county, he said. The county signed a new contract with an office management company to oversee the process. An anonymous tip received in April 2022 led the sheriff's office to investigate Fetting and Kettlewell. Contact the Medical Examiner's office at (586) 469-5214 or email us now. Last month, former . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The 50-year-old man and 32-year-old woman, both morgue technicians, were dismissed following a Sheriffs Office investigation into 20 missing hydrocodone pills that should have made it to the evidence room but did not. A fourth employee remains on paid administrativeleave as investigators continue to questionformer employees about allegations involving racist and sexist behavior in the office. 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. Fetting and Kettlewell were bothfired from the medical examiner's office. Struckel initially complained to Spitz and then to Ridella and McKinnon. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Keith Appling was sentenced to 18-40 years in prison following his guilty plea for a fatal shooting in 2021. About Us Contact Us "Are they a black family?" Forensic Examinations 572 Local deaths (those that occur within the boundaries of Macomb County) that fall under the jurisdiction of (586) 469-5214. Read more Health - Medical Examiner Fees But nothing was ever done, not even after another person filed a sexual harassment complaint against the Macomb County morgue with the EEOC in 2016, alleging a hostile work environment. . "We dont want anyone working in a place thats unwelcoming, unsafe and not inclusive," said Macomb County Human Resources Director Andrew McKinnon. Over the last five years, the death investigator says she's been forced to work in a cliquey environment where sex is often joked about, especially male genitalia. 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. The death investigatorsays that she has often been given the responsibility of identifying the bodies of African Americans whose families have been considered "hostile" or "difficult" by office staff. Terms and Conditions. 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. "'That cake is disgusting," she said she told her. This was not onlyignored by managing personnel, but participated in by the supervising staff.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Contract position. Jacob Kettlewell, 50, is accused of taking an occasional pill from the medical examiners office and consuming it, according to authorities. The offensive cake was served one day after George Floyd died while in police custody, the Detroit Free Press reported. Kaiyanni Jones, who was 1 year and 11 . Shantavia Hayden was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of her 7-month-old after the baby was starved to death in 2020. The ex-morgue technicians were . . I do not manage (county) employees, I do not hire, I do not fire, I do not discipline employees, Spitz said. During the cake incident, multiple employees complained, but nothing happened, the complaint alleges. Find 13 external resources related to Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner. 43585 Elizabeth Road, Mt. 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. 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. They did note a separate incident where 20 hydrocodone pills went missing from the evidence room, but said they do not know who took them. Fraser City Clerk 33000 Garfield Road Fraser, MI 48026 586-293-1877 Directions. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "No, I did not have any of it. The first three charges are each seven-year felonies, and the larceny charge is a four-year felony. Hackel said they do not believe the employees were working together, but were aware of what the other was doing. Blood-soaked Idaho crime scene 'major challenge' for investigators, expert says, This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Hackel requested more control over that part of the operation. Nobody wants to terminate employees. MACOMB. Be that as it may, as stated you are not considered fully vaccinated which is a primary vaccination series less than 270 days ago or a . Before she was fired, Spitz told her she was over-qualified for the position, she says. Penis screen savers. Phone: (323) 343-0512. They both received $5,000 personal bonds and will be back in court in May. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. Macomb County Medical Examiner & Coroner (Clinton, MI - 19.5 miles) . Berg agreed with Struckels attorney, Joel Sklar, in his opinion to deny dismissal of the free-speech claim that her complaints were made as a private citizen because as a morgue technician she had no management duties and her speech was of public concern. Her reporting of alleged violations was aimed at bringing to light public safety issues, potential wrongdoing and public trust, the lawsuit says. 2023 www.freep.com. 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. The Macomb County Health Department operates the Medical Examiner's (ME) office, which is charged with investigating deaths due to violence, accidents and those not attended by a physician. In 2020, three Macomb County Morgue employees were fired after allegations of sexual harassment and racism. "The office culture is tainted with racism toward people of color. They're either "viciouslyharassed," she alleges, or bullied into resigning. Wickersham compared that to his department, where only four people have access to the evidence room, and he is not one of them. Macomb Township Authorities are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found Sunday on a sidewalk, officials said. 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. Both employees were fired in December. Three female morgue workers were fired as part of the investigation last week. Justice was served today for little Amar," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido. But, maybe also check first with the place where she would be cremated, make sure they will take her after a couple days Back in 2017 we debunked a story that a Texas . A cake decorated with a black penis has sparked grave allegations of workplace racism at a Michigan morgue. The next day, the person who made the cake approached the investigator, asking, "Did you try my cake?". Macomb County officials on Thursday will consider settling a federal lawsuit filed over two years ago by a former morgue employee who claims she was fired for reporting health and safety violations. 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 Medical Assistant interviews patients, measures vital signs (i.e., pulse rate, temperature, blood pressure, weight and height), and records information on patients' charts. Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner/Coroner's Office. People complained, she claims. 2023 County Office.