Amarillo autopsies not impacted by Lubbock M.E. controversy

AMARILLO, TX (KFDA) - District Attorneys for Randall County and the 47th District have worked with the Lubbock County Medical Examiner’s office in previous years.

However they said they aren’t associated with the office at this time while it’s under investigation for autopsy malpractice.

“We have been using Dr. Thomas Parsons out of Lubbock for the last four years,” said Criminal D.A. for Randall County Robert Love. “He’s performed our autopsies on either homicides that we know are criminal in nature or other suspicious deaths that we’re not sure about and we need an autopsy to help us make that determination.”

Parsons was formerly employed with the Lubbock County Medical Examiner’s Office, but now works for South Plains Forensics Pathology.

The Randall County District Attorney’s office used to be contracted with the former director of the Lubbock County M.E. Office years ago.

“Technically we had a contract with Dr. Sridhar Natarajan,” said Love. “We did not have a contract with the Lubbock County Medical Examiner’s office.”

However the 47th District Attorney’s Office, which handles cases out of Potter and Armstrong County, used to have a contract with the Lubbock County office itself.

“There’s been at least one incident before that I know where there’s been a big investigation down there in the Lubbock M.E. Office and it’s disappointing to hear that it’s happening again,” said 47th District D.A. Randall Sims.

Sims said they chose to follow Dr. Parsons when he left the office.

“He had done a lot of work for us while he was in the Lubbock M.E. Office and we were very satisfied with the work he was doing,” he said.

He stresses the importance of autopsies being handled properly and trust between the offices, especially when families are involved.

“From the criminal side, it’s very important that everything is done correctly,” said Sims. “At the end of the day if a murder trial is tried, the pathologist is going to have to come testify about the cause of death. And even when it’s not a criminal case, just for the sake of families and stuff it all ought to be correct.”

Both D.A.'s offices said they have good working relationships with Dr. Parsons and South Plains Forensics Pathology and county residents should have no reason for concern.

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