MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE: NAAG Pathology Labs announces plans to not renew contract with Lubbock County

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - National Autopsy Assay Group Pathology Labs, PC, the company previously responsible for providing Medical Examiner services for Lubbock County, has decided not to renew their agreement.

A letter was sent from the office of Dr. Evan Matshes, forensic pathologist and CEO of NAAG Pathology Labs, indicating the reasons for not renewing the agreement as what they say were “personal and political agendas” interfering with their role in the criminal justice system.

The San Diego based company came under scrutiny after taking over the office in October of 2018.

A lawsuit was filed against NAAG, Dr. Andrews, and Dr. Matshes by a former employee who claims she was fired after she observed and reported potentially illegal and suspicious activity within the medical examiner’s office, including autopsies being performed by an unlicensed physician, and concerns over shipping excessive numbers of body parts to NAAG’s lab in California for research purposes.

Tuesday’s letter from Dr. Matshes to Judge Curtis Parrish says NAAG is proud of their accomplishments in upgrading the Medical Examiner’s Office, and thanked the County Commissioners who supported their efforts.

In the letter, NAAG claims it was always their intention to recruit an additional pathologist to handle the caseload in Lubbock County, and the number of qualified forensic pathologists is limited.

“Unfortunately, the environment created in Lubbock County by a few individuals with personal or political agendas have made those recruiting efforts virtually impossible,” Matshes said in the letter, “Accordingly, NAAG Pathology Labs, PC regretfully notifies Lubbock County under ? 29(c) of the referenced Agreement that it does not desire the Agreement to automatically renew on September 30 and the Agreement shall terminate on September 30, 2019.”

Texas DPS says the FBI and the Attorney General’s office is now assisting the Texas Rangers in their investigation.

Stay with KCBD for more details on this story as it develops.

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