Travis Co. D.A.’s Office will not sponsor testimony from Lubbock Co. M.E. pending Texas Rangers investigation

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - The Travis County District Attorney’s Office tells the KCBD Investigates Team it will not sponsor any testimony from Lubbock County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Sam Andrews while he is under investigation by the Texas Rangers.

Andrews used to work for the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office before accepting the medical examiner position in Lubbock.

Andrews still returns to Austin to testify on cases he worked, but that may no longer be the case.

“We just think it’s good protocol not commenting on the merits of the investigation that is ongoing because we simply don’t know the facts, but what we do know is that a fellow district attorney’s office has decided not to put Andrews on the stand while the investigation is pending, and we thought it would be good protocol for us to follow their lead in that,” said Travis County First Assistant District Attorney Mindy Montford.

“How did you find out about the allegations and the investigations into Dr. Sam Andrews?” we asked Montford.

“The same way I think everyone did; It was probably from your reporting. We had some articles sent to us or news stories that had run in Lubbock,” Montford said.

Montford said Travis County has roughly a dozen pending cases where Andrews performed the autopsy, but after reading our reports, her office decided against having Andrews testify.

“We have talked to our prosecutors, they have reviewed the autopsies, and in all but maybe two of them, we don’t think cause of death will be in dispute,” Montford said. “Now, there may be a couple where self defense is an issue. The defense certainly has the right to question whatever expert we put up there and scrutinize the work of Dr. Andrews."

Andrews said so far, no forensic pathologist has questioned Andrews’ work, including the cause of death.

“If an expert reviewed his work and did not concur with the findings, then of course we would want to have a third party come in and examine the work,” Montford said.

As of right now, Montford said they have no plan to call on Andrews to testify in any of the pending cases.

FULL COVERAGE: KCBD Investigates Lubbock County Medical Examiner’s Office

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